Rating: 
Summary: Purely entertaining and an easy read
Review: A great collection of road stories. The words are believable and the stories ring true for people that have had the pleasure of enjoying the lifestyle.
Rating: 
Summary: I think Barger ran out of material after his last book!
Review: Although I have been an avid motorcyclist for 38 years, and am an avid reader of everything to do with motorcycling and motorcyclists, I found this book to be rather boring. I have followed Sonny Barger's career since the early 60's, and rather enjoyed his previous book on the Hells Angels.This book is full of boring, "so what" type of stories, and it seems that the book was written more as a hopeful revenue generating follow up to his previous book, rather than having something worth saying. I would not have finished this book had I not paid for it. Save money, and buy something else
Rating: 
Summary: Adequate, but barely.
Review: Although this book was entertaining, it is hardly the best book out there for tales of 'cyclers. I did enjoy the tale of the poor girl who got [...] on a Panhead that was trash. And the story about the guy who picked up a ghost was entertaining, even if it was hardly believable. Many of the stories were just too short and seemed to have no point. I point here in example the story about the kid who saw a bunch of 'cyclers going to a funeral. Big whoop. Keeping to stories of adventure would have been better, but many of these stories do't even fit the subtitle "Hell-Raising". Blaah.
Rating:
Summary: Adequate, but barely.
Review: Although this book was entertaining, it is hardly the best book out there for tales of 'cyclers. I did enjoy the tale of the poor girl who got [...] on a Panhead that was trash. And the story about the guy who picked up a ghost was entertaining, even if it was hardly believable. Many of the stories were just too short and seemed to have no point. I point here in example the story about the kid who saw a bunch of 'cyclers going to a funeral. Big whoop. Keeping to stories of adventure would have been better, but many of these stories do't even fit the subtitle "Hell-Raising". Blaah.
Rating: 
Summary: Helmets Off to Barger and the Zimmermans
Review: Coming down hard off my last two reads, Saramago's All the Names and Llosa's Feast of the Goat, although great books, I was primed to drop the academy for a while and get high on some hard-boiled treat of American narrative. Behind the well-designed pulp-ish cover of "Ridin' High, Livin' Free," rebels rule, Barger's book calls out, like drag pipes tearing through town, custom painted gas tanks a glint in your girlfriend's eye. Here's the raw, street-wise tone Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett made famous, from tattoos and tears to biceps and the poetry of the search, American style, like Route 66 it never ends. Anecdotal ironies abound, the mystique, the myth, the clubhouse fish tales, stories of life, the other side of life, just trying to get though life, hang on to your life, get out and ride to save your life¯a little sympathy is ok, but don't complain. Don't be afraid to pick up this book, mainstream middle class sensibilities need to be stomped. Professors, assign it for your Literature of the Deviant class. These tales are for and about those who can still think for themselves. And if you like documentary photography, some of these photos helped create the archetype. Ride high, live free, the American code. Helmets off to Barger and the Zimmermans. Thanks for the refresher course. Now I want to crank up my Road King, tear across the states and rip pages from this book in hopes they find windshields.
Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: If I was grading, I'd give it a D...
Review: I'm a native Californian and lifetime bike rider. Like a lot of people, I've always had a kind of fascination with Hells Angels--and that debauched life-style. I bought this book on a whim, thinking it might be interesting anecdotes/episodics. I was wrong; really wrong.
This book is a loose string of stories--some interesting, some boring. The thing that really impacted me as a reader is the poor prose. Even with two "with" writers/editors, it reads like a series of remedial essays. Mix in the justifications, sexism, and plain hostility and it's just sad and a waste of time and money.
There's no way I'd read the other book (Hell's Angels) now. This was so poorly written it was a near painful read. I wish it had been different--but I just can't get past the constant attitude and room temperature IQ presentation. Oh, one other thing; it's stated early that some of the stories are "true" and some are not...what the ...?!? Yep, I used to teach and tutor English; given the context of publication, I'd have to give it a D.
Rating:
Summary: So Disappointed!!
Review: Jeez, aside from about 30 pages of goodness about Steve Mcqueen and a few old-time H/A stories-which are told using lame-o aliases and seem to be recalled through a certain haze...this is just a steamin' pile of crap. Crap I could hear if I went to the gaywad leather bar in my town. What can I say, I have all the respect in the world for Barger, the H/A's, whatever, but I didn't pay money to read about a yuppie's BMW road trip. Seriously.
I just expected better from somebody who has better stories than this (really, he's gotta have better stories...Son-come on, you don't have better than this??). I just kept thinking that Barger just really didn't want to be doing this, and it came down to these two nutsucker ghost-writers grasping at straws.
Rating:
Summary: You'll laugh, you'll cry and then you'll ride
Review: Let's face it.... Most of us ride a motorcycle for a variety of reasons. One of them being to live out the fantasy of the outlaw biker. Sonny is the real deal and so are these stories. After you read each of them, you can close your eyes and just for a moment be transported in time to another place. This book is about all of us who seek the freedom of the road. It will give you a sense of just how special our little fraternity of "The Biker Life" is. You will come to know and identify with all of these characters and their lives. I bought this at a book signing out here in Westwood Village, CA. What a thrill to meet Sonny and have him sign my book. The big surprise to me was that he actually talked with me for some time. We talked about his books, his life and his regrets. When you hear him talk, it creates a mixture of fear and fascination with in your own mind. Although most of us will probably never become an official HA, this book brings the experience right into your own living room. "Ridin' High and Livin' Free" It's a beautiful thing.
Rating:
Summary: This is a wild ride of a book
Review: One of the better books I have read in a while. Sonny Barger is a real American legend. I love it when you read a book and there is honesty in the writing, this book delivers that. After reading this book I felt nostalgic for the fact that in todays overly litigious world, there are so few men left like Sonny Barger. Men who are willing to stand in the middle of town at high noon to fight for what they believe in. Having just read Michael Tenaglia's "Anti-Hero", I couldn't help but feel that Sonny Barger has unknowingly influenced, young writers like Tenaglia in so far as their ethical reasons for living outside of the law. In todays world, we need more Sonny Bargers, and less politicians. I recomend this book to all.
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