Some of the most unlikely participants in the counterculture movement of the 1960s were the Hell's Angels, the large gang of outlaw motorcyclists that had roamed California's highways since the late 1940s. They were introduced to the youth scene in 1965 by author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, who thought that they could mellow the Angels out with their favorite drug, LSD. At the Pranksters' ranch in Palo Alto, California, what Newsweek described as a "bizarre and foolish alliance" was formed. For the next several years, the Angels provided security for the large parties and rock concerts that were part of the California hippie lifestyle. The Pranksters thought that the Angels were perfect for the job: they were dirty, mean, and an affront to mainstream sensibilities. Best of all, they worked cheap, accepting beer and drugs as payment for their services. The relationship was...