The Footloose American: Following the Hunter S. Thompson Trail Across South America ~ by Brian Kevin

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Brian Kevin is on a quest to visit South America's hinterlands. As an admirer of Hunter Thompson's work, this journalist compares the path Thompson traveled and wrote about in Dispatches from South America to his own journey down “the same road.” I personally haven’t read any of Thompson’s South American adventures but I had previously read about his times in Las Vegas. After reading the comparison of these trips, I can say Kevin's visit to South America was eye-opening, but not necessarily “under the influence” to the degree that Thompson's Vegas trip was. Kevin analyzes notes and diaries Thompson left from his trip in 1963 while successfully engaging the reader in his own style of travel writing. This book will introduce you to South American life and culture as seen from streets, allies, back roads, and river ways across the continent. There are some interesting visits with locals … when in South America, do as the South American’s do. Those who enjoy travel memoirs will appreciate the journey, and hopefully the look at political issues will lend historical interest and explain how this country has evolved.

This book could fit a number of reading challenge categories, if you are looking for your next challenge read, you might consider this as a book recommended by a friendly librarian (me), or a book with a name of a country in the title, or a book about politics, or a book about an unfamiliar culture ... or maybe it is a book about a place you never want to visit.


I received this book from a Blogging for Books  program in exchange for an honest review.