On the Bus: The Complete Guide to the Legendary Trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and the Birth of the Counterculture [Paperback]

Paul Perry (Author), Michael Schwartz (Editor), Neil Ortenberg (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

The fabled 1964 cross-country bus trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters - on a psychedelically painted school bus crammed with amplifiers, cameras, costumes, and assorted contraband as cargo and Beat legend Neal Cassady at the wheelmarked the irreversible end of the "Eisenhower Era, " and set an American cultural revolution in motion. On the Bus is a celebration of the unforgettable exploits of the Merry Pranksters, immortalized in Tom Wolfe's bestselling book. In this engrossing popular history, the spirit of the era is captured in a remarkable living chronicle, combining analysis and history with colorful additional narrative by Kesey sidekick Ken Babbs. It features over 100 never-before-seen photos by Prankster photographer Ron Bevirt, Allen Ginsberg, and others, alongside candid and insightful interviews with participants and leading countercultural figures.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the effort to offer a "complete guide" to the legendary psychedelic bus trip taken by Kesey and 13 other "pranksters" in 1964, this book lacks only a bound-in tab of LSD-25 to make it the real thing. Candid and whacky photos taken during the trip convey a generation's abandonment to drug-induced ecstasy in a way that words cannot--although words there are aplenty here. Interviews with participants and witnesses, a hybrid essay/fantasy by prankster Babbs, excerpts from Tom Wolfe 's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test attempt to capture the unruly energies of a motley but winning crew. Of most interest to serious fans of those days are the interviews by Perry (former editor of Running magazine), in which, for example, the literary origins of Kesey's band in Palo Alto--Larry McMurtry, Robert Stone, Gordon Lish, Wallace Stegner at nearby Stanford--are restored to the myth. (Stone's refusal to aggrandize the "birth of counterculture"--"Still, we were rather pleased with ourselves. . . . We kept our world small"--is a nice counterbalance to the broader claims made elsewhere.) Perry's careful reconstruction of the nine-city trip has its wonders, too, such as the meeting with a surly, intoxicated Jack Kerouac who, upon seeing a "throne" prepared for him by the Pranksters with an American flag draped over it, "mute and quiet . . . took the flag and folded it up neatly and put it over the side."
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Pr; 2 Sub edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156025114X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560251149
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About Paul (Contact: [e-mail])
Paul Perry (www.paulperryproductions.com)is the co-author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Closer to the Light, Transformed by the Light and Saved by the Light, which was made into a popular movie by Fox-TV. His work has appeared in National Geographic Adventure, Outside Magazine, Reader's Digest, and several other popular periodicals. His books have been published in more than 30 languages around the world.

In 1986 Paul's interest in the effects and meaning of near-death experiences led him to a professional involvement with Dr. Raymond Moody, considered to be the founder of near-death studies. The two have written five books together (Paranormal, Glimpses of Eternity, The Light Beyond, Coming Back and Reunions). All tolled he has written or co-written 10 books on the subject of near-death experiences, four of which have become New York Times bestsellers.

Paul is also a documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on worldwide television. His best known film, Jesus, the Lost Years was first the subject of a book he wrote for Random House, Jesus in Egypt, which follows the trail believed to be used by the Holy Family as they fled into Egypt to escape the murderous soldiers of King Herod. He returned to Egypt to produce and direct Visions and Miracles: Out of the Land of Egypt, a documentary film that chronicles modern visions that are confirmed by film or video or with scientific evidence, as with miraculous healings (www.visionsandmiracles.com). His most recent documentary, AFTERLIFE, tackles the fascinating subject of near-death experiences and interviews scientists who have researched proof of a life after death. It also features a number of people who have died and returned to tell their astounding stories (www.paulperryproductions.com).

Paul is a graduate of Arizona State University and a former fellow at the prestigious Gannett Center for Media Studies at Columbia University in New York City. He taught magazine writing at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, and was Executive Editor at American Health magazine, a winner of the National Magazine Awards for General Excellence. Since becoming a full-time writer, Paul has written or co-written more than books on a variety of subjects, from the paranormal to piracy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is just great, December 31, 2001

By 

[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Beaumont, tx USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: On the Bus: The Complete Guide to the Legendary Trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and the Birth of the Counterculture (Paperback)

this was just great. for those of us who couldn't be there for perry lane, the bus trip, or the acid tests, this is a great account of the time. you don't realize how important kesey was to the movement until you read this. on the bus is really a quick bio of kesey. it helps you to understand how kesey took over where kerouac left off. you really feel as if you know kesey and neal after finishing this book. if you are a bohemian, beat, hippie, or any combination, then this is the book to get.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any who wishes to travel further..., March 20, 2000

By 

Jennifer Hirst (Allentown, Penna.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Bus: The Complete Guide to the Legendary Trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and the Birth of the Counterculture (Paperback)

Anyone who is a Kesey fan MUST read this book. It is basically the photo album which correlates with Wolfe's Electric Kool-Ade Acid Test. It gives more insight into the minds of the pranksters and others. I highly recommend this book to any who is interested in the counterculture. The book as well as the trip are truly legendary.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Lots of Pictures of the Pranksters, June 19, 2001

By 

Stephen W. McGregor (Hannibal, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the Bus: The Complete Guide to the Legendary Trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and the Birth of the Counterculture (Paperback)

I bought the book after reading Electric Kool-Aide Acid Test for the third time. I really wanted to know more about what Mountain Girl, Cassidy, Gretchin Fetchin, and Babbs looked like, and scenes from the Trip. What a great book. I would recommend it to anyone who is reading, has read, or will be reading the book, Electric Kool-Aide Acid Test. This would be a great companion as your were reading it, and were exposed to the characters in the book.