Customer Reviews

Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I feel a bit tainted, a bit dirtied that I bought this book. I should have been tipped off by the authors statement that he's the "foremost authority on the HA in North America". Clearly that's BS as any HA member would be more of an authority. It's like a dog claiming to be an expert on kitty litter. Then there's Tait. I found nothing respectable about him. The thing is, everyone can smell BS when you're standing in it, and this book reaks of it. Maybe I'll send to some $$ to the HA legal defense fund to make myself feel a little less soiled by this sad attempt at exploitation.

This is exactly what the HELLS ANGELS M.C. (International) are up against. The expected move into terror, attacking other one percenters, and generally throwing away our original lifestyle. This book is really worth reading for two main reasons. ONE - just to see what happens when pure capitalism gets hold of a few greedy people, TWO - allowing the name HELLS ANGELS to be brought into the mainstream, which is opposite to the anti-corporate thing our founders wished. It is sad but true, and the HELLS ANGELS M.C.I., will stay out ''in the cold'' a little while longer thanks. ps- All interested people should read this book, but we must tell you - and other one percenters, there are true club members out there who wish not to offer murder and crime to our children - if ya know where to look.

Never in the history of Bikers has there been written such worthless textual matter. Can not be followed from page to page and has no praisworthiness what so ever. Next time I'll spend my money supporting the "Big Red Machine".

Poorly written but still difficult to put down. Yves Lavigne seems to throw his books together in a hurry, maybe he can't stay too long in one place ? Tait [the informer] is clearly a pathetic individual whose sole reason for grassing on his 'brothers' was to ingratiate himself to authority figures [that & a little money]. Although maybe physically tough he's clearly a man with no morals or character. He even looks like a cop, how didn't they spot him ? That will teach the HA to invite 'citizens' into their club who don't even own a motorcycle. Although I'm pretty impartial when it comes to the FBI/Hells Angels Lavigne's personal hatred of the HA makes this book a fun antidote to the club's propaganda about being modern day heroes & innocent victims of 'big brother' repression. Recommended.

The author knows little about the real Hells Angels and has never spent time with them. He gets his information from a paid rat and a bunch of cops, each trying to justify and glorify themselves and support each other's lies in an effort for self-aggrandizement and profit. They try to trash the names of people I know and respect. I met Tait at the Hells Angels clubhouse on several occasions and had a bad feeling about him, the only time I met someone there I felt that way about. If they told the truth, they would be the ones in jail for the crimes they committed against America's favorite motorcycle club. I will always respect and support the Hells Angels. I have been proud to call some of them friends. The book is loaded with lies, as was Tait's testimony.

This book was OK. There were a lot of parts that i just scanned when Lavigne was talking about the interworkings of the Federal and State Law Enforcement because i simpley dont care. Tait is a top notch scumbag as well. He didnt do any of it for the greater good, just to make a name, and his desire to go into law enforcement. If he wasnt an informant, he would have been no different than any of them, maybe worse. The one thing i did like was the taped church meetings. For the first time we know what they were talking about at Local, Coastal, USA, and World Meetings. The author was definately biased, and to claim he is the top Hells Angels advisor is rediculous. Also he says they started from the Boozefighers MC when they actually stared from the Pissed of Bastards MC. Isnt as good as other books out there. Read Williams Queens book 'Under and Alone'.

It's very hard to get a factual or non-biased read from any of this author's books. Even his commentary on TV is awful. I found it very hard to not be disgusted by his diction.

First of all, if you haven't read Sonny Barger's book, don't read this one until you do. Tait was a traitor and a phony. He proved this by becoming a dirty informant. If the Angels killed his family or burned down his house, I could understand his motives. They didn't. He was a greedy little worm who wanted some of Uncle Sam's cash. In Mr. Barger's book, he tells the Angels' side of the story, not the one fed to the FBI for money. If you want to know some general stuff about the HA, Lavigne's book might be good to read, but take it at face value. It's more inflated than those trashy supermarket tabloids, especially if Tait was the one supplying the "facts." By the way, I gave it one star only because Tait managed to spell all the names right.

It is so damn hard to find a worthwhile non-bias book on the Hells Angels MC, either the book was written by someone who holds the club to near and dear to talk about the real dirty business (huge meth labs?)or they are so despise the club for whatever reason that there words come through in such a self righteous do-good manner that it spoil the book, unfortunately the author of this book falls into the latter category.

He spend way to much time slandering the angels, saying that they are not men, that they are dogs,rats,worms, and alot of other animals! It gets old hearing the authors opinion on events that may have happened within the organization. There is a difference between accurately describing a situation or a person and putting your two cents in that seem lost on the author. I am undecided on wether or not I like how he goes WAY in depth with some of his descriptions..for instance, his insistance on letting you know just how damn hard it was to get P2P (phenyl2propane) in the early 80's, lots of discussion regarding the manufacturing of methamphetamine that maybe could have been shaved down a little bit.

The only reason I half way like the book is simply for the shock value of some of it, and I actually kind of like how the author portray Mr. Tait, I really got a good sense of who that man was. Otherwise but at your own risk...

First, I don't normally write, but as a biker with a voracious appetite for all things literary I felt a need to express my opinion about this book. DON'T BUY !
I have never read a book whose storyline was so erratic. The timeline bounced so bad that I was never sure what year I was in. This book was written as if the author was dictating to a tape recorder random thoughts while on the run from the HA and then published without proofreading.
This is the second book read from this author with similar results so I have learned my lesson. If readers desire readings about the Hells Angels, there are quite a few books that cover the subject properly from both sides of the fence.Even Sonny Barger expresses his story better than Yves Lavigne and I believe his expertise is in other areas.
To sum this up, Yves Lavigne writes the way Hunter S. Thompson talks.Maybe the literary police will arrest Yves before the Hells Angels find him.