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No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels

Jay Dobyns,

Nils Johnson-Shelton

3.81 · Rating details · 5,259 ratings · 468 reviews

Here, from Jay Dobyns, the first federal agent to infiltrate the inner circle of the outlaw Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, is the inside story of the twenty-one-month operation that almost cost him his family, his sanity, and his life.

Getting shot in the chest as a rookie agent, bartering for machine guns, throttling down the highway at 100 mph, and responding to a full-sca Here, from Jay Dobyns, the first federal agent to infiltrate the inner circle of the outlaw Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, is the inside story of the twenty-one-month operation that almost cost him his family, his sanity, and his life.

Getting shot in the chest as a rookie agent, bartering for machine guns, throttling down the highway at 100 mph, and responding to a full-scale, bloody riot between the Hells Angels and their rivals, the Mongols–these are just a few of the high-adrenaline experiences Dobyns recounts in this action-packed, hard-to-imagine-but-true story.

Dobyns leaves no stone of his harrowing journey unturned. At runs and clubhouses, between rides and riots, Dobyns befriends bad-ass bikers, meth-fueled “old ladies,” gun fetishists, psycho-killer ex-cons, and even some of the “Filthy Few”–the elite of the Hells Angels who’ve committed extreme violence on behalf of their club. Eventually, at parties staged behind heavily armed security, he meets legendary club members such as Chuck Zito, Johnny Angel, and the godfather of all bikers, Ralph “Sonny” Barger. To blend in with them, he gets full-arm ink; to win their respect, he vows to prove himself a stone-cold killer.

Hardest of all is leading a double life, which has him torn between his devotion to his wife and children, and his pledge to become the first federal agent ever to be “fully patched” into the Angels’ near-impregnable ranks. His act is so convincing that he comes within a hairsbreadth of losing himself. Eventually, he realizes that just as he’s been infiltrating the Hells Angels, they’ve been infiltrating him. And just as they’re not all bad, he’s not all good.

Reminiscent of Donnie Brasco’s uncovering of the true Mafia, this is an eye-opening portrait of the world of bikers–the most in-depth since Hunter Thompson’s seminal work–one that fully describes the seductive lure criminal camaraderie has for men who would otherwise be powerless outsiders. Here is all the nihilism, hate, and intimidation, but also the freedom–and, yes, brotherhood–of the only truly American form of organized crime. ...more

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Hardcover, 328 pages

Published February 10th 2009 by Crown

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Start your review of No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels

Mar 23, 2009 Petra-X Off having adventures rated it it was amazing

Shelves: psycho-neurology-crime, reviewed, biography-true-story

The infiltration of the Hells Angels by undercover cop and author Jay Dobyns is as interesting from the point of view of the very real deterioration of the character Jay and metamorphosis into his alterego 'Bird' as it is from the hows and wheres of how law enforcement can run such an operation.

The book's writing is unusual in that where Jay is an involved family man and serious cop, the writing reads as measured and logical. But as his real life crumbles and he feels most alive as an (otc) dru ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Snow White rated it liked it

I happened upon this book by accident. Not normally my thing, but when I started reading I found I couldn't put it down. A bit macho, but I guess that's to be expected given the subject matter. The inside perspective about undercover police work and the world of the Hells Angels were very interesting and I learned a lot. That being said, I had some issues with the narrator cop. I felt he was quite biased in his opinions, and I got the feeling he wasn't always being honest regarding his own actio ...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Deadlift rated it did not like it

No Angel was mostly a burden to read. I am proud I did not give Dobyns any money for this publication (rented it from the local library). No Angel brings you into the bizarre world of a self-delusion, self-aggrandizing Federal Agent who takes bizarre pleasure in deceiving others in the name of convoluted moral Crusading which of course is done entirely on your dime. This book takes you on a journey of a man who honors the butcherers at Waco as he fear mongers the general public to what amounts t ...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Dan Logue rated it did not like it

This book is terrible. Usually, if I don't like a book I will give it about 100 pages, grab another, and not bother writing a review for goodreads. I gave this book close to 200 pages, have found another, but will pause briefly to offer some constructive criticisms. It provides almost no social commentary on the causes of outlaw motorcycle gangs in addition to no overarching conclusions about human nature. Not that you would give any value to any conclusions this author (an undercover cop) drew ...more

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Feb 19, 2009 Michele rated it it was amazing

A Raw, Real and Riveting Memoir
Captivating from the first page, No Angel thrusts the reader into the inner world of the outlaw motorcycle gang, the Hells Angels. This is the story of an obsessed man, who with the all-or-nothing mentality in his makeup becomes the first undercover law enforcement agent to penetrate this notorious group.

The story is conveyed with brutal honesty. Jay Dobyns, using the alias "Bird" relies not only on his memories of the two year ATF case known as "Black Biscuit," b ...more

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Jun 02, 2020 Fei rated it it was ok

Shelves: memoir

★★☆☆☆ | Like daytime television, endless loops of the same situations are dressed up in minor distinctions while a vague bigger picture floats above, getting two minutes of airtime each episode.

Alternate (less charitable) spoilery review: (view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Sherri rated it it was ok

I have known and liked a number of cops over the course of my life. I have known and liked a number of Hell's Angels over the course of my life. I tend to judge people based on themselves, not their affiliations/occupations. If I were likely to judge individuals by the group they hung out with, this book would make both sides look pathetic. That being said:

Yes, undercover work is dangerous and nerve-wracking. You can SAY they get paid to drink beer and ride bikes, and that sounds pretty cushy. T I have known and liked a number of cops over the course of my life. I have known and liked a number of Hell's Angels over the course of my life. I tend to judge people based on themselves, not their affiliations/occupations. If I were likely to judge individuals by the group they hung out with, this book would make both sides look pathetic. That being said:

Yes, undercover work is dangerous and nerve-wracking. You can SAY they get paid to drink beer and ride bikes, and that sounds pretty cushy. They also run the risk of getting shot the minute they make a mistake. It messes with you.

Yes, the older HA's are a bit hypocritical when it comes to the action end of things. You know why? Because they're OLD. Swinging a baseball bat with emphysema at 70 is a lot harder than it is at a healthy 25. Besides that, times have changed as well and they know it. How many flower children are now wearing suits to work? Times change, people change.

They are done a huge injustice here however. In this book, the Hell's Angels are pictured as fat old junkies without a brain between the lot of them. They talk s*** that they don't follow through on. They make claims of violence and anarchy and then they practically piss themselves when they have to back them up. They constantly try to cut back on the drug use/dealing but are completely incapable of even controlling their own use, much less that of the next generation. They are pictured as a group more dedicated to selling t-shirts than riding bikes. All of this is with the exception of Sonny Barger who is, even here, held up on his eternal pedestal.

However:

Dobyns is a hypocritical bigot of the worst kind throughout the book. He pumps himself up to be a big bad gang-chaser, when what he really does it make nice with a bunch of old men, get them to break the law and then tries to arrest them for mostly petty charges. In the meantime, he get himself a several hundred dollar tattoo job and charges it to the tax payers. He carries around a pair of gunslinger-type pistols while arresting people left and right on pumped-up weapons charges. Once the case is over and he completely fails to make any charges stick, and he writes a book badmouthing the same old men. This is based mainly on the fact that they live in trailers and live miserable, poor lives while he has a huge house, a pool and a pretty cushy paycheck.

Since the book was written by Dobyns, I would expect the HA's to come off looking bad. But sadly, Dobyn's can't even make himself look good. He's too wrapped up in the hate he accuses the Hell Angel's of promoting. He says himself that he suffers nightmares and is still convinced the HA's will come after him. Doesn't he spend much of the book talking about how paranoid they are? And he spend the second half of the book stoned out of his mind while laughing at the "meth heads."

Pathetic ...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Mike rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction

Jay Dobyns is an undercover ATF agent in Arizona. This is the story of his work to infiltrate the infamous motorcycle gang, the so called "HA, the One Percenter's, the Filthy Few, the 81's, the AFFA's, the MC's, the OMG's, yadda, yadda. Ton of acronyms throughout here but you get a glossary if needed. Book was written along with a first time author, Nils Shelton. I mention this because it shows in the so-so writing and narration.
The Angels as described here are actually just a washed up, living ...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Tom rated it really liked it

I love his honesty. I have to wonder if he was a catylyst in events that may not have happened without his influence. Somtimes I think that LEO are as Bad as the OMG they chase. I have known and associated with bikers both Outlaw and Weekend riders for the better part of my Adult life and I must say that the 1% moniker is overused and in my opinion a bit high. It seems more like one percent of that one percent actually are criminals. And, in every ride and rally I have ever gone on the most Arro ...more

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Jan 21, 2018 Emerald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiographies-biographies, borrowed, non-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow, bizarre story. This former ATF agent's alter-ego nearly got the best of this guy. Nearly destroying his career, his reputation, and his real life family. I did have to question his motivation in becoming patched even as a prospect near the end. His alter-ego wanted it to the point of destroying his real life family and his emotions toward them, and was going for it. If the ATF brass hadn't pulled the plug when they did there is no doubt in my mind that he would have become a full patched He ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Parker rated it did not like it

I started reading this book with a biased opinion, I have always been fascinated by the world of biker gangs. Jay infiltrates the Hells Angels and tries to shut them down. He failed miserably. The whole narrative come off as narcissistic, he tells his story begging the reader to believe he's a badass. He broke more laws than the 81's and in the end didn't get any big convictions. He lost his job over it and if he was half as successful as he tried to convince us he was he would prob be dead by n ...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Roy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: done

What a story. I live in AZ. I've seen a lot of this and been at these places. I've ridden for 30 years.
The book moves at a fast pace. The overwhelming message is you cannot associate with bad company without being corrupted yourself. No matter what the motive or intention is. It drives that point home with a stake!
It's a bummer in one respect, considering the timeline and the dates, and where we are now, his work seems to have accomplished absolutely nothing. That is sad. From a Christian with ...more

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Oct 21, 2015 Danm rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Great book. In the beginning, it doesn't feel like you will become attached, but at least for me, I fell deeper into the rabbit hole with Jay (or maybe I should say Bird) as the story moved forward. It's amazing how he was able to pull off this double life, and you get an excellent glimpse of the Hells Angel lifestyle. I also liked the conclusion a lot for one key reason, but I can't post that here because I don't want to spoil anything. All I can say is, if you like real-life adventure stories, ...more

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Jan 17, 2016 SouthWestZippy rated it really liked it

Shelves: autobiography, murder, memoir, true-crime, gangs, undercover-cops, secrets, atf-agent

Very good book but the ending was a let down.

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Jul 29, 2018 Mary Blye Kramer rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 21, 2018 Koren rated it it was ok

Shelves: gangs

An undercover cop infiltrates the Hell's Angels for two years. I would have liked this book better if he would have delved more into the backgrounds of the Angels and how they came about joining the group. Instead, it was mostly conversations peppered with a lot of cuss words (even though at the end he states that a lot of cuss words were left out). I touched on how his undercover work effected his marriage and family and I would have liked him to go into that a little deeper. This was a tough g ...more

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May 07, 2020 Lee Rosenwink rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant.

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Aug 04, 2019 Chad Montabon rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 20, 2011 Patrick O'Neil rated it liked it

I've no big love towards cops, especially undercover cops that befriend their suspects and then use that friendship to nail them. I think it a sleazy way to arrest someone. I find it just another abuse the current criminal justice system employs because they suck at their jobs and have to pretty much entrap whomever it is they consider dangerous. However, on the other hand I am in no way advocating that criminal enterprises proliferate and the police should do shit all to stop them. I just think I've no big love towards cops, especially undercover cops that befriend their suspects and then use that friendship to nail them. I think it a sleazy way to arrest someone. I find it just another abuse the current criminal justice system employs because they suck at their jobs and have to pretty much entrap whomever it is they consider dangerous. However, on the other hand I am in no way advocating that criminal enterprises proliferate and the police should do shit all to stop them. I just think it'd be more productive if cops actually were proactively stopping crime, rather than cleaning up after, or as the case here with Jay Dobyns, engaging in and becoming one of them. That said Dobyns' No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels is an interesting book. Not so much for the reasons that I have already outlined, but for the inside look at the actual Hells Angeles and its leadership. Interesting that these "outlaws" were just sort of aging methheads hanging with their ex-stripper wives and basically living the white trash American dream in the desert towns of Arizona. And that the ATF would really waste the tax payers money on such an undertaking as over a year of undercover work following these bikers around and buying various guns and meager amounts of methamphetamine. I guess it beats having to deal with real gun buyers and smugglers like their recent "Operation Fast and Furious" that resulted in a US Border Patrol agent being murdered with one of the guns they let through to the Mexican Cartels in another similar undercover operation as Dobyns'. Yet, the most interesting part of No Angel is Dobyns' struggle maintaining the two lives he is forced to exists in. His made up biker persona, and his real life of married cop with a wife and kids living in a nice house alongside a golf course. Dobyns describes his inner turmoil quite well. He admits being more drawn into the criminal lifestyle, covering himself in tattoo's and abusing stimulants and alcohol. Obviously he liked the thug life and danger that being a biker allowed him to experience. And at times I couldn't help but feel he wasn't being entirely truthful about what he actually did while in character. Yet in the end the cops arrest them all and Dobyns, no longer biker Dobyns, supposedly goes home to his wife and kids and returns to being just a regular ATF agent. Not a bad tell all book from a undercover cop.

**Also, just found out I share the same publisher in France as Dobyns. So now we're polar opposite bedfellows in literature. It's a strange world. ...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Pamela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non_fiction, autobiography, notes, american

I had some interest in the motorcycle riders, as I used to ride a scooter, and was in two clubs. But I was young and we were innocents, comparatively. While they have strict rules such as the order of riders on a bike ride, or run, we were mostly unencumbered by such rules. They want to be free but are restrictive in their actions, everything must be approved by the higher ups in the organization. Their business was mainly illegal, while most of us still lived at home with our parents, although I had some interest in the motorcycle riders, as I used to ride a scooter, and was in two clubs. But I was young and we were innocents, comparatively. While they have strict rules such as the order of riders on a bike ride, or run, we were mostly unencumbered by such rules. They want to be free but are restrictive in their actions, everything must be approved by the higher ups in the organization. Their business was mainly illegal, while most of us still lived at home with our parents, although I didn’t; I had a job, went to school, lived a fairly “normal” life.

To quote: “Their individuality is confined by a rigid conformity, ride the same brand of bike, wear the same clothes, abide the same rules. The irony is the lifestyle and appearance is clearly set up in opposition to us who live straight lives, but they are hardly distinguishable from one another.”

I found some resonance with this, with my past, the scooter days. We rode Vespas or Lambrettas only, wore similar clothing, listened to certain music, but we liked to think how individual we were. Perhaps in a group of kids our age one of us would stand out, yes, I know I did look different, but collectively we looked quite similar. When we grouped together for rides en masse it might have been hard to distinguish one kid from another. That’s about where the comparisons end. Now I know how much more freedom we really had when put side by side to these life-long bikers.

Gang activity was not what I nor my friends were into, but the ATF undercover (the primary author) was searching for that, and during his investigation got carried away where all he wanted was to become a bonafide Hells Angel himself. Of course it would have been not quite true, as he was undercover and his cover was being an illegal gun dealer, and debt collector which was false, and the killing that would get him his “cut” or patch was faked as well. The more I got into the story the more I saw how very different my experience with scooters were compared to these motorcycle guys. We had a few occasions to be harassed by cops and mostly laughed about it, although it could be annoying at times, particularly when interrupting an organized ride. Learning about this story I have a new appreciation of what a biker gang looked like on the other side. The book was interesting, not told in the best manner, still decent enough. The undercover ATF Dobyns acknowledges his story would have not been as it was without the co-author, but it still could have been told better. Despite that it was fascinating and I learned more about hard-core riders.
...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Mae rated it really liked it

Raw, informative, daring, and open. Jay Dobyns discusses his time while infiltrating the notorious Hells Angel bike "club". He talks about the twisted "family" environment of the club, the illegal acts of the club, the pull and the repulsiveness in a way that shows he saw a part of it that those on the outside don't always get to see. He risked his family, his life, and his identity to infiltrate a group that needed to be brought down and brought to justice. Even though he didn't fully accomplis ...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Bob rated it really liked it

This book was really an interesting look into the outlaw biker culture. As a "biker" I think we tend to romanticize that world sometimes, but it's clearly no place for normal people to live. I don't understand why people would want to spend their lives in a sleazy environment of drugs, violence, and uncertainty about who your real friends are.

A couple of things I found interesting.

One was the humanity often found in men who are not wired to function in normal society, violent impulsive men with ...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Casey Keen rated it really liked it

I am a huge fan of biker gangs and undercover operations, so when I saw this book, I had to read it. Jay Dobbin’s infiltration into the Hell’s Angels was gritty, suspenseful and unimaginable. “Watching” Jay’s deterioration was one of the most interesting topics. Unfortunately, this adaptation tends to be a raw reality as an undercover agent. His character descriptions are written well, and for the most part, I enjoyed his work. I only had a few beefs with the book … (1) the Hell’s Angels didn’t ...more

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Jun 20, 2014 Jill Sorenson rated it liked it

I read this for research and yikes. All of the other MC nonfiction books I picked up were autobiographies from club members. I found them racist and unappealing. In this one, the club members are also racists, murderers, drug addicts and woman beaters. It's not a pretty picture, and even the undercover cop is no gem. He's addicted to the thrill (along with otc substances) and seems to prefer this lifestyle to his loving family. His off-duty moments at home were sweet and I wanted to know more ab ...more

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Mar 29, 2009 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: adult-books

This is a fascinating insider's look at a bizarre and dangerous American subculture. However, I had a difficult time keeping track of all the players, of which there are literally dozens, and their myriad list of real names and nicknames. The author, an undercover special agent, also includes hundreds of tiny details that slow the narrative down. I mean, do I really need to know exactly what he ordered every time he ate at the Waffle House (which was every few pages)? These may have been items h ...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Weylin rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone

If it wasn’t for responsibilities like taking care of a baby, chores, eating, etc., I would have read this book straight though without stopping. As a disclaimer, I share a very similar background with the author and I am sure that created a bias. But, I mostly think it is because this book conveyed a great true story and did it with great narrative story telling.
That being said, the author does come across as being pretty self centered, there are a few editing errors that even my lowly self ...more

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Aug 25, 2013 Cathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 09, 2017 Andrea rated it did not like it

Shelves: non-fiction

I couldn't finish it. I tried hard. In fact, this was the second time I'd attempted to read this book. I'm fascinated with groups like Hells Angels and the like, but our entree into this world was through a person who I just couldn't stand. The way he talked about women and people who are on the fringes of society was, frankly, gross. ...more

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May 05, 2009 Melissa rated it liked it

The best part of this book? When the guy playing Big Lou the Wiseguy who actually is New Jersey mob tells Bird, "Made guys really don't give a midnight f*ck about Hells Angels or whatever they are." I feel a bit the same. ...more

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Feb 15, 2016 Mariel rated it really liked it

Very interesting and engaging. However, not a huge fan of Jay. He obviously thinks way too highly of himself and it gets irritating. I was definitely most drawn to this book because of just finishing the Sons of Anarchy series.

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About Jay Dobyns

Jay Dobyns

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Jay Dobyns is a highly decorated federal undercover agent, New York Times best selling author and celebrated public speaker. His unique presentations blend genuine life and death experiences, high-octane street smarts, humility, passion and humor. Jay delivers memorable speaking engagements that will captivate, motivate and inspire any audience.