Savage Journey

A superbly crafted studyof Hunter S. Thompson's literary formation, achievement, and continuing relevance. Savage Journeyis a supremely crafted study of Hunter S. Thompsons literary formation and achievement. Focusing on Thompsons influences, development, and unique model of authorship,Savage Journeyargues that his literary formation was largely a San Francisco story. During the 1960s, Thompson rode with the Hells Angels, explored the San Francisco counterculture, and met talented editors who shared his dissatisfaction with mainstream journalism. Peter Richardson traces Thompsons transition during this time from New Journalist to cofounder of Gonzo journalism. He also endorses Thompsons later claim that he was one of the best writers using the English language as both a musical instrument and a political weapon. Although Thompsons political commentary was often hyperbolic, Richardson shows that much of it was also prophetic. Fifty years after the publication ofFear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and more than a decade after his death, Thompsons celebrity continues to obscure his literary achievement. This book refocuses our understanding of that achievement by mapping Thompsons influences,probing the development of his signature style, and tracing the reception of his major works. It concludes that Thompson was not only a gifted journalist, satirist, and media critic, but also the most distinctive American voice in the second half of the twentieth century.