The Brotherhood of Eternal Love: From Flower Power to Hippie Mafia: The Story of the LSD Counterculture (Paperback)

by Stewart Tendler (Author), David May (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This is a reprint of the authors' 1984 exploration of the drug underground of the 1960s, which has become known as a classic in its field. Crime reporter Tendler and journalist May combined to produce one of the first extensive and in-depth histories of LSD, from its discovery by Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman in 1943, through various efforts by the CIA in the 1950s in their search for the ultimate truth serum, through its manufacture and distribution into the Hippie communities of the 1960s by psychedelic supporters such as Augustus Owsley III, Grateful Dead-patron and master drug manufacturer. But while the media of the time focused on Timothy Leary as the main proponent of LSD, Tendler and May focus on the real key players: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, a group of young drifters based in Laguna Beach, Calif., who started out as "missionaries" spreading the gospel of altered consciousness into big-business drug distributors who by the mid-1970s had reaped "$200 million through an estimated membership of 750 people." Through solid reporting-and including new material and interviews-the authors chart the Brotherhood's expansion from California to Hawaii to Afghanistan, and its pursuit by international narcotics police, in what still remains a great combination of social history and true crime suspense.
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Product Description

First released in 1984, this book became an instant bestseller, and later on, a cult classic. Now updated and containing new material, it tells a brilliantly researched story of a group of idealists fascinated by the potential of LSD to improve the quality of life. Called a hippie mafia by police, The Brotherhood of Eternal Love came to symbolize the rise of LSD, the growth of the psychedelic movement, and the heady, optimistic, revolutionary days of the 1960s.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cyan Communications; 2nd edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904879950
• ISBN-13: 978-1904879954
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #546,348 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Brotherhood of Eternal Love -- A Key History, October 11, 2007

By	Anonymous Reviewer "C. Karma" (Phoenix AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to gain insight into how the psychedelic movement of the 1960s and 70s developed. It suffers from a cop's-eye-view similar to that of Vicent Bugliosi's well-known "Helter Skelter," but it remains so far the only serious examination of this loosely knit group that became so influential in the movement.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Story, March 8, 2009

By	Stephen C. Thompson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had heard about this case before, but never read such a wide reaching, comprehensive review of the case. Very well done!

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as it should be, March 27, 2008

By	B. Jones "leafy green" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great story that isn't told well. The writing is ponderous, the structure weak. It feels sloppy. I can't verify the accuracy of their story but since the "background" chapters contain inaccuracies (The Fugs were not a west coast band) I suspect the accuracy of the whole book.

I guess this is a good book if you've never read anything about Leary or the psychedelic movement. Or if you are a completist. There's a better account of the story of the Brotherhood in an LA Weekly article that you can find on the web. The recent Leary biography does a better job telling the story of Leary's involvement with the Brotherhood.