Great news in these difficult times!!
Volume 1 of the two volume story of the life of the legendary Jake Sawyer is now available on Amazon.com. Just enter “Jake, Hells Angel” and you’ll be all set to rock!!
- A patch-wearing member of the Hells Angels in the classic 1960’s Hell’s Angels era.
- The first Hells Angel from the State of Maine.
- Rose to the top of the prisoner hierarchy at San Quentin and Lewisberg Federal Penitentiary.
- Health and physical fitness guru to champion body builders.
- Inspirational life coach to people from all walks of life.
“Jake” is a two-volume, picture-rich book adaptation of the serialization of the remarkable life of local legend Jake Sawyer that appeared in consecutive monthly Issues of the Bollard (now the Mainer) magazine from May, 2016, to October, 2018.
The editor and publisher of the Bollard, Chris Busby, says that the Jake series was the most popular feature in the fifteen year history of his magazine, which reaches tens of thousands of readers throughout southern Maine. Readers of the Bollard were informed that the series would be appearing in book form, and that it would have stories and photos from Jake’s life that didn’t appear in the magazine series, so we know that there is an incredibly high degree of interest in the book on their part.
The phrase “friends in high and low places” aptly describes the demographics of what might be referred to as Jake’s “public.” Some readers of the series have said that they hadn’t read a book , or even a magazine article, since high school, but that they “absolutely couldn’t wait” for “Jake” to come out. But then there are other readers of the series who read a great deal and are equally as excited about the book.
Indeed, there is something for everyone in “Jake.” There are those who are very interested in the fact that Jake was the first Hells Angel from Maine, and that he did time in lock-ups like San Quentin and Lewisberg Federal Penetentiary. They were also intrigued by Jake’s having stolen a million dollars of confiscated marijuana that the feds had stored at the Coast Guard base in South Portland. That he did it essentially on a dare, rather than for the money, definitely adds to the intrigue of it all.
Readers of the Bollard series were also captivated by Jake’s high adventures that took place at local spots around the area that they are very familiar with. Jake started the first health club in Maine where Aura nightclub is now located, for instance. And his hilarious account of a business he ran in downtown Portland that catered to the needs of high-society matrons, named Mystique Figure Wrap, completely captivated readers.
One of the key reasons for the high interest in Jake’s life story is the seeming contradictory elements that make up his life. He was an outlaw biker, but he graduated with honors from Kent’s Hill prep school. And when he was sentenced to San Quentin, unlike any other prisoner there, he had never been in any other jail before. The contrasts and inconsistencies in Jake’s life go on and on and never fail to intrigue the reader.
The circumstances of Jake’s parole from San Quentin illustrates the range of people Jake has interacted with throughout his life. He was doing what he refers to as “life on the installment plan” when he was paroled through the interventon of the very well-known and much respected Portland attorney and local talk show host, Harold Pachious, who knew Jake when he was growing up in South Portland, where his father was the City
Manager
Then there is the segment of the local population that is very interested in health and physical fitness. Jake managed health clubs in California for legendary individuals like Jack LaLanne and Vic Tanney, and later returned to Portland and trained people who eventually won national and international body building competitions, and are now among those who are eagerly awaiting the publication of his life story in book form.
Local music and poetry enthusiasts also are very interested in the stories Jake tells in the book about when he was a Hells Angel and interacted with celebrities like Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Allan Ginsberg, and Neal Cassidy.
Jake’s life has been more than just one high adventure after another, though. In the introduction to the Bollard series he says that the reason that he wants his story out there is not to burnish his reputation, but to let people know what a life lived going right straight for the gusto every time looks like. As the writer of the series, I have heard from people from all walks of life who say that they were motivated and inspired by Jake’s life in a way that took them completely by surprise, and they too are eagerly awaiting the publication of “Jake.”
You can learn more about Jake Sawyer on his Facebook page.
Book available on Amazon, Hardcover and Ebook and Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jake-cliff-gallant/1136825067?ean=9781950381289
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