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No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels
From the first federal agent to infiltrate the inner circle of the outlaw Hells Angels Motorcycle Club comes the inside story of the 21-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.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2009
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4538 people want to read
About the author
Jay Dobyns
9 books35 followersJay 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
May 6, 2015
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) drug-wired gang member, so does the writing become frenetic and disorganised. Only the impossibly unsatisfying denoument, forseeable but unexpected, saves the man, but not, sadly, the operation.
I later read Hunter S. Thompson's masterpiece Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga which was written 40 years earlier and involved some of the same characters. This was very enjoyable seeing the young guns turn into old reprobrates. They must live on adrenaline running from the law all that time. I wonder what path their children will choose?
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) drug-wired gang member, so does the writing become frenetic and disorganised. Only the impossibly unsatisfying denoument, forseeable but unexpected, saves the man, but not, sadly, the operation.
I later read Hunter S. Thompson's masterpiece Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga which was written 40 years earlier and involved some of the same characters. This was very enjoyable seeing the young guns turn into old reprobrates. They must live on adrenaline running from the law all that time. I wonder what path their children will choose?
August 1, 2018
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 actions. As the book progressed, I almost started feeling sorry for the Hells Angels, as they were mostly elderly men with their glory days far behind them, and their crimes (as an organisation, NOT the murder that was described!) seemed so petty I started wondering why the authorithies would bother to put an entire undercover team on this. Still, Dobyns finally redeemed himself somewhat by admitting and fully describing how he had gotten too caught up in his undercover work and had been an asshole to his family in the process. That was very honest and added nuance which saved the book for me.
June 15, 2015
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 to a few veterans bypassing bureacratic red tape and selling a few guns amongst one another. The worst part is the almost sociopathic and always annoying way in which Dobyns analyzes and condescends essentially every single person he meets in a childish manner. The emotional reactions to some situations and people (like jealousy over the reaction his squad had over a team mate leaving) is reminiscent of a high school student. And of course the Hells Angels are demonized as "racist" because they prefer Skynyrd over hip hop and other nefarious social taboos like sexism. Someone who knows human nature can read between the lines of much of this investigation, such as how Dobyns clearly sleeps with an inebriated woman and indulged in rampant drug use. His case was a complete failure and an embarassment and yet the single useful moment of the investigation (where a local cop, unaware he was being taped, threatened to kill him) went unprosecuted. Dobyns even goes so far as to scold local and state law enforcement for their approach to due processes and not being aggressive enough in undermining civil liberties in an effort to make quotas, get promotions, or in this case, sell books. No Angel sheds great light on destructive Federal spending (think Operation Fast N Furious) and spotlights a criminal organization - the ATF.
February 25, 2011
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 anyway, since he seems to share the shame myopic black-and-white worldview as the people he is investigating, just from the other side of the law. What is more pathetic is the illusion that the Angels are a highly developed criminal organization, as opposed to the two-bit drug and gun-based operation that has just enough cohesion to warrant a soft RICO charge. Anyway, if you are looking for a real book on the origin of outlaw motorcycle gangs, along with a meaningful analysis of the forces within American post-WWII culture that shaped them, look to Hunter S Thompson's Hells Angels. It is tremendous......
January 8, 2013
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
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
June 18, 2012
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 now. The Angels committed no real crimes other than some drug use and buying a few illegal guns (mostly sold though him). It isn't the worst read in the world, the author's ego ruins what could have been an epic journey. Nice try. By the end you just want his dad to give the poor bastard a hug.
February 22, 2009
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," but also on surveillance tapes and transcripts. They help provide detailed dialog between the operatives and their suspects. He puts you in the dark rooms, smoke-filled clubhouses, beer-soaked bars and inky tattoo parlors as you witness his transformation from a sandy-haired football star and all-American dad to a scary looking dude with a braided goatee. He becomes Bird.
He also becomes a patched Hells Angel, sacrificing everything dear to him in the process: his family, his friends, and nearly his soul. In a moment, however, just before the case shuts down, he experiences a revelation. It's not merely about the good and evil among the Hells Angels or in himself, it was the basic understanding this "brotherhood" was "nothing more than a support group for misunderstood loners held together by hate and money." Immersed in this HATE for so long, he ultimately casts it aside for everything he LOVES, and expresses this personal epiphany with tremendous humility. In spite of a disappointing outcome for Black Biscuit and his exposure as an undercover agent, this makes Jay a hero, and makes No Angel a story worth reading.
There are many characters on both sides of the law and a slew of unfamiliar terminology and acronyms, but photos, glossaries maps and lists are provided to guide the reader. Very well done.
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," but also on surveillance tapes and transcripts. They help provide detailed dialog between the operatives and their suspects. He puts you in the dark rooms, smoke-filled clubhouses, beer-soaked bars and inky tattoo parlors as you witness his transformation from a sandy-haired football star and all-American dad to a scary looking dude with a braided goatee. He becomes Bird.
He also becomes a patched Hells Angel, sacrificing everything dear to him in the process: his family, his friends, and nearly his soul. In a moment, however, just before the case shuts down, he experiences a revelation. It's not merely about the good and evil among the Hells Angels or in himself, it was the basic understanding this "brotherhood" was "nothing more than a support group for misunderstood loners held together by hate and money." Immersed in this HATE for so long, he ultimately casts it aside for everything he LOVES, and expresses this personal epiphany with tremendous humility. In spite of a disappointing outcome for Black Biscuit and his exposure as an undercover agent, this makes Jay a hero, and makes No Angel a story worth reading.
There are many characters on both sides of the law and a slew of unfamiliar terminology and acronyms, but photos, glossaries maps and lists are provided to guide the reader. Very well done.
January 24, 2011
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 in the past wanna-be bad asses. Just your typical meth junkie, woman beating, trailer trash, paranoid, sucking on bottled oxygen, old guys. Yeah, nothing at all redeeming here except some unintentioned black humor. Real story line is Dobyns descent into the biker life style and the affect it has on his home life. Story is okay but becomes depressingly repetitive and the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying. Dobyns, or "Jay Bird," his biker moniker, is one tough, fearless SOB, though, I'll give him that. Problem here is he's much more of an authentic bad ass than the over-the-hill gang he's infiltrating.
The Angels as described here are actually just a washed up, living in the past wanna-be bad asses. Just your typical meth junkie, woman beating, trailer trash, paranoid, sucking on bottled oxygen, old guys. Yeah, nothing at all redeeming here except some unintentioned black humor. Real story line is Dobyns descent into the biker life style and the affect it has on his home life. Story is okay but becomes depressingly repetitive and the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying. Dobyns, or "Jay Bird," his biker moniker, is one tough, fearless SOB, though, I'll give him that. Problem here is he's much more of an authentic bad ass than the over-the-hill gang he's infiltrating.
August 16, 2024
Surprisingly well-written. A very exciting and gripping account of working undercover. 4.1 stars
March 17, 2009
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 Arrogant and Hard to deal with are always the LEO MCs. His book is well done and his realazation at the end is humbling. I wish him the best.
January 22, 2018
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 Hells Angel, and this guy might have went fully over into the subculture, even though everything this guy did was mostly fabricated to earn that prospect patch.
I don't believe parts of this story and find it really grandiose where the Hells Angels were so easily infiltrated, other documentaries on this subject inform otherwise. I do believe loads of details were left out or altered in the book so the ATF and Dobyns himself might not look as bad for blowing the case in the end. I also have to question the drugs, and women part with him being a married man who swears up and down in the book that he didn't partake. I'm calling BS on that stuff right now. Naw, not buying it, I think he did partake or he wouldn't have had any street cred to get as deep as he did and his feeling towards his real life wife in the book.
Law enforcement has to be careful because of entrapment which any good defense attorney worth their salt can hedge these types of cases facing a jury can create reasonable doubt. If what is said about the biker culture is true...then being in prison or admitting guilt in this case, even to these lesser charges just gives them more credibility, which seems to me is all Dobyns did for them in the end. Doing time is expected within the MC subculture. As a taxpayer I wasn't down with the cost of this whole operation with little reward in the end.
One thing for sure, the book clearly shows how being an undercover cop in this deep is a total mind fuck.
I don't believe parts of this story and find it really grandiose where the Hells Angels were so easily infiltrated, other documentaries on this subject inform otherwise. I do believe loads of details were left out or altered in the book so the ATF and Dobyns himself might not look as bad for blowing the case in the end. I also have to question the drugs, and women part with him being a married man who swears up and down in the book that he didn't partake. I'm calling BS on that stuff right now. Naw, not buying it, I think he did partake or he wouldn't have had any street cred to get as deep as he did and his feeling towards his real life wife in the book.
Law enforcement has to be careful because of entrapment which any good defense attorney worth their salt can hedge these types of cases facing a jury can create reasonable doubt. If what is said about the biker culture is true...then being in prison or admitting guilt in this case, even to these lesser charges just gives them more credibility, which seems to me is all Dobyns did for them in the end. Doing time is expected within the MC subculture. As a taxpayer I wasn't down with the cost of this whole operation with little reward in the end.
One thing for sure, the book clearly shows how being an undercover cop in this deep is a total mind fuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2022
Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson is a favorite, and thus, I was excited about reading No Angel. While the book, about an ATF agent infiltrating the biker gang, is interesting, it lacks the journalistic approach that made Hell’s Angels such a fantastic read. This is more personal and, as a result, slightly skewed. I also find it hard to take in that Jay committed several crimes. While I understand why it is still a tough pill to swallow.
February 22, 2022
eponymous sentence:
p48: No Angel removed his cut.
period:
p63: He spoke to Timmy An absent grin faded from the lips of the nameless woman clutching Rudy's waist.
p71: Second was Timmy He took Slats aside and demanded to be made a full patch Solo on the spot.
p142: "...JHAP"
p163: We rode down Van Buren and turned onto Seventh Street, headed toward I-10 and the Bank One Ballpark, where the Diamondbacks play We were in standard formation, Rudy and I up front, Timmy and Pops directly behind us.
p166: She said she wanted to be treated more like Bird's business partner than arm-candy We agreed.
p194: Gwen said, "I'm not going to tell you, Shoey And besides, you know Christmas is about more than presents.
p251: I looked at Timmy The muscles of his face moved in increments.
p260: "...And sure as shit, my gang is smarter than yours, 'Cause we don't walk around town with no fucking logo on our back that says 'Wiseguy' You, I can see you a mile down the street...."
p312: Rudy chuckled and said, "Looks like grape jelly"
space:
p128: Carlos, on the other hand, would sit back and watch a M*A*S*Hmarathon on TV.
p168: It was Smitty, Lydia, Dennis, Dolly, and Joby plus all of us Solos andJJ.
p178: But if the Mongols didmanage to reach the Inferno and things turned bad, then my second job would kick in: protecting myself and my fellow operatives.
p289: I was prepared to play along precisely because I believed Iwas the one who would send them to jail.
terminology:
p151: Before he handed over the piece, he pointed out blood splatter on the muzzle.
uppercase:
p200: "...But we gotta take it slow 'Cause we don't want Bob knowing...."
p220: "I'm doing this 'Cause I know you ain't shitting me."
Hats off to the sacrifices made to make the wold a better place.
p48: No Angel removed his cut.
period:
p63: He spoke to Timmy An absent grin faded from the lips of the nameless woman clutching Rudy's waist.
p71: Second was Timmy He took Slats aside and demanded to be made a full patch Solo on the spot.
p142: "...JHAP"
p163: We rode down Van Buren and turned onto Seventh Street, headed toward I-10 and the Bank One Ballpark, where the Diamondbacks play We were in standard formation, Rudy and I up front, Timmy and Pops directly behind us.
p166: She said she wanted to be treated more like Bird's business partner than arm-candy We agreed.
p194: Gwen said, "I'm not going to tell you, Shoey And besides, you know Christmas is about more than presents.
p251: I looked at Timmy The muscles of his face moved in increments.
p260: "...And sure as shit, my gang is smarter than yours, 'Cause we don't walk around town with no fucking logo on our back that says 'Wiseguy' You, I can see you a mile down the street...."
p312: Rudy chuckled and said, "Looks like grape jelly"
space:
p128: Carlos, on the other hand, would sit back and watch a M*A*S*Hmarathon on TV.
p168: It was Smitty, Lydia, Dennis, Dolly, and Joby plus all of us Solos andJJ.
p178: But if the Mongols didmanage to reach the Inferno and things turned bad, then my second job would kick in: protecting myself and my fellow operatives.
p289: I was prepared to play along precisely because I believed Iwas the one who would send them to jail.
terminology:
p151: Before he handed over the piece, he pointed out blood splatter on the muzzle.
uppercase:
p200: "...But we gotta take it slow 'Cause we don't want Bob knowing...."
p220: "I'm doing this 'Cause I know you ain't shitting me."
Hats off to the sacrifices made to make the wold a better place.
November 30, 2012
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 a family to a complete desire to be a Hells Angel in the span of 1.5 years is a downward spiral if there ever was one.
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 a family to a complete desire to be a Hells Angel in the span of 1.5 years is a downward spiral if there ever was one.
June 16, 2016
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, then I recommend this book.
April 21, 2018
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 group of characters and made me feel he was talking about mobsters instead of bikers.
July 22, 2015
A look into a world I would never see.
March 7, 2016
Very good book but the ending was a let down.
July 29, 2018
I almost gave this book 5 stars even though I reserve 5 stars for the absolute best writers, but I love a good drama and wow was this a drama. I also like the author. It’s rare to read such an honest and emotionally raw book, and Dobyns laid it on the line on every page, unfolding not only his edge of the seat story, but also his inner journey back to sanity and wholeness.
The only thing that gave me pause was the “murder” set up - while Dobyns readily admits his failures and shortcomings, I’m not sure he included this incident as unethical. Was it? It seemed so to me. Dobyns, however, deserves our admiration and praise for putting his life on the line to make the world a safer place to live and for his fortitude in the face of temptations that would crack most people.
The only thing that gave me pause was the “murder” set up - while Dobyns readily admits his failures and shortcomings, I’m not sure he included this incident as unethical. Was it? It seemed so to me. Dobyns, however, deserves our admiration and praise for putting his life on the line to make the world a safer place to live and for his fortitude in the face of temptations that would crack most people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
A dark thrilling memoir about an undercover police officer infiltrating the Hells Angels. I found this story unlike anything I have ever read before. It had slow moments to offer much needed background but overall a fast moving somewhat scary story. The fact that it’s all claimed to be true is mind blowing to me. Especially when you read the ending.
I had the pleasure of listening to this on Hoopla from my local library. I think it definitely is why I chose to give it 4 stars instead of 3. The audio recording really puts you in the right mindset. As a reader I would have been frustrated by how descriptive everything was, as a listener I loved it. There are also so many people mentioned and having different voices for each one could help me keep everyone straight. I honestly thought I was listening to a true crime podcast most of the time.
I had the pleasure of listening to this on Hoopla from my local library. I think it definitely is why I chose to give it 4 stars instead of 3. The audio recording really puts you in the right mindset. As a reader I would have been frustrated by how descriptive everything was, as a listener I loved it. There are also so many people mentioned and having different voices for each one could help me keep everyone straight. I honestly thought I was listening to a true crime podcast most of the time.
May 7, 2020
Brilliant.
February 18, 2022
Amazing story of how the ATF turned its back on one of their own. Jay infiltrated the Angels and then had to deal with threats against his family afterward, with no one having his back.
May 29, 2022
Fuldførte ikke bogen da den var for kedelig for mig.
May 15, 2023
Interesting read but I would prefer the author live the remainder of his life in the sewers. So 1 star! ACAB
July 11, 2023
I really enjoyed the detail in this book the view it gives from inside the HA organization. Interesting read for sure. I’m now going to watch Forest Gump. Cheers
April 23, 2023
Good book. Enjoyed hearing about Jays wife’s perspective. I liked how he explains that not all bad people are all bad just how not all good people are all good. Very entertaining read and recommend for any patched motorcyclist.
September 17, 2024
I listened to this book via audiobook and at first thought I would hate it because the reader was quite monotone. However, I got so lost in the story I soon didn’t notice. The divide of when the undercover work started becoming more important than his real life was so well written and stunning. I loved this book.
January 30, 2026
Entertaining but not exhilarating. It must take huge shoulders to infiltrate a gang like the HA. I was hoping for more fallout and reaction after the HA’s found out Jaybird was undercover.
August 5, 2019
A fast ‘action’ packed read with strong character development and a layered series of conflicts for the protagonist. I was nice that Hollywood endings and easy resolutions were not deployed for the sake of creating heros.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2011
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.
**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.
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