The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman 1955-1967 - The Fear and Loathing Letters, Volume I [Uncorrected Proof Advance Reader's Copy]

New York: Villard Books - Random House, 1997. Rare pre-publication uncorrected proof Advance Reader's Edition from Villard - Random House. Stated at copyright: First Edition; number-line beginning w/2 as is case with Random House. Includes theatre lobby card for: "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson". Pictorial wraps, moderate shelf wear. Classic vintage snapshot decorate wrapper of Hunter crouching roadside with pack. Publisher's book details and extensive summary at back panel. Pages near fine, no writing. Bind fine. A collection of early letters and articles by the progenitor of "gonzo journalism." This volume covers the years 1955-1967 and offers a vivid portrait of Thompson at the start of his career. Presents a lively collection of HST's correspondence, beginning with a high school essay written in 1955 and continuing through 1967, when the publication of Hell's Angels made Thompson an international celebrity. From Thompson’s earliest writings through riding with the motorcycle club - this expansive volume contains previously unpublished works by Thompson, among insightful letters to William Faulkner, J. P. Donleavy, Sonny Barger, Norman Mailer, publisher of The Realist Paul Krassner, Ken Kesey, Charles Kuralt, Tom Wolfe, Carey McWilliams, Lyndon B. Johnson, Joan Baez, etc., etc., and of course his loving mother, Virginia. Edited by Douglas Brinkley, with a foreword by William J. Kennedy. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. 651 pages with The Proud Highway honor roll following. Insured post.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Book.