Summary of Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels (Unabridged‪)‬

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A few key insights from Chapter 1:

1. The Labor Day Run was the biggest event for the Hell’s Angels. It was a time for drinking, fighting, random fornication, drugs, and overall debauchery. Anywhere from 200 to a thousand bikers could be in attendance.

2. The emblem of the Hell’s Angels is a winged skull wearing a motorcycle helmet. Typically, this patch is sewn onto the back of a sleeveless denim jacket. Members normally have long, unkempt hair with a beard to match. Their belts are sometimes motorbike chains that can be used as weapons.

3. By 1965, Oakland was becoming the capital for the Hell’s Angels. A rival gang, the Diablos, tried to challenge the Angels around this time, even beating up a lone Angel. The result was each Diablo being hunted down and beaten one by one, disbanding the group entirely.

4. The Labor Day Run in 1964 ended in calamity for the Angels when several members of the gang were charged with the rape and assault of two girls, ages 14 and 15, in Monterey, California. The headlines created disgust and fear nationwide.