Hunter S. Thompson (Rowman & Littlefield)

From military sportswriter to roving correspondent for the National Observer, from quasi Hell's Angel to counterculture author and gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson led a life of legend. Hunter S. Thompson: The Glory Years tells the remarkable insider's story. Jay Cowan, who was caretaker on Thompson's ranch and a trusted friend, paints a sensitive portrait of a man who redefined participatory journalism, who captured the decadence of the era, and generally consumed more drugs and alcohol than any other living creature on the planet. A self-professed "lazy hillbilly," Hunter Thompson would immerse himself researching a story, then write it all in a multi-day frenzy of drugs and sleeplessness. In his role as America's "rock star author," he was invited to the White House (where he claimed to have snorted coke with presidential aides) and rubbed elbows with celebrities. Featuring previously unpublished color photos, this book provides the most compelling and readable portrait to date of one of America's most extraordinary personalities.