"Kingdom of Fear," by Hunter S Thompson

Non-fiction, 2003

A string of anecdotes told through different narratives and styles, including letters, transcriptions and articles. Thompson's typically irreverent, painting himself as an anarchist tear-about, blazing guns, elk hearts and managing a San Francisco strip club, always keeping one brutal step ahead of the establishment. There's a slew of famous and not-so-famous allies, hangers-on, chancers and acquaintances, all of whom are smudged into the frantic pace and paste of a Gonzo approach and a free spirit increasingly disbelieving in the post-Twin Tower political response and American landscape. Tougher to get through than some of Thompson's other books, but some great passages along the way. 

"John Coltrane," by Martin Smith

Non-fiction, 2003

A book focusing on the socio-political environment into which John Coltrane emerged in the 1950s and 60s. There are touches of biography and descriptions of the music, though this book's simplicity is its main strength and weakness; the idiocy of racism is writ large, in black and white, although at other times, the simple language struggles to reflect the lyricism and complexities of Coltrane's music. But still, reading is no replacement for listening, and while the book doesn't entirely inspire an investigation into the music and those wonderful orange Impulse! spines, there's plenty to get to grips with nonetheless.