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HANGMEN: Riding with an outlaw motorcycle club in the old days.

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Take a thrill-packed ride with the outlaw bikers of the Hangmen Motorcycle Club during the wild days of the 60s and 70s, and experience what it feels like to live on the edge. When 15-year-old Dale drops out of school, he’s not sure if he wants to be a Marine or a biker. Neither of them pays well, but both fulfill his need for adventure and excitement. As soon as he gets his first Harley, the decision comes easily and the young man falls into the dangerous life of a 1% outlaw biker in Southern California.For almost a decade, Hangmen Motorcycle Club becomes his family, and passionate yet kind-hearted Dale experiences true brotherhood with this extraordinary group of men. Caught up in gang brawls, run-ins with the law, partying and some romance, there is never a dull moment in his day. Perennial values such as honor, loyalty, and freedom also become part of his life. For Hangmen Motorcycle Club—a modern version of the gunfighters of the Old West—is all about living life to the fullest as free spirits, preserving one’s liberties, and protecting one’s kin.With hundreds of raving reviews, Hangmen is a page-turner to be enjoyed from beginning to end whether or not you are a biker. It is packed with unexpected twists and turns and the author’s sense of humor brightens up even the bleakest situations. Ultimately, Hangmen is a book about humanity and probably the most authentic and raw immersion in the motorcycle club subculture of the 60s and 70s.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2021

266 people are currently reading
95 people want to read

About the author

Dale Arenson

7 books6 followers

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5 stars
285 (50%)
4 stars
179 (31%)
3 stars
75 (13%)
2 stars
22 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Randal White.
1,037 reviews96 followers
April 11, 2023
I usually enjoy these types of books. After 30 years in law enforcement, I tend to lean towards them, if for no other reason than to bring back memories of dealing with people like the author. But in this case, I have to state that I found the book to be rather boring. The author was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang. But that's about it. Endless recounting of long cycle rides, bar fights, and credit card fraud. He ends up coming across as a rather lost, lazy slacker. Sorry! Nothing earth shattering or any really tense situations here. Just story after story of rather boring situations. I am glad to see that the author turned his life around later in life. I wish him luck.
11 reviews3 followers
May 3, 2022
Interesting and accurate

True to the life I saw in so Florida in late 70s and 80s w clubs there. Living now in Richmond where Hangmen started makes their story even more intriguing to read. Just the right amount of detail combined with captioned photos keep one’s attention. Old California history and geography are fun to read about as well.

Recommend to anyone who has interest in Harley, history of biker clubs, old pics of same.
Profile Image for Janne.
7 reviews
October 15, 2021
Terrific Read!

Wow! I cried when this book ended because I enjoyed it so much! I felt like Mr. Arenson had been a fly on the wall our life experiences were so similar. I was rather amazed we never met down the years. I married a biker with ties to the Gypsy Jokers and the Justus MCs in 1974 when I was just 19, and was an Old Lady for 25 years. I highly recommend this book if you want to know what biker life was really about back in the seventies...
2 reviews
Read
January 12, 2022
Great book

I like this book I had a old friend who got me into riding motorcycles and it made me think about how he probably was when he was younger lol
7 reviews
July 9, 2022
Great read

This is a very well written book. It's very interesting to read about what it was like being a part of a motorcycle club in the 60's and early 70's.
22 reviews
March 17, 2023
Exciting thrill ride

Good read... Taking you on a very descriptive landscape of another place and time for this culture and silent respect for brotherhood.
3 reviews
October 11, 2022
Awesome Book

As a kid of the 70's I remember watching out the windows of cars as hordes of bikers zoomed past on road trips. This book took me inside those bands of brothers and gave me a glimpse into their world. Dale tells great stories and I couldn't put this book down. A++++
Profile Image for Colette McNeil.
Author 6 books2 followers
June 20, 2023
Engaging

I enjoyed Dale Arenson’s stories of his Hangman adventures. Starting out I was concerned it would be a tale of glorifying lawlessness and murder. Gratefully, I did not find this to be the case. While there were plenty of references of such activity, what really came through was Dale Arenson’s humbleness and depth of character. Not pretending to be a saint, yet sharing of his inner world and frame of mind, Dale has given the recollections of his Hangman affiliation the humanity that I am sure many of the club members wish the public new about them. Thank you Mr. Arenson for sharing your story. And thank you for giving us a glimpse of your ability to continue growing and thriving despite challenges you faced. This could definitely be an inspiration that many young people could reference to encourage their own continued growth and achievement.
72 reviews2 followers
December 1, 2021
If you ride you should read this book

Considering the dude's not a trained writer he tells a hell of a story in an extremely well written style. Great stories from someone who was there.
4 reviews
April 23, 2021
This is an enjoyable read.

This story takes you into the life of a motorcycle club member and let’s you almost experience for yourself what it feels like to be young, reckless, penniless and living on the edge.
1,773 reviews34 followers
May 24, 2022
HANGMEN: Dale Arenson

Excellent read. Thank you for sharing your story, full of exciting experiences, partying, brotherhood and adventurous rides. Thoroughly enjoyed every page. 100% recommend this book to everyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10 reviews
July 15, 2022
great book, easy read

Hard to put down.
If you ride, you will enjoy this book. If you have ridden across country, you have experience with a lot of what he writes about even if you are not a patch holder.
1 review
September 24, 2021
Good riding

This was about living the old club life before the heavy criminal activity. Riding, partying and fighting. The good old days. I really enjoyed it.
10 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2023
wonderful reading

Truely an inspirational man , well worth a read and quite an amazing ending.
Well done Dale
Rob Abbott
Perth
2 reviews
January 6, 2025
Interesting insight into a world most of us will never know.
8 reviews
March 13, 2024
Another terrific book by Arenson. I read "Against the Wind: A Motorcycle Ride" a few years bike and it is a 1st rate travelogue of journey by motorcycle. This book is the backstory I didn't know about. It is how, as a very young man, he fell into the culture and life of a 1%er MC. Like many in the world, the first thing he fell for was motorcycles, drawn by the power and freedom of these two-wheeled wonders. As someone who has loved motorcycles my whole life and finally got my first one late in the game (I now own three), I understand the allure of these magnificent machines, the rush of being atop one - literally a being part of it with your legs *wrapped* around the motor - with the sound of the wind in your ears. It's a totally immersive experience, something akin to skydiving (which I have also done). The actor Ryan Reynolds captured it best when he said: "I love the fact that when you're on a motorcycle, riding a motorcycle is the only thing you are doing."
Arenson doesn't rush through his story, walking us through his tentative early days, where he met club members through friends, and really - for a time - preferred to be on his own. Over time he was won over by the Harley mystique and also became a hang-around, becoming involved in some of the activities of the Henchman. He was still a couple of years too young to be a member but in time became a prospect and was was a participant in some borderline dangerous situations. He finally gets "patched in" after a displaying some cool-headed behavior in a violent encounter, even then reticent about being awarded this recognition and honor. The remainder of the book is well written narrative about his years with the MC which can be summarized as: riding, drinking, screwing hot women, fighting, getting arrested numerous times with occasional incarceration, and having many close calls with death. It is a very engaging and entertaining story, with Arenson displaying a very perceptive view of just how rough, violent, and tenuous life in a 1%er MC can be. He captures this experience in raw fashion, softening the hard edges with dry wit, unswerving candor, and a clear running thread of love for the visceral and fundamental thing that life in an outlaw club is: a brotherhood with other men that is deep and strong, akin perhaps to the bonds forged in war. Much what happens is dangerous, bloody, and occasionally fatal, but in the midst of it, Arenson is among men who will have his back *no matter what*, who will come to the aid of his brothers no matter where or when, who shares experiences that no outsider could possibly imagine. I would add to this a scene that captures this comradery as much as any, that of the club being followed by several police cars, and tearing through the Redwoods on these amazing bikes, hand built custom choppers, cornering at high speed, having absolute trust in the skill and awareness of the man in front of and behind him. What other groups or settings provide this kind of bond or experience these days? I'd say that 1) it is something that men intrinsically need in the root of their being and desire and 2) something ever more difficult to find. Arenson's story is a terrific read that, without being preachy, touches on this theme. I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Gerald Senear.
6 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2024
I met Dale Arenson through reading his books. I have read three of them and each one was an experience I will never forget. Why do I say experiences as opposed to just saying books read? Because Dale has the innate gift of being able to put words on paper and make those same words come alive for his reader. Dale has lived a unique life. First, as a young man Dale joined a well-known motorcycle gang and they became his family. In his book “Hangmen” you become a member of that family. You don’t read about what Dale and his friends are doing in the book. He actually places you on the Pillion seat of his motorcycle and takes you with him.



I am a pilot and I have been around Aviation all my life. The first book I read by Dale described the genesis of his Aviation Career. I will read anything that has to do with Aircraft and pilots. Ernest Gann is arguably the greatest aviation writer of all time. He flew for the fledgling airlines when they were first starting out. Even before that, he distributed mail transporting it with open cockpit airplanes. I read Gann as a young teen and his writings made me want to become a pilot. Gann doesn’t just provide pages for you to read. He has you board the airplane with him and sit in the copilot seat. All of a sudden you're not only an individual interested in reading an aviation book you become a pilot and are experiencing the adventure with the writer.



The same thing happens when you read Dale Arenson. In “Hangman”, his first book, you mount Dale’s bike and ride with him or you mount your own bike and ride as a member of his family. When he is writing about airplanes and flying you become a part of his crew, most likely his copilot. Dale is a remarkable writer and his ability to take his reader along with him on his adventures is something only gifted writers can do and do consistently.



From Biker Gang Member to Four Stripe Airline Pilot Dale Arenson has done it all. Meet him by opening one of his books. You won’t regret it.
2 reviews
March 31, 2024
Reviewed by Christine for Readers' Favorite

Hangmen: Riding with an Outlaw Motorcycle Club in the Old Days is a raw and gritty memoir that takes readers into motorcycle gangs in the 60s and 70s. Dale E. Arenson was a high school dropout from a broken family. His two options were enlisting in the Vietnam War or hanging out with an infamous motorcycle club called Hangmen. His parents refused to permit him to enlist in the army, so Dale ended up as a Hangmen biker. He chronicles the highs and lows of first being a hanger-on at age 17, then becoming a prospect at 19, and finally becoming a fully-fledged patch holder of the Hangmen. The motorcycle gangs had a tight brotherhood that revolved around riding, drinking, drugs, women, sex, and fighting. Their shenanigans are highlighted in an honest portrayal of what the motorcycle lifestyle was all about.

Dale E. Arenson writes with honesty about his experiences without romanticizing the motorcycle gang lifestyle or downplaying its brutality and violence. This book is not for the faint-hearted. Hangmen is an action-packed, white-knuckle, adrenaline roller coaster ride that will mesmerize you until the end. This is a nostalgic glimpse back into Californian history that should be preserved, no matter how controversial. I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous photographs of the Hangmen included in the book as they also told another more visual story that captured my imagination. I did not know that so many motorcycle gangs were operating, as I have only heard about the Hell’s Angels. This was an addictive read that had me continuously on the edge of my seat.

47 reviews
August 24, 2024
I read and very much enjoyed the author's other two autobiographical books "Better Lucky Than Good" and "The Lucky One", so I thought I'd give this one a try. It's about his life before becoming a pilot, when he was a member of a motorcycle club.

The author's life story is inspiring, in how he turned his life around and became an airline pilot, so I figured this book would also be inspirational. Sadly, it fell quite short, as it ends right where he's about to turn his life around (which is well-detailed in the next two (presumably soon to be three) books).

While it's decently well written, this book is 400+ pages of long bike rides, bar fights, and camping/alcohol/drugs. While it was an interesting look into the day to day life of a motorcycle gang member, after the first 100 or so pages it just became quite repetitive. All the bar fights and rides just blended together in the reader's mind and there wasn't much reason for the reader to try to differentiate them.

I think this book would have been better if it had been trimmed down and included as the first couple of hundred pages of "Better Lucky Than Good", as that book was pretty short anyway (under 200 pages). Then it would have shown the author's background and his success at pulling himself away from it in one storyline.

If you're interested in the "chopper" motorcycle gang lifestyle of the 1970's, then this book is full of real-life experience and definitely gives you a good idea of what it was like. Just don't feel too bad if you start skimming a little.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,876 reviews
March 17, 2023
Fifteen-year-old Dale Arenson drops out of school, gets a Harley and begins following the biker gang Hangmen. This book is a memoir of his adventures with the club and his life on the road in the 1960s and 70s. For many years, his bike was home.
Reviewers note that the book is loaded with action. They’re right! This novel also includes plenty of profanity and some sexual content. And of course, it’s loaded with violence because as the author notes, “What’s the difference between a hippy and a biker?” I always like to answer, “Hippies are non-violent.”
However, the writing flows well, the information is organized in an appealing way, and space between paragraphs improves visual appeal. This book practically reads itself.
I also like the humanity of the men who definitely care for each other. Plus, “friendliness from strangers was the first I learned of the ‘rules of the road’ as a solitary biker. Not only were a lot of people interested in you, but they also wanted to help in any way they could.”
I appreciate how the author ends the book with a quick recap of the decades since his active Hangmen years. I was initially worried that he would be stuck on the road forever. But it was comforting to see that young people can be wild and adventurous and grow up to become stable and functioning members of society.
32 reviews
September 6, 2023
awesome

This was a great read! It was easy and quick but provided so much info and insight into the early days of outlaw motorcycling. Author has a great way of telling the story and did so surprisingly well in a linear fashion; considering the circumstances and substances that were involved for most of the timeframe of the book. The ending has such a good feeling to it knowing he is alive and well, having lived a long, successful life. I am going to continue to read the authors other works!
3 reviews
December 16, 2021
Not Much To It.

Tale of a dummy taking long rides on his motorcycle with dopey friends. Some bar fights thrown in to break the monotony of this read.
In the last page, author reveals he later had a 35 year career as a pilot after leaving his motorcycle life. That would make an interesting story.
9 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2024
What a Story!

Told as it happened! Quick read, couldn't put it down. This is an honest account of life on the edge! Well told, just enough details to get the picture without making it too drawn out.
Profile Image for Nancy.
70 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2024
A Fascinating read about a different world

An incredible glimpse into a past lifestyle. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. As an avid European biker From the age of 15, now 60. Totally recommend. FYI: I am Nancy's husband.
Profile Image for Michael.
2 reviews
November 14, 2023
Great read.

This book keeps your interest and the author comes to a very respectfully ending position in his life. Great read
8 reviews
April 20, 2024
Headin out, revs up

This book takes you into a motorcyclist head as well the clubs that operated out of Southern California. Told, no holds bare, warts an all of biking culture
2 reviews
July 5, 2024
great memories

A different club, but rekindles the memories of youth. Really enjoyed reading, it as like just hanging around and sharing stories.
12 reviews
November 9, 2024
Really detailed, but completely devoid of any substance or anything of even a little interest.
Profile Image for Tayves Pelletier.
32 reviews
June 23, 2024
cool and fun stories of dudes being bros but kind of just that. if you like motorcycles and southern california, worth the read.
Profile Image for Dameon Fowler.
134 reviews6 followers
January 25, 2024
Stabbings!

There was so much violence and blissful moments in this book! Bar fight after bar fight and stars gazing after stars gazing. This man has so many moments where lightening strikes just at the right time and people meet just at the right time. So many shoot outs, stabbings and Harleys to get your blood pumping my other three books I've read about 1% life don't come close to the violence in this book. Exciting and kinda pisses me off that people do some of these violent acts in the strongest country in the world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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