Tony Thompson (1) (1965–)

Outlaws: One Man's rise through the Savage World of Renegade Bikers, Hell's Angels, and Global Crime by Tony Thompson is an account of of one man's experience in outlaw biker world. Thompson is regarded as one of Britain’s top true-crime writers and appears regularly on radio and television as an expert on crime. Previously, he was the crime correspondent for the Observer.

I grew up on the southeast side of Cleveland in a very safe neighborhood with many immigrant families, some didn't even show more speak English: only Polish. There was a clear dividing line where safety ended: Miles Avenue. Right on the boarder, just past the Harley Davidson shop, spray painted in large letters, high on a building facing Miles Avenue, was a sign reading “God Forgives, Outlaws Don't”. I never gave it much thought, the bikers were always "cool" with me, the paperboy. I grew up almost never seeing a police car in our neighborhood. It was peaceful. When a fire broke out in a house down the street, the house was quickly surrounded by bikers... manning hoses. The fire was out before the fire department arrived. That was the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. Things change: There was a war with the Hells Angels in the mid-70s, not in my neighborhood, but as the paperboy I read about it. The neighborhood is now barely recognizable. The Harley shop moved deep into the suburbs. Motorcycles were a big part of my life well into adulthood. I owned mostly Triumphs and worked for a Harley dealership while finishing up graduate school.

I knew there was a much darker side to the outlaw biker clubs. Most people know that. Creating a safe neighborhood helps its public image and more importantly for the club, keeps the police away. Biker culture has been documented, by people like Hunter S. Thompson. It also has been sensationalized by the reporting at Hollister and the Brando's role in The Wild One. Thompson's book does something that really hasn't been done since Hunter S. Thompson; it gives an insiders view not just of a local club but a world view. Although, centered on a English club formed by several small clubs coming together for their own protection. The book is based on the real life experiences of Daniel Boone.

Outlaws covers three continents and the internal and external politics of the major biker clubs as international organizations. The Outlaws (both British and American would eventually combine), The Hells Angels, The Mongols, The Pagans, The Banditos, and local English clubs are all included in the book. The story telling is outstanding and vivid. There were a few times that I thought I wanted to get back to that movie...uh book. Reading it gave the impression that I was actually seeing the events, something not very common in nonfiction. Thompson, through Boone captures the good and the bad of the the biker culture and it's growth and increasing criminal involvement. It goes inside the rules of the clubs and the relations between different clubs. It also goes into the day to day life of the bikers themselves.

An outstanding read and will show the reader the difference from the weekend Harley dress-up rider and an outlaw biker. It goes deep into a society that is closed off to most people. Simply an outstanding read. show less

I like a bit of true crime, especially when it is about the gangland underworld that is hidden from the general population. I have read a few books about the Rettendon murders but noticed that I had not read this one. It appealed to me mainly for the reason that it details the story from the point of view of Darren Nicholls, supergass. I was also interested to read about how it works being a supergrass and how it had affected his life when all the court cases were dealt with.

There isn't a show more huge amount that I can say about this book so I will just cover what I feel are the main points of focus. There are no huge revealing details about the smuggling ring and the crime committed by the gang. Like many of these big smuggling operations that eventually get caught there are a few near misses by customs and the police in catching them in the act. The violence is kept to a few incidents which was a good decision by the author. The gang was known for it's violent retribution and I felt that this was covered well by detailing a few of the worst incidents while keeping away from it being gratuitous.

The best aspect of the book for me is the thoughts of Darren Nicholls. He was involved in a lot of the activity and basically had a choice, go to jail for a very long time or turn supergrass. Here is where there are some great insights. A 'Protected Witness' (PW) has to confess all their crimes and also has to face trial for the crime in which they have been caught. This was something I did not know or expect, the reason behind this is so that the defense cannot claim that the PW is making statements to save their own backside. The PW also cannot be given all the luxuries that is often portrayed in the tv cop shows. In reality he is given the equivalent of a job seekers allowance and cannot work until the trials are finished with.

At the end of it all he escaped more prison time due to time served in the run up to the trial. Him and his family have had to move several times and change their names. They cannot speak to their old friends or parents and must lead a secret life. This has put a huge strain on the family and I was left feeling that maybe Nicholls thinks it wasn't worth it at times. I felt that he thinks that he should have received more help and support from the police but at the end of the day, he was a criminal as well. He did what he did to save himself from prison but it could be argued that he has paid a bigger price than he would have if he had just gone to court as normal. His crime wasn't anywhere near as severe as the murderers.

This was quite an interesting book and it is well written, if you have read about this before this book will only add a few new things to your knowledge. show less

A loosely-knit group of smugglers, mainly from the U.S., U.K., Australia, imported over a billion dollars’ worth of Thai marijuana to the U.S. from the 1970s through the 1990s. Known as “The Ring,” they started as a small group of friends in California and expanded over the years until they were bringing in up to 42 ton loads in specially outfitted ships.

This is a thoroughly researched book that covers a lot of ground and time. From the U.S. to Thailand, Europe and other parts of the show more world, Tony Thompson tells of the growing, transporting, selling, successes and failures. Eventually the stories turn to the law enforcement efforts against the group, the conflicts over money and deals gone bad, and the arrests, eventual cooperation and many group members going on the run.

A fast moving book that’s even more interesting for being true. show less

A great piece of journalism. Covers all aspects of organised crime in Britain today, very well written and researched. Quite a scary read, actually.