by Daniel Tuccio

Created on: February 18, 2010

Hunter S. Thompson's book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 takes us to the Presidential campaign in 1972. He is a national reporter for Rolling Stone magazine and is sent to follow the candidates for a year, from December 1971 to December 1972. He compiles all of his anecdotes, interviews and diaries in a month-to month review. He starts off in Washington D.C., continues through the primaries, and ends with Nixon's victory in November. He narrates all of his experiences throughout the year, his meetings, his articles, his frustrations. This book is a combination of Thompson's deep narrative, sometimes being very personal, telephone interviews, plane and train trips, fantasies, and even interviews with himself.

Thompson starts the book describing how he got to Washington D.C., his journey from Colorado, how he was living in constant fear in his apartment, and describes without missing any detail everything around the Presidential campaign.

Since I didn't grow up here in America, I wasn't aware of the importance of the 1972 Presidential Election until I read this book. It was the time of the Vietnam War and a time were young people would rather be hippies and smoke “marrywanna” than participate in the election and vote. At first it seems like a political science book, full of history and the author telling anecdotes, but the way Thompson gets involved with the candidates and how he translates all those feelings he had into writing, makes this book a solid and reference guide to journalists.

The author concentrates the most in the democratic party, maybe because he hated Nixon, maybe not. He discusses various issues, like amnesty, civil rights, etc., putting also those issues in context of the reality of America of that time. He also put very precise illustrations to help with the story, sometimes of the candidates in expressions or situations that were according to the story.

In my opinion, the Democratic primaries, the Democratic National convention, and the Presidential race, are the main topics in this book. The Democratic primaries covers the two-way race between Humphrey and McGovern, after Wallace is shot. The Democratic National convention is the key ingredient in the book and covers how McGovern had a majority and Humphrey trying to win the nomination. The Presidential race maybe is somehow disappointing for two reasons: first, we already know who wins; second, it is a letdown for the author.

Thompson approaches this book in a

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>