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Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture
In a lively yet reflective memoir on the turbulent '60s, Hoffman candidly traces his career from civil-rights activist, to underground fugitive, to infamous court jester of the 'Chicago Seven' conspiracy trial
286 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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691 people want to read
About the author
Abbie Hoffman
29 books216 followersAbbott Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies"). Later he became a fugitive from the law, who lived under an alias following a conviction for dealing cocaine.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 3, 2010
I picked this book off my shelf randomly the other night. I bought it probably 6 years ago or more from a library sale. I had just finished issue #52 of Cometbus and was looking for something to accompany me to bed early that night. I brewed some herbal tea and started reading by the glow of my lime-colored bedside light. 5 Hours later, I was halfway done with the book and panicking that soon I would need to get out of bed to go to work. The following night, I did the same, closing my eyes and turning off the light with just 15 pages left. After a strong cup of coffee, I jumped on the bus, and finished the book on the way to work. I was so engrossed by this book, I was kind of scared.
I was surprised. I expected Abbie to be an asshole, a perhaps unintelligent, though inspiring prankster and hell-raiser. Indisputably a prankster hell-raiser, he also presents himself as a nice guy and an informed dissident in this autobiography. Acknowledging the various professors who radicalized him, he explains: “realizing the anti-intellectual character of American life, I always claimed I got my ideas by watching television. That was of course a put-on, nobody ever learned much watching television. I studied with the greatest gurus of the fifties” (26).
Abbie is a community organizer, and a creative one at that. More than a hippie celebrity, he goes to pains to show that Yippies were activated hippies--intentional and pro-active. As Abbie tells his version of many definitive moments of the 60s (Woodstock, the ‘68 Democratic Convention, the Columbia University occupation, etc.), he makes the case for cultural revolutionary activity.
Abbie was in love with America, but hated its government. He drew inspiration from American pop culture and history, and it doesn’t seem as though he just did it for rhetorical purposes. Reflecting on his first taste of organizing by participating in an ACLU event against red-baiting he writes:
“I fell in love with America that night. Cornfields. Town meetings. Niagara Falls. hot dogs. Parades. Red Sox double headers. America was built by people who wanted to change things. It was founded on strong principles. I saw myself as a Son of Liberty, riding through the night, sounding the alarm” (49).
The “Americanness” of Hoffman’s anarchism intrigues me. It seems that so much of the left youth movement in the 60s evoked patriotism in its dissent. Our context is so different than his was. Today’s left is very much on the defensive against accusations of “unAmericanness.” Today, extreme right groups lay claim to America, evident even by the names they choose for themselves: the “Minutemen” or the “Tea Party.”
Returning to Abbie himself, his brilliance lies in his analysis of protest as theater and spectacle, and his analysis of the media. He sort of sneaks into the book a theoretical framework to justify his antics and activism. Though he names some people like Marcuse, it seems that he draws heavily from some others that are unmentioned--Henri Lefebvre and Guy Debord, for example.
You hear the voices of writers like these when Abbie writes: “America has more television sets than toilets....if labor was the essential ingredient for production, then information was that ingredient for mass communication. A modern revolutionary group headed for the television station, not the factory. It concentrated its energy on infiltrating and changing the image system” (86).
Examples of putting these ideas to action are phony press releases (now commonly practiced by culture-jamming groups) and creating media stunts like the infamous event of showering dollar bills onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, causing the traders to stop their work and fight over the money (interrupting the flow of capital with capital itself!), and thereby making the traders unwitting subjects of press coverage. Not to mention the famous Chicago 8 trial, in which Abbie and the others used the medium of the court and the press as a platform to put U.S. imperialism “on trial.”
Like the Situationists, part of Abbie’s thinking is to call attention to the media apparatus and challenge the production of images. He writes, “there is nothing more radical you can talk about on TV than TV itself” (117). He recounts how, while being interviewed on television, he focused on looking into the camera, rather than at the interviewer, uncomfortably causing the viewer to become conscious of the medium. Similarly, during commercial breaks he would stand up, engage audience members, and try to provoke them. When the show was to resume, some audience members would still be returning shouts to Abbie. The effect was that T.V. viewers would become aware of the the studio audience and production of the show itself.
While it’s fun to hear about these actions and it’s interesting to reflect on the ideas behind them, what really impresses me is Abbie’s effectiveness to reach American youth where they were at and mobilize enormous numbers of kids to action. Abbie was ahead of his time in at least two more ways. First, unlike almost everybody else in the 60‘s, his activism was not constrained by any ideological orthodoxy. Second, he had no naive or insulting ideas about vanguardism, and, at least in retrospect through his writing, was self-aware the privilege of youth activism and the limitations of its tactics, if performed in isolation: “Never for a moment did I believe guerilla theater or ‘monkey warfare,’ as I had come to call it, could alone stop the war in Vietnam” (126).
I was surprised. I expected Abbie to be an asshole, a perhaps unintelligent, though inspiring prankster and hell-raiser. Indisputably a prankster hell-raiser, he also presents himself as a nice guy and an informed dissident in this autobiography. Acknowledging the various professors who radicalized him, he explains: “realizing the anti-intellectual character of American life, I always claimed I got my ideas by watching television. That was of course a put-on, nobody ever learned much watching television. I studied with the greatest gurus of the fifties” (26).
Abbie is a community organizer, and a creative one at that. More than a hippie celebrity, he goes to pains to show that Yippies were activated hippies--intentional and pro-active. As Abbie tells his version of many definitive moments of the 60s (Woodstock, the ‘68 Democratic Convention, the Columbia University occupation, etc.), he makes the case for cultural revolutionary activity.
Abbie was in love with America, but hated its government. He drew inspiration from American pop culture and history, and it doesn’t seem as though he just did it for rhetorical purposes. Reflecting on his first taste of organizing by participating in an ACLU event against red-baiting he writes:
“I fell in love with America that night. Cornfields. Town meetings. Niagara Falls. hot dogs. Parades. Red Sox double headers. America was built by people who wanted to change things. It was founded on strong principles. I saw myself as a Son of Liberty, riding through the night, sounding the alarm” (49).
The “Americanness” of Hoffman’s anarchism intrigues me. It seems that so much of the left youth movement in the 60s evoked patriotism in its dissent. Our context is so different than his was. Today’s left is very much on the defensive against accusations of “unAmericanness.” Today, extreme right groups lay claim to America, evident even by the names they choose for themselves: the “Minutemen” or the “Tea Party.”
Returning to Abbie himself, his brilliance lies in his analysis of protest as theater and spectacle, and his analysis of the media. He sort of sneaks into the book a theoretical framework to justify his antics and activism. Though he names some people like Marcuse, it seems that he draws heavily from some others that are unmentioned--Henri Lefebvre and Guy Debord, for example.
You hear the voices of writers like these when Abbie writes: “America has more television sets than toilets....if labor was the essential ingredient for production, then information was that ingredient for mass communication. A modern revolutionary group headed for the television station, not the factory. It concentrated its energy on infiltrating and changing the image system” (86).
Examples of putting these ideas to action are phony press releases (now commonly practiced by culture-jamming groups) and creating media stunts like the infamous event of showering dollar bills onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, causing the traders to stop their work and fight over the money (interrupting the flow of capital with capital itself!), and thereby making the traders unwitting subjects of press coverage. Not to mention the famous Chicago 8 trial, in which Abbie and the others used the medium of the court and the press as a platform to put U.S. imperialism “on trial.”
Like the Situationists, part of Abbie’s thinking is to call attention to the media apparatus and challenge the production of images. He writes, “there is nothing more radical you can talk about on TV than TV itself” (117). He recounts how, while being interviewed on television, he focused on looking into the camera, rather than at the interviewer, uncomfortably causing the viewer to become conscious of the medium. Similarly, during commercial breaks he would stand up, engage audience members, and try to provoke them. When the show was to resume, some audience members would still be returning shouts to Abbie. The effect was that T.V. viewers would become aware of the the studio audience and production of the show itself.
While it’s fun to hear about these actions and it’s interesting to reflect on the ideas behind them, what really impresses me is Abbie’s effectiveness to reach American youth where they were at and mobilize enormous numbers of kids to action. Abbie was ahead of his time in at least two more ways. First, unlike almost everybody else in the 60‘s, his activism was not constrained by any ideological orthodoxy. Second, he had no naive or insulting ideas about vanguardism, and, at least in retrospect through his writing, was self-aware the privilege of youth activism and the limitations of its tactics, if performed in isolation: “Never for a moment did I believe guerilla theater or ‘monkey warfare,’ as I had come to call it, could alone stop the war in Vietnam” (126).
February 7, 2013
By far one of my favorite books. It helps if you also have his book 'Revolution for the Hell of it' It's like reading it with a Coles notes so you can get a more detailed idea of the protests he put on. He's truly amazing. You don't need facebook or the internet to organize a protest. You don't need to explain to every person that shows up why they should be upset and the legal bull shit. If they are there they are interested. A prankster at heart and a smart one to boot. Charisma coming out of every pore.
Ok that's it I'm going to read this book again. It's so good.
What blows my mind is that apparently he committed suicide??? Don't know if I believe that one.
Ok that's it I'm going to read this book again. It's so good.
What blows my mind is that apparently he committed suicide??? Don't know if I believe that one.
July 29, 2021
I didn't even know him, but now I miss him.
July 31, 2011
Some forgot and some just don't know what happened in the 60s. According to Hoffman The Rolling Stone Magazine was the Benedict Arnold of the movements.
Runaway children needing a guide because they were lost in child abusive homes.
The CIA's dispensing of LSD and so many other atrocities.
Loaded history Hoffman provides enlightenment to a world that could have started a more perfect union.
It is this premiss that my 1st 4 novels are written.
Hear the Calliope: A sentimental journey on the EarthRide (Vol 1) The 60s Indian style http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/hea...
Legacy: Let the games begin (Vol 2) Haudenosaunee overthrow http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/leg...
Reason Void of Reason: Spirituality honeymoon style (Vol 3) Iroquois erotica http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/rea...
BREATHE:NOUMENON (Vol 4) REVENGE; the only satisfying song http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/bre...
Runaway children needing a guide because they were lost in child abusive homes.
The CIA's dispensing of LSD and so many other atrocities.
Loaded history Hoffman provides enlightenment to a world that could have started a more perfect union.
It is this premiss that my 1st 4 novels are written.
Hear the Calliope: A sentimental journey on the EarthRide (Vol 1) The 60s Indian style http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/hea...
Legacy: Let the games begin (Vol 2) Haudenosaunee overthrow http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/leg...
Reason Void of Reason: Spirituality honeymoon style (Vol 3) Iroquois erotica http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/rea...
BREATHE:NOUMENON (Vol 4) REVENGE; the only satisfying song http://newbookjournal.com/2011/07/bre...
May 20, 2020
Wow. This might be one of my favorite books. This definitely gives you an insight to a side of history that tends to be completely misrepresented in media, and defines a figure that isn't mentioned much in history classes as well. Abbie Hoffman is a quintessential activist of the late sixties. He is a phenomenal writer, including many jokes in the book that genuinely made me laugh out loud. I would recommend this book to anyone.
November 10, 2020
I'm a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! It took some getting used to the format--he writes in chronological order but instead of a more traditional chapter format it's short vignettes. Some are just a page about a particular formative incident in his life, or on a certain theme, others are much longer and get into more detail of certain events like the Chicago trial, or his life on the run.
I was a huge fan of Abbie and the Yippies during college but since then I've let popular culture degrade my opinion of him a bit, of not recognizing the strategy behind the political theatre he organized. While people may not agree with his tactics (not even I agree with all of it), what comes across in this book was that he was an organizer at heart, and deeply committed to the movement. And everything he did, from levitating the Pentagon to connecting with Weather Underground to speaking at college campuses, was in service of his vision for the antiwar movement, and changing the culture so that it was no longer possible for the government to continue the war. I think he deserves a lot more credit than he often gets for his "stunts."
I was also struck by how sad the final few chapters are, where he decides to go underground to escape a potentially long jail sentence. By this time the movement has "passed the activists by." He's struggling to figure out his place in a new culture that wants to move past the war. He's also clearly struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, and the descriptions of his schizophrenia and manic depressive episodes are such a far departure from the energetic, driven Abbie of the 60s. On the bright side, I had no idea he still kept organizing as part of the antinuclear movement even while he was underground. A true organizer to the end.
I was a huge fan of Abbie and the Yippies during college but since then I've let popular culture degrade my opinion of him a bit, of not recognizing the strategy behind the political theatre he organized. While people may not agree with his tactics (not even I agree with all of it), what comes across in this book was that he was an organizer at heart, and deeply committed to the movement. And everything he did, from levitating the Pentagon to connecting with Weather Underground to speaking at college campuses, was in service of his vision for the antiwar movement, and changing the culture so that it was no longer possible for the government to continue the war. I think he deserves a lot more credit than he often gets for his "stunts."
I was also struck by how sad the final few chapters are, where he decides to go underground to escape a potentially long jail sentence. By this time the movement has "passed the activists by." He's struggling to figure out his place in a new culture that wants to move past the war. He's also clearly struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, and the descriptions of his schizophrenia and manic depressive episodes are such a far departure from the energetic, driven Abbie of the 60s. On the bright side, I had no idea he still kept organizing as part of the antinuclear movement even while he was underground. A true organizer to the end.
June 14, 2014
This is the third time I have read this amazing autobiography, and now that I am older and can see more clearly, it is obvious that, if anything, Abbie Hoffman is a true American hero of the legendary variety. A student of Herbert Marcuse ("One Dimensional Man") and the great psychologist, Abraham Maslow, Hoffman could have done anything he wanted to do. He started out like all of us do, accepting the status quo and living for a successful future of economic satisfaction, and then discovered the Freedom Riders. Risking his life in Mississippi, he was nearby when the three riders were discovered in Philadelphia, Mississippi, dead at the hands of bigots. Returning to New York City, his home, he threw himself into civil rights activism, and, like many, realized that protesting against the Vietnam war was also a matter of civil rights. Teaming up with Jerry Rubin, the organizing and more political of the duo, Hoffman, an expert in street theater and guerrilla mind-messing, is famous for throwing $3,000 onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and actually halting trading as brokers scrambled for what they really want, and is equally renowned for his Pentagon freak-out in which he first sent-in witches to exorcise the Pentagon and then 50,000 hippie protesters to "levitate" the giant military complex.
Hoffman needs to be put into the pantheon of greats like Ida Tarbell and Harriet Tubman and Thoreau. He should never be forgotten. This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Abbie paved the way. Occupy could have learned plenty from him.
Hoffman needs to be put into the pantheon of greats like Ida Tarbell and Harriet Tubman and Thoreau. He should never be forgotten. This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Abbie paved the way. Occupy could have learned plenty from him.
February 14, 2014
Love him or hate him, Abbie Hoffman more than just a celebrity during the late 60’s early 70’s. Without his unorthodox leadership and social contributions, the Vietnam War and other political ills of that time would never been addressed. This truly is his autobiography, and you get the feel for what his motivations were for getting politically involved and how he changed public dissent forever through mass media (remember television still was in it infancy). As this is an autobiography you have to measure that there is no third party objectivity, and that part of Hoffman’s leadership was fueled by his own ego. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and got a better insight into my childhood environment than I had before.
January 13, 2010
Abbie Hoffman is funny, glib, and his words on how the Yippies used Madison Avenue techniques to spread their message, and the Chicago Seven trial, are fascinating modern history. That said, he's not the most reliable narrator. For example, he denies Pete Townsend ever kicked him off the stage at Woodstock during a political harangue with one well-placed sweep of his guitar. Swears it never happened. The problem? Yeah, Townsend did, and the audio verite moment is on the Who's Maximum R&B box set. Ah well. They always say if you can remember the 1960s, you weren't really there. This may be proof.
January 2, 2013
My one outstanding memory of Abbie Hoffman is of being downtown in Chicago during the Conspiracy Trial and seeing him cross a busy, congested street by clambering over the hoods of the cars blocking the crosswalk. Usually I'd rather disdained him and Jerry Rubin for being too silly, but watching this made me laugh. I hadn't been quite so serious in high school when Rich Hyde loaned me Hoffman's Steal This Book. That also made me laugh, repeatedly.
This amounts to Hoffman's autobiography and, as such, repeats some of the stories from Revolution for the Hell of It and Steal This Book. Still, after all these years, the reminiscence was pleasant.
This amounts to Hoffman's autobiography and, as such, repeats some of the stories from Revolution for the Hell of It and Steal This Book. Still, after all these years, the reminiscence was pleasant.
May 7, 2016
Also called Soon To Be a Major Motion Picture, this is the autobiography of a true radical and all round interesting person. His life had some major bumps and he obviously made some terrible decisions, but that really serves to make the book interesting. This book is ***** for me because of its coverage of the hippy and yippie movements and the scene of the late sixties Lower East Side as well as the anti-war protests and the Chicago Seven trial. It takes some time to get to the good parts though the first chapters are worthwhile so you can kinda hear of the midcentury Jewish upbringing and get a little background on Abbie.
August 21, 2008
Abbie,
Waht can I say about you sir? I must say that I had lower expectations of you as a human being and after reading your book, I was quite impressed by the way you portrayed yourself. Modest with a hint of self criticism. Well done.
My personal favorite part of your book is when you reach your revolutionary almost "rite of passage" when you become a chapter leader for the NAACP. I appreciated your lack of remorse for the white and black people of Tennesee.
Thank You
Waht can I say about you sir? I must say that I had lower expectations of you as a human being and after reading your book, I was quite impressed by the way you portrayed yourself. Modest with a hint of self criticism. Well done.
My personal favorite part of your book is when you reach your revolutionary almost "rite of passage" when you become a chapter leader for the NAACP. I appreciated your lack of remorse for the white and black people of Tennesee.
Thank You
September 20, 2014
Fun read by a crazy guy.
April 26, 2016
I adore Abbie. He shaped so much of who I am and what I believe. Of course I loved this book! Everyone should know Abbie.
March 31, 2023
"If there is any hope for revolution in America, it lies in getting Elvis Presley to become Che' Guevara".---Phil Ochs
"Dare to giggle, dare to grin!"---chant from some old Maoists I used to know
Actually, no Phil. Much as I loved you and still do, if there is hope for revolution in the United States it lies in getting Che' Guevara to become Abbie Hoffman. Abbie, who knew Ochs personally, came to the same conclusion as Phil: "Colonel Tom Parker {Elvis's notorious manager} knows more about organizing the American working class than Angela Davis". Abbie also intuitively understood the most important thread that runs trough all of American history: In the Land of the Free there is not and never has been a distinction between politics and entertainment; every president from Abraham Lincoln, who grew a beard for votes, to Ronald Reagan, B-movie actor and straight man to a chimp, can attest to that. Whether it was co-founding the Youth International Party (Yippies) with fellow zany Jerry Rubin, chanting, along with Norman Mailer and Alan Ginsberg to "elevate the Pentagon" in 1967 in order to exorcise the evil spirits within ("It really did rise!" Abbie always insisted), running a pig for president in 1968, calling Judge Julius Hoffmann, who presided over the Chicago 7 trial in 1970, "my illegitimate father" or staging a "Nixon makes us puke" vomit-in at the 1972 Miami Republican National Convention, Abbie always went simultaneously for America's funny bone and nerve center. An appearance alongside Jerry on THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW, guest-hosted by "I'm such a radical now" John Lennon (plus Yoko, of course) was probably Abbie's ultimate political statement/publicity stunt. Alas, as the Seventies melted into the "Me Decade" Abbie was served an arrest warrant for allegedly selling cocaine. He took it in typical Hoffman fashion, going under ground as "Mr. Freeman", an environmental activist. (There is a famous photograph of "Freeman" standing behind New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan signing a piece of environmental legislation. When Abbie finally surfaced under his real name Pat Moynihan exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned!" I still remember the day Abbie died, in the same manner as Phil Ochs. I was standing in line at the salad bar at a Los Angeles steakhouse and this young kid, who obviously knew American history, turned up to his father and proclaimed "the news say it was a suicide, but I bet they're going to blame it on drugs". They sure did, kid. A splendid memoir, and the perfect antidote to Aaron Sorkin's liberal and sordid THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO SEVEN.
"Dare to giggle, dare to grin!"---chant from some old Maoists I used to know
Actually, no Phil. Much as I loved you and still do, if there is hope for revolution in the United States it lies in getting Che' Guevara to become Abbie Hoffman. Abbie, who knew Ochs personally, came to the same conclusion as Phil: "Colonel Tom Parker {Elvis's notorious manager} knows more about organizing the American working class than Angela Davis". Abbie also intuitively understood the most important thread that runs trough all of American history: In the Land of the Free there is not and never has been a distinction between politics and entertainment; every president from Abraham Lincoln, who grew a beard for votes, to Ronald Reagan, B-movie actor and straight man to a chimp, can attest to that. Whether it was co-founding the Youth International Party (Yippies) with fellow zany Jerry Rubin, chanting, along with Norman Mailer and Alan Ginsberg to "elevate the Pentagon" in 1967 in order to exorcise the evil spirits within ("It really did rise!" Abbie always insisted), running a pig for president in 1968, calling Judge Julius Hoffmann, who presided over the Chicago 7 trial in 1970, "my illegitimate father" or staging a "Nixon makes us puke" vomit-in at the 1972 Miami Republican National Convention, Abbie always went simultaneously for America's funny bone and nerve center. An appearance alongside Jerry on THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW, guest-hosted by "I'm such a radical now" John Lennon (plus Yoko, of course) was probably Abbie's ultimate political statement/publicity stunt. Alas, as the Seventies melted into the "Me Decade" Abbie was served an arrest warrant for allegedly selling cocaine. He took it in typical Hoffman fashion, going under ground as "Mr. Freeman", an environmental activist. (There is a famous photograph of "Freeman" standing behind New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan signing a piece of environmental legislation. When Abbie finally surfaced under his real name Pat Moynihan exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned!" I still remember the day Abbie died, in the same manner as Phil Ochs. I was standing in line at the salad bar at a Los Angeles steakhouse and this young kid, who obviously knew American history, turned up to his father and proclaimed "the news say it was a suicide, but I bet they're going to blame it on drugs". They sure did, kid. A splendid memoir, and the perfect antidote to Aaron Sorkin's liberal and sordid THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO SEVEN.
May 2, 2020
On one hand, the life of Abbie Hoffman is inherently a great story, with a lot of action, a funny narrator and political ideals that remain both very relevant and a frustratingly faraway dream in the 21st century. On the other hand... the book is not especially well written. The first third of it, before the creation of the New York hippies, is a frankly bland retelling of various marches Hoffman attended in the south and lists of various authors or politicians he drew inspiration from, all with the depth of a Wikipedia summary. There are chunks of the book, mostly in the middle, that are a great read, but they are interspersed with pages that take smug shots at Tom Hayden, Emmett Grogan, and anyone else that might have threatened Abbie's position as king of the counterculture. As a historical document, it is genuinely informative and entertaining and I do think it's worth reading, but as a biography it badly needed an editor or a stronger structure or a writer with more self-awareness.
October 22, 2018
Soon to be a Major Motion Picture by Abbie Hoffman (Perigee Books 1980) (Biography). I'm a fan of Abbie Hoffman from way back in the day. I'm a fan of Abbie Hoffman the great political prankster, Abbie Hoffman, author of the genius work Steal This Book (Grove Press 1971), Abbie Hoffman, cofounder of the Youth International Party (“the Yippies”), Abbie Hoffman, member of the Chicago Seven, and Abbie Hoffman, federal fugitive. Abbie was a certified gadfly and a genius at self-promotion. He brought a lot of fun to the party that was the sixties. This is his autobiography. He died too soon. The year 2018 could sure use a big dose of Abbie Hoffman right about now. My rating: 7/10, finished 10/22/18. My used PB copy in good condition was purchased from McKay's Used Books for $1.50 on 3/11/18. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
August 4, 2021
Rating autobiographies is always hard because while I disagree and see the hypocrisy in a lot of his views, it’s the opinion of his own life.
So well written. Abbie Hoffman is hilarious and a genius.
Yeah 4-stars because I was never bored, learned so much about the movement, history and was so impressed the whole time. I think this is a valuable read for anyone interested in the 60s (obviously) and protesting. History in general, really, but mostly American history and how the revolution helped shape our modern society. Wild to think how different the world really is because of these groups of young, determined visionaries.
So well written. Abbie Hoffman is hilarious and a genius.
Yeah 4-stars because I was never bored, learned so much about the movement, history and was so impressed the whole time. I think this is a valuable read for anyone interested in the 60s (obviously) and protesting. History in general, really, but mostly American history and how the revolution helped shape our modern society. Wild to think how different the world really is because of these groups of young, determined visionaries.
November 29, 2024
Truly a balm for these times. I needed to read this right now.
Abbie Hoffman has a very distinct voice, and it comes through in his typically intelligent, charismatic, funny way. Hearing about how his love of America was born out of the struggles for civil rights and the antiwar movement felt like a really hopeful message in a time where we're all really hungry for hope. I absolutely loved delving into the intricacies of the ways the Yippies very smartly utilized theatrics, events, and, frankly - hijinks. What a fucking ride; chaotic good to the core.
I sure wish he were here today.
Abbie Hoffman has a very distinct voice, and it comes through in his typically intelligent, charismatic, funny way. Hearing about how his love of America was born out of the struggles for civil rights and the antiwar movement felt like a really hopeful message in a time where we're all really hungry for hope. I absolutely loved delving into the intricacies of the ways the Yippies very smartly utilized theatrics, events, and, frankly - hijinks. What a fucking ride; chaotic good to the core.
I sure wish he were here today.
May 6, 2019
Too many subjects to mention, too many turns of phrase to quote. After completing this book I gifted it to my newly eighteen year old nephew with hair like Abbie and just told him this: You are inheriting a world that's history is written by the victors. This guy [Hoffman] didn't necessarily win, but he did give a valiant fight for what he believed in.
OK, one quote: "Free speech is the right to shout 'Theater!' in a crowed fire." -Abbie Hoffman
OK, one quote: "Free speech is the right to shout 'Theater!' in a crowed fire." -Abbie Hoffman
July 9, 2020
I love this book so much, Abbie Hoffman is one of my heroes and I think his thoughts about activism in the 60s and 70s certainly still hold truth today. Terribly sad ending to his life that makes one realize it was dangerous to stand up to the powers that be even then, and probably more so now. But nonetheless a book I believe I will turn to for inspiration and goofy and approachable wisdom time and time again.
July 30, 2021
My dad recommended this book to me over 20 years ago and I finally got through it (on my second attempt). Most of my knowledge about the 60’s and early 70’s came from movies about and music from that era, so it was very interesting to read about it from someone who lived through it (which is an understatement). It was a nice surprise to learn that he has a connection to this little island as well.
January 13, 2019
One of the brightest and funniest voices of the Sixties tells his side of the story (up until 1980, at any rate). Not as funny as his more overtly political books, but more heartfelt. A little self-serving (and self-mythologising) in places, but hey, what autobiography isn't? Absolutely worth it for the on the ground view of the protest movements of the Sixties.
July 30, 2021
Haven’t felt this emotionally invested and inspired from a book in a long time. Now if only we had a glimpse into his emotional life because man.. the ending of his life is so painful. I will forever love and admire this man.
May 9, 2021
And then this happened, and then this happened....Laundry lists and name-dropping, which works if you know the cast of characters, otherwise, it’s boring.
July 26, 2023
Abbie, an extraordinary individual. The book delves deep into his life and achievements, offering profound insights. His presence is sorely missed.
February 14, 2025
Beautifully written and so funny everyone should read this wow
March 28, 2025
"The birth control pill and I are the most memorable things ever to come out of Worcester. At times, many locals have regretted that the pill didn't arrive sooner."
Abbie Hoffman
"The Autobiography of Abbie Hoffman" is the passionate account of the life of an eccentric American activist who brought "punk" to the protest movement. Abbie takes us on a wild journey through the tumultuous 1960s and '70s, where protests, arrests, and rebellion were the order of the day. With a sincere and self-deprecating style, he reveals his tricks, tactics, and adventures, making this book essential reading for anyone looking to understand the counterculture era.
It's an extraordinary story that will make you laugh, reflect, and likely yearn for the days when "revolution" was more than just a slogan <3
Abbie Hoffman
"The Autobiography of Abbie Hoffman" is the passionate account of the life of an eccentric American activist who brought "punk" to the protest movement. Abbie takes us on a wild journey through the tumultuous 1960s and '70s, where protests, arrests, and rebellion were the order of the day. With a sincere and self-deprecating style, he reveals his tricks, tactics, and adventures, making this book essential reading for anyone looking to understand the counterculture era.
It's an extraordinary story that will make you laugh, reflect, and likely yearn for the days when "revolution" was more than just a slogan <3
May 26, 2015
As an insider to a very convulsive part of US history, Abbie Hoffman's autobiography was interesting on an individual and holistic level of the era he occupied.
As a community organizer and eventual Yippie, he shares tales of growth from a proposition gambler, grad student to a wanted fugitive of the state and all sorts of interactions along the way. As a member of the Chicago 7/8 trial, the writing about the inside backroom details of the trial were very engaging and eye-opening re: the degree to which state, federal and intelligence parties colluded to ensure justice was maligned.
Great book for any US History course, or young adult looking to enter the fray of organizing and activism.
As a community organizer and eventual Yippie, he shares tales of growth from a proposition gambler, grad student to a wanted fugitive of the state and all sorts of interactions along the way. As a member of the Chicago 7/8 trial, the writing about the inside backroom details of the trial were very engaging and eye-opening re: the degree to which state, federal and intelligence parties colluded to ensure justice was maligned.
Great book for any US History course, or young adult looking to enter the fray of organizing and activism.
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