Perspective

Although Thompson is a journalist, he almost always writes from a first person point of view. Thompson interjects himself heavily into his own stories, which is one of the main characteristics of the Gonzo style of journalism Thompson pioneered in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, Thompson is not completely reliable as a journalist. Many of the things he describes are either exaggerated or never happened it all, and it is up to the reader to read between the lines as to what is fact and fiction. This style creates a kind of exaggerated version of reality that is more capable of capturing how an event feels than a traditional piece of journalism.

Thompson is already a counter-culture legend by the time he begins writing the articles in this book. Thompson is made famous in the mid 1960s and early 1970s with books on the Hell's Angels motorcycle...