HOLIDAYS IN HELL

O'Rourke, self-styled ""Republican Party Reptile"" (as he titled his last collection of humorous pieces), now takes us on a well-lubricated tour of hell--all those hot-spots around the world that saner sorts avoid like plague. In true gonzo fashion, as Rolling Stone's ""International Affairs Desk Chief,"" O'Rourke staggers around the fringe of the story, whether he's in war-tom Lebanon or post-revolutionary Manila. We haven't seen subjective journalism of this high-octane, full-tilt lunatic kind since Hunter Thompson in his heyday. And even the Dr. never demonstrated the combination of guts and goofiness that O'Rourke displays on this guided tour through South Korea (""a whole nation of people who did their homework on Friday night""); Poland (""Life behind the Iron Curtain is like living with your parents forever--literally""); Nicaragua (""There are probably more fact-facting tours of Nicaragua right now than there are facts""); Panama; and the Phillipines. In his ""Third World Driving Hints and Tips,"" O'Rourke shrewdly reminds us, ""never look where you're going--you'll only scare yourself."" When not getting plastered abroad, this rock-and-roll Mencken visits some domestic nightmares, such as Heritage, U.S.A., where ""retried Jesus-wheezing TV preachers"" have been stepping on his turf--sexual frolics and drug blasts. At Epcot Center, we visit the future as only corporate America could ill-conceive it; and at the Gipper-Gorber summit in D.C., we witness a strange sobriety in the nation's capital. Whether bashing Euro-weenies or seeing Soweto through a hangover, O'Rourke brings international reporting to new' highs--of the substance-abuse kind--and certifiable lows, with countless yucks on every page.