The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion & the New Journalism Revolution

Today, it's routine for writers to go undercover to get a story; precedent for such experiential reportage really took off in the 1960s. It took outside-the-box reporters like Hunter S. Thompson to ride with the Hell's Angels, or Tom Wolfe to drop acid with Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, or John Sack and Michael Herr to go to Vietnam with the grunts to tell it like it really was. This "New Journalism," described as "journalism that reads like fiction and rings with the truth of reported fact," started a revolution in the publishing world, reviving old magazines (Esquire ) and inventing new ones (Rolling Stone ; New York ). Freelance journalist Weingarten tells this story in loosely chronological fashion, pausing to highlight key writers (Thompson, Wolfe, Mailer, Didion, Breslin) and editors (particularly Clay Felker) who developed the genre, right up to the end of the party in 1977, when Rupert Murdoch engineered his takeover of New York . Bottom line trumped byline, although, as Weingarten emphasizes, great "immersive" reporting remains popular, not just in newspapers, but throughout the media. Weingarten's interviews with key players give his account energy and authenticity; he's far from gonzo, but this is still a good read. Agent, David McCormick. (Nov.)