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

~ (Author), Michael Schwartz (Editor), Neil Ortenberg (Editor) "Where did the "psychedelic revolution" begin?..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Francisco, New York, Neal Cassady (more...)

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 Description

The setting is the 1960s with the Psychedelic Revolution as the backdrop. Twenty youths crossed America in a psychedelically painted school bus for an entire month. This legendary trip's 25th anniversary is a rare document of a nation in transition. 16 color, 75 black-and-white photos. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press; 2 Sub edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156025114X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560251149
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,018,132 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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

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)

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.