Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

Thompson's satire is like Swift's (read the 4th part of Gulliver's Travels and realise that it's more than a children's book if you want to know what I mean), in that its vicious tone is prompted by the author's own dissapointment at the way the more noble tendencies of man are constantly dirtied by human stupidity and greed.

Thompson's writing is probably familiar to most people who will read this review. Rest assured there is more 'Las Vegas' style writing which alone should keep some of you entertained if you don't like the politics.

Thirdly, you probably won't get a better book dealing with the 'noble' art of politics, how it is conducted, and why, despite its ofttimes rotten core, it is still important to have an awareness of the shitpool leaders of the free world have to swim in before being elected. And do you really expect them to smell of roses after this?

Not having had to write for a while has meant that I realise this review could be better. In summing up could I just say that 'Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail' is an excellent and funny piece of reportage which deserves a place in the library of those any interest in modern writing.


Brilliant commentary on US politics in action   December 31, 2005
Depressaholic (London, UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

‘FALOTCT72’ is a series of articles originally written by Hunter Thompson for Rolling Stone magazine, in which he follows the race to elect a Democrat challenger to Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential elections. It is a classic example of Gonzo journalism, the style that Thompson made his own, in which the journalist’s views and opinions are allowed to colour the reports, and in which the journalist plays an active part in the unfolding events, and is not just an observer. Thompson clearly favours the ‘no-hope’ left wing candidate George McGovern from the outset, both as an alternative to what he saw as malignant right wing influences within the Democrat party, and also to Nixon, who had begun, to Thompson, to represent everything that had gone wrong with the ideals America was founded with.
‘FALOTCT72’ is, to me, a savage account of the death of the ‘American Dream’ (as Thompson understood it), every bit as devastating as his classic novel ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. As a journalist who is close to the election (especially to the McGovern campaign), but not actually within the approved cadre of accepted hacks, Thompson is in an excellent position to give a brutally honest account of the electoral process. Although we may accept that behind the scenes shenanigans are standard in elections, the book shows how far from the ideal of democracy modern politics has fallen, with dirty tricks abounding even within the Democrat party against its own candidates. A note of hope is provided as the idealistic, non-politico McGovern comes from nowhere to defeat the old party guard, threatening to usher in a new honesty in politics. Thompson sees hope for America in its support for McGovern until it is brutally swept away by the intrusion of old-style politics into the presidential campaign, heralding a crushing defeat to Nixon, a president almost universally recognised as untrustworthy.
This is a surprisingly touching book. Thompson still has hope for his country in ’72. Indeed that may have been the last year that he did. His feelings about an election that represented so much more than simply a win for Nixon are tragic. It is all told with his trademark savage humour, drug consumption and outrageous behaviour. It perhaps requires some knowledge of American politics to be fully appreciated, perhaps explaining its lower profile when compared to ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. It is nevertheless very much in the same vein: funny and tragic and beautiful. An observation of American life that says so much more than the text simply describes. This is Hunter Thompson at his most poignant and, for me, the best book of his that I have read to date.


A freaky peek at the underbelly of American Politics   May 30, 2000
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the backroom aspects of American politics. You can follow it without having been alive at the time, and the scathing, yet balanced commentary keeps you reading. If you like Hunter S. Thompson, you'll love this book.


a must for political junkies as well as hunter fans   June 22, 2001
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

remarkable! after usual student introduction to Hunter, drugs, lunacy, er drugs in Fear & Loathing in LV, ive just about read the lot, loved some, some not. Little did i think that his most serious , commited and heartfelt book would be easily the best. A thoughtful, caring, dignified book by a man whose passion shines through where before I thought thre was just cynacism and good gags. A joy, i learnt more about US politics and the people who drive it than in 3 years of political science in the UK. All future edisions should be called "what Gary Hart did first"