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Kingdom of Fear (Popular Penguins) - Softcover

 
9780141037417: Kingdom of Fear (Popular Penguins)
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In his memoir, Hunter S. Thompson looks back on a long and productive life. It is a story of crazed road trips fuelled by bourbon and black acid, of insane judges and giant porcupines, of girls, guns, explosives and, of course, bikes. He also takes on his dissolute youth in Louisville; his adventures in pornography; campaigning for local office in Aspen; and what it's like to accidentally be accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson. Alongside this "depraved and terrifying adventure", Hunter S. Thompson explores the darkness at the heart of America today.

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Review:
Kingdom of Fear is billed as a memoir, but in essence, all of Hunter S. Thompson's books could fit into this category since his life and work have always been tightly bound together by a mythology largely of his own making. (After all, this is the man who, before earning a single dollar as a writer, began meticulously saving a copy of every letter he ever sent.) Still, this is certainly an unconventional memoir, but then what would you expect from the father of gonzo journalism? In these pages Thompson manages to dig deep and reveal a few "loathsome secrets" without offering the kind of personal details he has always avoided. His childhood, for instance, is basically summed up in a sentence: "I look back on my youth with great fondness, but I would not recommend it as a working model to others." He does, however, reflect upon his considerable legacy, including his well-known, and admittedly exaggerated, use of controlled substances ("The brutal reality of politics alone would probably be intolerable without drugs"), as well as offer assessments of his own work, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ("It's as good as The Great Gatsby and better than The Sun Also Rises").

In this collection of twisted parables and outlaw adventures, Thompson writes about his early run-ins with agents of authority and the lessons learned; his stint in the Air Force and the beginning of his journalism career; his unsuccessful, though illuminating, bid for Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado in 1970 as the Freak Power candidate; the casualties and unintended consequences thus far in the War on Terror; and numerous examples of present-day injustice and hypocrisy--all with his characteristic mix of brutal frankness laced with humor. He also offers his own take on state of the Union: "The prevailing quality of life in America--by any accepted methods of measuring--was inarguably freer and more politically open under Nixon than it is today in this evil year of Our Lord 2002." Thompson continues to make even the most deadly serious subject matter endlessly entertaining. --Shawn Carkonen

About the Author:
Hunter S. Thompson was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. His books include Fear and Loathing in America, Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Proud Highway, Better Than Sex and The Rum Diary. Dr Thompson lives in a fortified compound near Aspen, Colorado.

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  • PublisherPenguin Books
  • Publication date2008
  • ISBN 10 0141037415
  • ISBN 13 9780141037417
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages354
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780684873244: Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780684873244
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2003
Softcover

  • 9780684873237: Kingdom of Fear : Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

    Simon ..., 2003
    Hardcover

  • 9780141014227: Kingdom of Fear : Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

    Pengui..., 2008
    Softcover

  • 9780965766210: KINGDOM OF FEAR Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century by Hunter S. Thompson

    Simon ..., 2003
    Softcover

  • 9780713997149: Kingdom of Fear : Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

    Allen ..., 2003
    Hardcover

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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Hunter S. Thompson's Kingdom of Fear is the wild and outrageous autobiography from the world's most notorious journalist. It's an unrestrained and uncensored account of fast living, hard drinking, sharp writing and unimaginable drug taking; of road trips, girls, guns, bikes and being accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson. Kingdom of Fear is both personal and political; an explosive life story and a no-holds-barred assassination of contemporary America. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037417

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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Hunter S. Thompson's Kingdom of Fear is the wild and outrageous autobiography from the world's most notorious journalist. It's an unrestrained and uncensored account of fast living, hard drinking, sharp writing and unimaginable drug taking; of road trips, girls, guns, bikes and being accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson. Kingdom of Fear is both personal and political; an explosive life story and a no-holds-barred assassination of contemporary America. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037417

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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Hunter S. Thompson's Kingdom of Fear is the wild and outrageous autobiography from the world's most notorious journalist. It's an unrestrained and uncensored account of fast living, hard drinking, sharp writing and unimaginable drug taking; of road trips, girls, guns, bikes and being accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson. Kingdom of Fear is both personal and political; an explosive life story and a no-holds-barred assassination of contemporary America. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141037417

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