A book written about Peter James or “Big Pete” the boss of the Outlaws. James with the help of the author takes you through his life starting out as a kid in school and how an uncle had a real profound effect on him which changed him for the future. This would lead him to eventually into life with the Outlaws. He would be a boss after “Taco Bowman” was in prison who was said to still be the big boss. Big Pete goes into a lot of different activities some he started some he took over. He also wants each chapter to go separate. As much as I found this to be a good read, I don’t know how much of the total is true, true MC usually doesn’t give out business, but maybe times have changed. Overall well written and entertaining.

Very good book about a biker and his days. You will either like him or dislike him. James to me was very honest about his journey (the good, bad and the ugly) and this will hold your interest. The book does jump a bit which at times can make reading it frustrating. Overall, a good read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

BIKER BUSINESS

There has been a love hate relationship with the world of outlaw motorcycle gangs since their inception with returned vets taking to bikes after WWII. The original gangs morphed from a group of guys who loved the freedom of the road and the camaraderie they’d enjoyed in the military to gangs that were into criminal pursuits. The one percenters, one percent of the population that didn’t play by the normal rules, changed and became some of the largest criminal organizations there were.

Two gangs led this lifestyle, the most famous being the Hells Angels because of the movies based around them. But just as dangerous were the Outlaws, based more in the Midwest than the left coast. Both gangs were enemies and tangled often. The story of the Outlaws is told to us through the eyes of Peter “Big Pete” James, the one-time leader of the Outlaws in the Chicago area.

James tells the story of how he rose to this position, basing much of his methods on how businesses operate rather than how one would expect a gang to work. Through various means of manipulation as well as adapting to the rough and tumble lifestyle that was expected of him in the gang, he talks of how he rose from the bottom of the pile to the top.

James has a tough talking sensibility in now he tells his story, a no nonsense attitude that reveals a violent nature to the way he lived and the choices he made. There is no sympathetic character involved in this story. The world in which he chose to live consisted of criminals who had no problem attacking and beating or sometimes killing members of other motorcycle gangs. This is his story and his alone. What went on behind the scenes in his attempt to move up the ladder.

The book was an interesting read and easy to follow. It was straightforward and always on point. This may not be a lifestyle many of us would choose and reading the books would make that more clear than ever. It does give us the chance to see what that world and lifestyle is like though.

This is an exciting, action packed biker book written by Kerrie Droban about "Big Pete" Peter James of the Chicago Outlaws, laying out his glory days with his guys in the hoods. They kicked a lot of ass and were involved in all kinds of craziness that went on. A good read if you like the inside story on biker gangs and books on true crime. Give it a look. I was given an ARC of this book to review by NetGalley and the publisher.

Peter James comes across as a brutal, violent 1% biker, probably with enough issues to keep a team of psychiatrists busy for years. But he is also intelligent, cunning, and a businessman at heart. Kerrie Droban and Big Pete himself tell their story of trying to run a motorcycle club in Chicago despite any number of challenges. While the tactics and actions are certainly different, any modern businessman could see the problems of market share, growth, attracting and maintaining good employees, dealing with complex regulations, and trying to keep interpersonal issues among key executives from blowing up.

=== The Good Stuff ===

* James is a serious student of his chosen profession, and even audited college classes on philosophy, logic and negotiating. And he was willing and able to use those skills to launch and build a motorcycle club empire. Of course he also had a few other tools in his arsenal, including fists, brass knuckles and likely more. His workday seemed an interesting mix of developing business plans, ordering beatdowns and violence, and dealing with infantile, but dangerous, associates.

* For a guy that you hope you never run into, James is remarkably open and honest about his life- at least certain parts of it. For example his wife is a legitimate businesswoman, and yet isn’t above carrying a knife and standing up for herself in some pretty rough company. He is honest with his frustrations, such as dealing with a “corporate” rulebook which was mostly written by anarchists. As a reader with almost nothing in common, I could almost feel myself empathizing with the guy.

* James doesn’t sugarcoat the types of people he deals with, and is honest about their levels of violence and intellect. For example, when attending the Bike Week Event in Sturgis, a member of the Outlaws club found the group a campsite on low ground surrounded by mountains—perfect spots for Hell’s Angels snipers to set up shop. He relates the group getting lost on their way to a fellow club member’s funeral, and then having to stop for gas during the memorial parade. You can’t help but snicker.

* While certainly not a complete life story, I did get a feel for both the rise and fall of the motorcycle empire James tried to create.


=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===

* I am willing to put the blame on me as the reader, but half of the time in the book, I really didn’t know what was going on. There are a number of named characters, who seem to be referred to by different names at times. The language was full of innuendo and vague references, and stories picked up and stopped at random places. I also suspect a lawyer, or at least someone with good legal instincts, read over the book to make sure that nothing that was said directly incriminated anyone.

* I had hoped the book would end with a little soul-searching. Leading a motorcycle club is hard work, and it was tough to figure out just how well it paid or what rewards it provided. James obviously had the intelligence and the leadership qualities to go far in either the criminal or the legitimate sector, and I wondered whether he ever pondered his life choices. Would have made an interesting close to the book.

=== Summary ===

* Despite the drawbacks, I enjoyed the book and never put it down once I started reading it. There are certainly some parts of which I would have like to have been written differently, but there was certainly enough information to hold my interest. True crime fans will no doubt enjoy it, especially if you have an interest in motorcycle clubs. With a little polish, it would make an excellent business school case study.

I was looking forward to reading this book. My career required me to be aware of and fluent in different criminal gangs. I always found motorcycle gangs to be of the most interesting variety. Thus, a chance to get insight into the "Outlaws" appealed to me very much.
Unfortunately, this isn't the book for that. The writing is terrible. Hard to follow, disjointed, it reads like someone with ADD wrote it. The author will start one story, morph it into another unrelated story, or worse yet, just drop it midway through.
The book is seriously in need of a major rewrite. Disappointing!

Big Pete is a character! He chose the life of a criminal and he was good at it. College-educated, gun-wielding, motorcycle-riding, Boss. He details how he decided to become a member of the much feared, Outlaw bike group. They are violent and scary yet have a very structured internal system, complete with hierarchy, fees, fines, and rules... many, many rules. Big Pete starts out as a probationary member, and quickly rises to a very important position at the top. It is fascinating to learn how the club is organized. He is quite honest about his flaws as well as the guilt he felt about things his wife had to deal with and do as part of the organization. I would recommend this book to others. The only suggestion I have is to give more information at the end. I don't want to provide a spoiler, so no details here, but by the end, I grew to really care about Big Pete and would have liked more information about his health issues what toll that took on his family.