The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman

The Proud Highway is the first in an anticipated three-volume collection of the letters of Hunter S. Thompson. It includes letters spanning a 12-year period, during which Thompson survived his first incarceration, graduated from high school, was discharged from the Air Force, drank to excess, wrote prolifically in obscurity, and finally achieved notoriety with the publication of Hell's Angels, his first successful book. The letters are frantic and comedic, self-righteous and intensely cynical. He writes to friends and family, famous authors he admired, and even the President of the United States. As Thompson travels from New York City to Puerto Rico, then on to South America and Northern California, his letters trace the development and refinement of his talent. This collection of Thompson's early writings paints a portrait of the man before words like "Gonzo," "Doctor," and "Fear and Loathing" were inextricably linked to his name, revealing the unrestrained ego that serves as the foundation for the talent of this popular and important American writer.