The Great Shark Hunt — Index and Government-Antagonistic Highlights

Author: Hunter S. Thompson Published: 1979 (Gonzo Papers, Vol. 1); our copy: Simon & Schuster 2003 Full text: Great-Shark-Hunt.epub

Overview

Collection of Thompson’s journalism from 1968–1976: Nixon campaigns, Watergate, Vietnam, Muhammad Ali, the Kentucky Derby. Gonzo journalism as a method for exposing how power really works — not the press-release version.

Government-Antagonistic Themes

Nixon and the Campaign Trail

• 1972 campaign — Thompson on the trail; Muskie, McGovern, Nixon’s machinery
• “Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72” — Serialized in Rolling Stone; documented the rot before Watergate broke

Watergate and the Cover-Up

• Pre- and post-break — Thompson’s coverage of the scandal; who knew what, when
• “The Watergate Story” — Full gonzo treatment of the cover-up

Vietnam and War Policy

• War coverage — Thompson on the war’s conduct, body counts, the gap between official narrative and reality
• Draft, veterans — Who fought, who dodged, who profited

Media and the Official Narrative

• Press corps — How journalists embed with power; Thompson’s refusal to play the game
• “gonzo” — Method as antidote to access journalism; report the madness, not the talking points

Specific piece/page refs to be added after reading.

Structure

• Chronological; essays and reportage
• Key pieces: Campaign Trail ’72, Watergate, Kentucky Derby, Ali

Cross-References

• Main index
• Fear and Loathing — Same era; Vegas as Nixon’s America
• Playboy Interview — Thompson’s direct statements on power

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