Over 100 intimates of Thompson's were interviewed for this book, from the well known, such as Jack Nicholson and George McGovern (with an introduction by Johnny Depp), to the friends and family who peopled Thompson's life; an ex-wife, Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger, the widow of John Belushi (Judy), and a dozens more. The chapter titles themselves are mini-vignettes of Hunter's life: "Coming of Age in Louisville", "San Francisco, Hells Angels, and Merry Pranksters", "The Golden Age of Gonzo", "Failed Deadlines and a Failed Marriage", "Wreckage in the Fast Lane", "A Writer Resurgent", and "Where Were You When the Fun Stopped?"

Readers of the book will find themselves in the heart of Hunter S. Thompson's life, viewing the talented and tormented writer's stories through the eyes of those who knew him best. The book will appeal most to those who lived during the times that Thompson's angry, intellectual diatribes came about. Born in 1937, and "part of the DNA of the Rolling Stone" (said Jann S. Wenner in the Forward). Hunter's first wife says "...he shot out of the womb angry. And then he left that same way." (Sandy Thompson Wright). The focus is on this life of a man who had much to say, and a unique way of saying it, was dynamic, on the move and vividly alive. The book pulls no punches; it discusses the love affairs, the massive use of drugs, the constant boozing, the affection for guns, and the culminating event of his tragic suicide. Gonzo is well-worth the read, and a book that will take you back to the heart of the 60's and 70's, to the glory days of drugs and rock and roll. As Hunter S. Thompson was famous for saying, "Buy the ticket and take the ride."