12/03/2018
Denevi (Hyper: A Personal History of ADHD), a professor of fine arts at George Mason University, serves up a sympathetic biography of Hunter S. Thompson, focusing on the journalist and countercultural figure’s life from 1963 to 1974. Denevi’s premise, which is only spottily supported, is that Thompson sacrificed himself, descending into drug addiction and a chaotic lifestyle, in order to battle fascism as personified by Richard Nixon and other Vietnam-era politicians. Thompson is, for Denevi, a principled truth teller who understood the dangers to America posed by the Vietnam War and Nixon’s cynical dishonesty. But the text is mainly a straightforward biography. As Denevi recounts, in the course of those years Thompson immersed himself in the motorcycle gang Hell’s Angels and wrote his genre-breaking book about them; reported on the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention; engaged in participatory democracy by running for sheriff of Aspen, Co.; wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; for Rolling Stone magazine; covered the 1972 presidential campaign and Richard Nixon; and developed “gonzo journalism,” the highly personal, free-flowing style with no boundaries between writer and subject and no pretense of objectivity. This account will deepen readers’ understanding of the personal events and experiences that surrounded and informed Thompson’s best-known works, and as such is best suited to those already familiar with them. (Oct.)
"Freak Kingdom...sheds new light on Thompson's politically awakening and reporting — and the toll it took on him and his later work and life. Few books this season will give you a stronger and more chilling sense of déjà vu...The book chronicles, in absorbing day-by-day detail, how Thompson intersected with history more than some may recall."—Rolling Stone
"Denevi...crafts his biography like a nonfiction novel, letting his research unfold in a captivating narrative that places readers at some of the most important episodes of Thompson's career. Denevi's work reminds us that the persistent concern about totalitarianism overwhelming free speech isn't something new. And 50 years ago, one journalist decided to do something about it."—The Associated Press
"What Thompson chronicled in his inimitable way during the Nixon era-'America acting on its worst impulses'-still resonates today."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The Atlantic
"Beyond the drugs and gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson was a fierce opponent of corruption and the authoritarian tendencies of political leaders. This is what most motivated his writing, Denevi argues in a new biography of the bombastic writer."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The New York Times Book Review
"Through meticulous research and recreated in novelistic detail, Denevi chronicles Thompson's scramble to create a viable career out of the instability of freelance writing...If you've ever felt Thompson a bit much to read on his own, Freak Kingdom makes a handy and stabilizing companion text: the behind-the-scenes details of how his big stories came together make it impossible to dismiss Thompson as the pop culture caricature he was later made out to be."—Salon
"Terrifically redemptive....the first book about Thompson to be written during the Trump presidency...Denevi gives a charmingly sensational account of Thompson's life in order to prove his point that Thompson actually conducted himself as quite a serious person."—PopMatters
"Denevi's writing does more than just bring the period alive, it makes one want to be there as if it were brand new...there has never been a Hunter S. Thompson biographer who has captured Thompson's work as well...Simply put, Freak Kingdom does justice to Hunter S. Thompson."—CounterPunch
"Not only powerful but moving."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The Spectator
"Freak Kingdom...is one of the most important books of this election season. Despite the word 'Trump' not appearing in it once, it is somehow present on every page."—Mashable
"By dramatizing the key decade in Thompson's life, "Freak Kingdom" brings his weird journey into clear and vivid focus."—TruthDig
Denevi recovers Thompson as one of the key political essayists of our time...exhilarating.—Medium
"Timothy Denevi's insightful re-telling...reclaims the 'gonzo' journalist...presenting him as a daring, tortured patriot seeking to prevent national suicide."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The Oregonian, a "Best Book of the Year" pick
"Given the state of America today, the true story of Thompson's life could not be more timely — and just might inspire the next generation of fearless and ferocious voices."—WestWord
"Sober and serious...lively and well-researched...Denevi writes in clean and unadorned prose."—Aspen Times
"Scrupulously researched in a way that Thompson would admire..."—LEO Weekly
"What Mr. Denevi's book really does is drop the reader into a wholly disorienting hall of mirrors...Thompson comes across as a patriot and a family man in this fine book."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"Freak Kingdom moves this iconic figure from the Gonzo parody and arms him with a wife, a moral code and in some sense, an origin story. It's a wonderful though painful read for the Thompson admirer and historical enthusiast alike."—Leavenworth Times
"Gripping...Denevi's Thompson is a tragic hero of the press...One can't help but wonder what he would do today."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Diagram
"Denevi's creative decisions elevate Thompson's story and broaden our understanding of nonfiction along the way...Thompson created new styles of writing and Denevi does as well with this book."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The Collagist
"Striking."—Washington Independent Review of Books
"A thorough, timely, tautly written, and credible volume certain to be assigned by scores of journalism professors and a great new book for fans ready to move past Thompson's alter ego, Raoul Duke, to the next level."—Kirkus Reviews
"A spirited account...including 100 essential pages of notes containing samples of the journalist's work... Fans of Thompson, those unfamiliar with him, as well as journalists and scholars will enjoy this breezy but ultimately cautionary tale."—Library Journal
"Timothy Denevi's Freak Kingdom is a high-octane and elegantly written study of Hunter S. Thompson's fatwah against fascism. The damn thing is alive with anarchistic and climactically redemptive Gonzo mischief. A fierce resistance fable for our troubled times!"—Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanitiesand Professor of History at Rice University, and author of Cronkite
"Hunter Thompson is back and very much alive in this sympathetic and sharply written 'best years of his life' bio. I loved it."—Terry Gilliam, director of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"Based not on the Upper West Side or in West Hollywood but in Woody
Creek, Colorado, Hunter S. Thompson got onto the page more of the 1960s and
1970s than any of his contemporaries. In this painstaking, exquisitely detailed, and impressively balanced book, Timothy Denevi conveys at what extraordinary cost to Thompson such herculean work was accomplished. If a writer doesn't aim to cause trouble, why even bother?"—David Shields
"Surreal, astonishing, and at times deeply disturbing, Freak Kingdom is a welcome and timely revision to the popular hagiography of the larger-than-life Hunter S. Thompson depicted by popular culture. A necessary read for anyone who wishes to understand our current political moment."—Jennifer Percy, winner of the National Magazine Award and authorof Demon Camp
"Timothy Denevi shines a long-overdue light the powerful idealism that underlies all of Hunter S. Thompson's best writing, and he proves us that
Hunter's writing is just as relevant and important today as it was in the early
70s. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about our current political situation, and shows why Hunter's books continue to inspire new generations of readers."—Juan F. Thompson, author of Stories I Tell Myself: Growing up withHunter S. Thompson
2018-07-31
A fresh biography of a significant period in the life of Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
It was inevitable that Thompson's canon would eventually reach the level of scholarly seriousness it had always merited. While many of his fans are still inspired to blaze off on desert road trips, spun on intoxicants and armed with copies of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his other important work beckons re-evaluation, even renaissance. In his second book, Literary Hub nonfiction editor Denevi (MFA Program/George Mason Univ.; Hyper: A Personal History of ADHD, 2014) carves out a decade of prime terrain, chronicling Thompson's career from his first big break with Hells Angels through publication of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, when he grew into a prized misfit American journalist. Beginning with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the author stresses its impact on Thompson, whose already broad political worldview was quickly morphing into a personal mission: war against anything that threatened bedrock American principles. Whether chronicling Thompson's coverage of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, his running for sheriff as a "Freak Party" candidate, his time embedded with George McGovern's 1972 press entourage, or the eventual resignation of Richard Nixon, Denevi hits all the key events, underscoring that Thompson was a serious journalist, driven by passion and motivated by injustice. The author clearly conducted significant research; a full quarter of the book is endnotes and source citations. Fleshing out the narrative with minutiae like what Thompson was listening to with the Hells Angels on first meeting ("The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan") or what he drank with right-wing pundit Pat Buchanan when they met (whiskey), the impressive details anchor the story with the kind of texture and scope that Thompson always appreciated.
A thorough, timely, tautly written, and credible volume certain to be assigned by scores of journalism professors and a great new book for fans ready to move past Thompson's alter ego, Raoul Duke, to the next level.
11/15/2018
Denevi (MFA program, George Mason Univ.; Hyper: A Personal History of ADHD) writes a spirited account of journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005), the king of gonzo journalism, by interjecting himself into the stories Thompson wrote that resonated with people during the 1960s and 1970s, the era covered here. Colorful descriptions detail Thompson's beats: Las Vegas gambling, the Hell's Angels, the 1968 Democratic national convention, where he was nearly beaten to death, and the 1972 presidential election. Thompson turned all these events into best-selling books, especially his hatred for Richard Nixon. Denevi further shows how Thompson gained fame and the skills to write under a relentless schedule at the ultimately fatal expense of his substance abuse, including 100 essential pages of notes containing samples of the journalist's work, and concluding with how Thompson's drug use impacted his ability to cover effectively Nixon's 1974 resignation. See Joe Hagan's Sticky Fingers for descriptions of Thompson's rocky relationship with Rolling Stone magazine. VERDICT Fans of Thompson, those unfamiliar with him, as well as journalists and scholars will enjoy this breezy but ultimately cautionary tale.—Karl Helicher, formerly with Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
