Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories (Paperback)

by Ralph "Sonny" Barger (Author), Keith Zimmerman (Author), Kent Zimmerman (Author) "Before Gypsy ever met the Silver Satin Kid, he saw his motorcycle parked outside the Continental Can Company..." (more)
Key Phrases: rear pegs, wide glide, club guys, Crazy Dave, Pee Wee, Bad Boys Crew (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The latest literary effort from Hell's Angels chieftain Barger is "a collection of true stories, modern myths, and biker tales" submitted to him by other bikers. As such, few of them actually involve the legendary Barger. Barger selected and rewrote the stories himself (with help from the Zimmermans). He concedes that some are true while others are apocryphal, and it's up to the reader to decide which is which. Depicting fairly unspectacular hell-raisers including characters like DOA, Loaded Linda, Freewheelin' Freddy and One-Armed Paul most of the 38 tales are too uneventful to be mistaken for myth, leaving one to wonder if Barger is holding back the good stuff or whether he used up most of it in his earlier memoir, Hell's Angel. Some of the stories are engaging and even informative, such as the profile of an African-American motorcycle club and the piece detailing singer David Crosby's biker connections. But most meander toward abrupt endings, closing with a trite moral or clunky shoutout to the story's principal character. Barger illustrates a kinder, gentler rider; his characters are certainly not above wreaking a little havoc, but they're also quick to help a fallen biker or spread the word of God. The book works best when describing the simple pleasure of cruising through the American landscape at sunrise.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
The sequel to Hell's Angel (2000) is a little less fresh, perhaps, but biker buffs will still find it the true stuff. Barger expounds on legal contretemps, lifestyle options ("always gas up the night before"), and singular persons he has known, his assessments and descriptions of which are priceless. Steve McQueen and David Crosby share the bill with the likes of "virtually deaf" Loaded Linda, whose favorite sound as a teen was "the roar of a pair of Harley-Davidson straight pipes" and who, no longer "the notorious biker chick," is "settled down and doing really well these days." That settling down and doing well gets to be a theme here. Most of Barger's most memorable characters--provided they are still alive--have settled down and become nominally respectable citizens. Sure, a lot of them went to jail for a while, but Sonny wants you to know that bikers are people, too. Don't ask for too many specifics about the past, and there won't be any trouble. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006000603X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060006037
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #262,124 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very good, August 8, 2002

By	"quick725" (roselle, il United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories (Hardcover)

I agree 100% with the review questioning whether Sonny ran out of material; sure looks that way. The major problem with the book is that, except for a few very good passages (which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of one) it is just not interesting (then again, I almost dropped it back to 1 after reading one completely disgusting story about a biker's first success with the girl of his dreams; did they really have to include this?).In his ongoing attempt to clean up the biker 1%er image, portraying them as basically good guys who raise a little hell once in a while rather than real outlaws, Barger is forced to abandon what I'm sure would be infinitely more interesting stories. Overall really not worth the time or money.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as bad as some, worse than others, April 25, 2005

By	Samuel J. Williams "Certified Complainer" (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories (Hardcover)

I was excited when this came out, as I was going through a bit of hero worship regarding bikers. Of course, now years later and a motorcyclist myself, my awe of this life-style has paled.

Barger has to be given credit for where it is due. He's managed to make money of the Hell's Angels for fifty years now. That's pretty impressive. And to be willing to openly discuss portions of his life in that society takes guts. However, this book falls short in many areas.

One, the few stories that relate to the Hell's Angels are over-the-top. It's just too hard to believe these exploits.

Two, the non-Hell's Angels stories aren't any better. The picture painted of bikers throughout this book is that they are greasy, dirty, smelly and disgusting. Even the women profiled here are portrayed as little more than tramps.

Three, we're subjected to Barger's attempt at fiction. Atleast it's only boring, unlike his actual fiction book (DEAD IN FIVE HEARTBEATS), which is a fictionalization of his autobiography with some preposterous action sequences thrown in.

So, if you're really into juvenille biker stories, this is up your alley. If not, but you want to explore this genre, there are plenty of better books available.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quite an exxagerated tale, May 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories (Hardcover)

Throughout the book, Sonny talks about one of the Oakland Chapters members, who he referrs to as Cincinatti. Now, whether this person is himself or not, I think that this person has imbibed in way too many foreign substances. There's multiple stories of running around and talking to ghosts, taking ghosts for rides on their motorcycles, then hooking the ghost up with ol' ladies in the ghost world, etc. There were other typical Sonny Barger hidden slams about other clubs selling their old ladies in houses of ill repute, when in reality, it's much more believable were it to have been a confession. Either way, I really like the quote from Freewheelin Frank in his own book (a 60's paperback, now out of print) where he Quotes Sonny as saying: "When I make money from the patches on my back, I will no longer be a Hell's Angel". Bravo. And to think, ghosts riding on your motorcycle, eh?