36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
good for a quick read, but nothing great, June 15, 2007
This review is from: Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels (Hardcover)
there are a number of fairly recent books on the topic of outlaw bikers, and in this mix, this book is just so-so. the story itself is pretty fascinating, considering a group of atf agents were able to infiltrate the hells angels mc, but the actual telling of it is pretty lackluster. this reader immediately drew comparisons to billy queen's 'under and alone' which describes his infilitration of another motorcycle club.
queen's telling, however, was a gripping FIRST-PERSON account and the personal experience is noticeably absent from droban's story. and while she makes efforts to paint scenes in an effort to give the reader context, they feel embellished, flowery, and insincere in places. in many ways, it doesn't feel as if the author is well-versed in her subject matter and is just discovering the culture herself. her entire chapter detailing an upcoming confrontation with arguably the largest mc in the world, only to consistently mispell their name, is almost unforgiveable. it certainly lacks an air of credibility on the author's part.
one thing that i thought was interesting though, is that this book was written by a woman, and as such, there are more curiosities in what goes on quietly in the women's world of the 1%er culture. at least more so than i've seen in other books. unfortunately, the same voice seems to fall a bit soft when describing a testosterone-on-overdrive culture. and while this isn't a criticism on point of view, it IS a criticism of tone.
still, this book tells more of the story of operation black biscuit than 'angels of death', so the curious will still get something out of it. if you're just looking for something to read in the category and don't know where to start, i'd probably recommend queen's 'under and alone' first.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad. An easy read that leaves some questions..........., July 24, 2007
This review is from: Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels (Hardcover)
I wasn't sure I should order this book after I read the reviews. But, I did and overall it was a good book. Yes, it does have some errors, like calling the Nazi Low Riders a biker gang. (They are a white, prison based street gang) But, those are few and forgivable.
The book does a good job of showing the difficulty in running what by its' nature has to be a mostly, "Seat of the pants," operation with the strings being controlled by a huge Goverment agency. Not a recipe for success, but the agents in Operation Black Biscuit did the best they could with what they had. The book did a good job of showing this to the reader.
I have a unique perspective on the biker subculture, crime, and society in that I was raised around bikers and biker gangs, yet today I am a 20 year Law Enforcement veteran. I have seen those bikers that lived the life, but actually were good people. But, most I met were out to take what they could get, as cheap as they could, even if someone else was victimized. This book showed that, even when the "victim" was another gang/club member. What a way to treat, I mean "honor" a fellow member.
In the end Operation Black Biscuit did not get the type of convictions you would think. And, many in the biker subculture are quick to point this out. I would like to have seen more info in the book on the who, what, when, where and why that happened. The popular answer is because of over zealous, sloppy, power happy Goverment agents and the agencies they represent. But, the answer is not that easy. The answer lies in the fabric of our society itself, in that how do you play by the rules established in the name of fairness in order to take down those who claim to not play by our rules. Just once, we should do it according to their rules.
This, and any other book about the biker subculture that I have read always will raise the question of why do those who claim to be wanting to live life outside of the everyday rules of society, quickly hide behind those same rules when they are applied to them ? Ex- Hells Angel turned informant Anthony Tait posed that question in his book, but nobody has really delved into it. If you think this isn't true, just try to use their copyrighted logo.
So, overall the book was fun andd interesting to read and it is well worth the time and money that I invested. However, it and other books like it leave questions that I think need to be answered. Not just because we need to effectively deal with those in the biker subculture who victimize the innocent (not all do), but because I would find it interesting to read about.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Read, June 9, 2007
This review is from: Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels (Hardcover)
I'm the first to admit that I'm not a fan of true crime but the subject and the setting of Running with the Devil made it a must read for me. From the first page to the last, the fast paced writing kept me reading. The information gleaned from interviews of those actually involved with the operation (unlike so many other books covering the same subject) added depth and tension so often missing in true crime. The actions of the ATF agents gave the plot twists than the most engaging fiction. Highly recommended!
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