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Freedom: Credos from the Road [Hardcover]

Sonny Barger
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 14, 2005

There are few men who are as quintessentially American as Sonny Barger. He is patriotic—a veteran who loves his country. He is independent—choosing his own path on his motorcycle, living life on his own terms. He is outspoken—he has boldly criticized injustices in American law and society despite the backlash this has evoked from the establishment. Yet the element that he finds most important, most sacred, most American, is freedom.

In Freedom, Sonny articulates many of the principles he employs in his own life. Whether he is regarded as a leader, a rebel, a revolutionary, a criminal, or a soldier, Sonny's outlook has been influenced not just by school but by the military, prison, and his experiences riding with the world's most notorious motorcycle club. It was on these various journeys that he learned the lessons that are most important in his life and the qualities he respects when he sees them in others:

Independence
Customize Yourself; Originals Don't Come Off an Assembly Line

Toughness
Temper the Steel to Forge a Strong Blade

Fairness
Treat Me Good, I'll Treat You Better; Treat Me Bad, I'll Treat You Worse

Presented in the form of fifty credos, this book gives Sonny Barger's perspective on how to live a life that embodies the most fundamental of American virtues: freedom.


Frequently Bought Together

Freedom: Credos from the Road + Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club + Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories
Price for all three: $37.56

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The rebellious, high-octane spokesman for the "biker lifestyle without boundaries," Barger now rides his customized Harley in Arizona, seeking "the Zen of the highway." The iconoclastic author of the memoir Hell's Angels and the novel Dead in 5 Heartbeats now offers a useful guide to maintaining personal freedoms and self-respect on streets mean and otherwise. As might be expected, Miss Manners and Dale Carnegie are left in the dust (with precepts such as "screw fightin' fair") as the fiercely independent Barger rolls out his practical, mostly straight-arrow advice, beginning with a warning: "When you break new earth, you'll instantly be considered an outsider." His experiences in the military, prison and on the road have not only shaped Barger's personal philosophy, they serve as his primary metaphors, e.g., "Life is one long boot camp and only extreme and strenuous life experience can turn you into the complete soldier." In addition to tips on confronting bullies, Barger covers everything from survival skills and self-reliance to teamwork and trust ("My friends are my family"). While many of Barger's 50 precepts are standard self-help fare, rudderless teens needing lessons in confidence, courage, honesty and individuality may find Barger more of a kindred spirit than, say, the Chicken Soup purveyors
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

After a couple of memoirs, a novel, and an anecdote collection, Barger presents words to live by, aimed at chopper pilots but actually for everyone. The wisdom arises from Barger's colorful past as a kingpin in the Oakland, California, and national Hell's Angels. Some of it is obvious. "If you're gonna ride, wear leather," for instance, is, as well as damn fine fashion advice, solid counsel for hurling oneself down the highway on a two-wheeled motor vehicle. "Screw fightin' fair" is a little more esoteric, but "Do you fight fair or do you fight to win?" Barger asks before recalling the time when "a group decided to invade our gathering with weapons, clubs, knives, and baseball bats" (this was at a book signing, not a catalogers' meeting about replacing AACR2). As to management theory and practice, "Only one person can ride a motorcycle," Barger intones, which correlates to his bottom line on life: take control of it. And if you're "gonna take a beating[,] . . . fight back." The icon hath spoken. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (June 14, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9780060532567
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060532567
  • ASIN: 0060532564
  • Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

This book was a nice easy read. A. Martinez  |  8 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars "And I will. Be free." Sonny Barger December 28, 2008
Format:Hardcover
On February,2007,I submitted a review on "Hell's Angles" by Sonny Barger; where he writes all about his life as the leader of The Hell's Angles.
In this book, Barger reveals the ideals and character that enabled him to remain at the top of a lifestyle that is as tough as any imaginable.
While few would want to emulate the life Barger chose to live,the principles that he followed are no different than those followed by others that attain and hold onto the heights that others have followed;regardless of the "career" they have chosen.
It is hard to believe, that the very same principles Sonny Barger discusses,are essentially the same found in books,seminars or whatever;of the leading motivational gurus.
Barger is a very coherent communicator and when he explains these principles through the eyes and life of a Biker;there is no doubt left as to what he is saying.Berger shows that ;while the media portrays the world of the Hell's Angles as a world that prevails by muggings,fistfights,extreme loyalities,abuses of every kind,respect,strength,determination,etc.; being and maintaining leadership in a Motorcycle Gang ;differ from being a Corporate ,or any other,leader; in details..not principles.
The book is presented as 50 Principles,each different and distinct .
Here is just an indication of the principles Berger discusses;

"Treat Me Good,I'll Treat You Better.Treat Me Bad,I'll Treat You
Worse."

"An Organization Can't Be All Chiefs."

"Stay Alert In The Pack.What Happens To You Happens To The Rider
Behind You."

"If You Want To Travel Fast,Travel Light."

"Early Is On Time,On Time Is Late."

"Cut Down On Criminals By Cutting Down On Laws."If You Can't Change
The Players,Then Change The Game."

"Learn From The Past,Don't Live There."

"Don't Live For A Good Funeral.

"When You Got Nothing To Prove,Just Put It On Cruise Control."

"Individuality Is The Most Precious Freedom.

"You Gotta Learn To Listen,You Gotta Listen To Learn."

Not the sort of thing one would expect from the Leader of The Hell's Angles Motorcycle Club ;but impossible to dispute.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Truth and the American Way....way back when July 19, 2007
Format:Hardcover
I just got this book and love it. Sonny Barger has taken his years of hard living and forged a gem from it in wise words and lessons learned.
Although I don't share his opinion of law enforcement, since we do need them around, I do share his love of country, making family of friends when your own family isn't there and never has been, his ability to keep the faith with his club and friends and get it back in return.

As a fellow freedom lover, I like this book and wish a lot of folks would read it and take from it something to use in their own life. Make the best of this life and don't take any, well, you know what. Best to Sonny. If he writes any more books, I'm reading them. He's good at this.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Freedom June 4, 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I would recommend this book to any father that wants to teach his son or his daughter fifty standards to live by. This book give us fifty princilals that should be taught to our young. Sonny gives us hints on everything from how to deal with Bullies, to how to handle yourself if someone wants your woman. He talks about our political situation, he talks about helmet laws and he also talks about drugs, alcohol and smoking. It doesn't matter if you live in the motorcycle community or if your just another citizen, this book will help you teach your teens a code of honor we all should live by.
Great job Sonny
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars I'll read it again
Yeah, something I can agree with,enjoy and give to my family to read.Nice that somebody would share their knowledge and what they have learned
Published 10 days ago by Brian Cornelius
5.0 out of 5 stars Great life advise
I've been over seas for 14 months and this book has helped me not only in my professional life but more importantly in my personal.
Published 11 days ago by Richard
4.0 out of 5 stars Harley Davidson, Hells Angels, Barger, Freedom
It's amazing Barger has lived as long as he has, given the life he chose. That fact urges people to sit up and take notice when he discusses his philosophy on a number of topics. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael S. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars top books
i like books that like this as they are to easy read. are true on how life is and law and order cops have gone nuts
Published 2 months ago by paul block
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!!!
This is a great book about leadership and life skills and experiences! I Highly recommend reading this book if you are a supervisor or manager of any kind. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Duncan Stephen
5.0 out of 5 stars Long live freedom
This book was absolutely brilliant. It is filled with real life wisdom and plenty of lessons to be learned. Anyone and everyone should gain something from it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jason K. Smith
1.0 out of 5 stars Freedom
One word SUCKS - not worth the money I paid - I will happily send it to you if you want it - I could have spent of something else worth reading
Published 10 months ago by Marie
4.0 out of 5 stars Never judge a book or it's author by the cover...
This book was a surprising and enjoyable read. Sonny provides some very real insights into the human condition as well as some good ideals to live by.
Published 14 months ago by Yumechan
5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book
Do not let this man's reputation and previous work on his autobiography deter you. This book is for anyone who takes major issue with big government suffocating honest Americans... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Dave-O
1.0 out of 5 stars Just not worth it
No doubt Sonny Barger is an American icon, but what he has to say isn't worth much, despite the eloquence of his co-writers. Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. Travassos
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