New book! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

’Dear sir or madam, will you read my book?’

This is a personal post from this site’s creator, Joe. I’m very proud to present my first book. It’s a full-length biography called Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs, and is available as a paperback (364 pages) and ebook (super low price). Click here to order.

It has eleven chapters, covering the following: alcohol, tobacco and speed; cannabis; LSD; the decline of Brian Epstein; cocaine; heroin; the police raids, arrests and court cases; and chapters on each of their solo years. From the 1950s to the present day, this is the full story.

Who gave the drugs to the Beatles? I didn’t invent those things. I bought it from someone who got it from somebody. We never invented the stuff.
John Lennon


Riding So High charts the Beatles’ extraordinary odyssey from teenage drinking and pill-popping, to cannabis, LSD, the psychedelic Summer of Love and the darkness beyond.

Drugs were central to the Beatles’ story from the beginning. The acid, pills and powders helped form bonds, provided escape from the chaos of Beatlemania, and inspired colossal leaps in songwriting and recording. But they also led to break-ups, breakdowns, drug busts and prison.

Riding So High: The Beatles and Drugs ebook and paperback

The only full-length study of the Beatles and drugs, Riding So High tells of getting stoned, kaleidoscope eyes, excess, loss and redemption, with a far-out cast including speeding Beatniks, a rogue dentist, a script-happy aristocratic doctor, corrupt police officers and Hollywood Vampires. ‘The deeper you go, the higher you fly…’

Whether you’re a stoner, straight-edge or somewhere in between, you won’t want to miss this. Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs. By the creator of the Beatles Bible. 113,408 words. 9 October 2017. Click here to order.

Page last updated: 14 February 2024

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25 thoughts on “New book! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs”

  1. Just picked up the ebook, so far really enjoying it. I think the focus on the drug related experiences of the Beatles is a unique topic that I’m glad to have in my library 🙂

  2. I just finished the book and it was so much better than I thought it might be. It was a truly enjoyable read. I’ve read more than a few books on the Beatles and this ranks up there with the best of them
    Thanks Joe

  3. I recommend the book. Informative, enjoyable read, and not sensationalistic at all (which, given the focus, it could have easily been).

    1. Hi Brian. Thanks for your interest in my book.

      I’m sorry you don’t like Amazon. I self-published this book, and it’s a print-on-demand title made via their CreateSpace service. For all their flaws as a company they do make it easy for new writers to publish and distribute books, and that’s why I went with them.

      There are some copies of Riding So High on third-party reseller sites, including AbeBooks, though they might just order a copy from Amazon and dropship it to the buyer. Also be aware that some sites like Book Depository are owned by Amazon.

  4. Hi Joe – just wanted to let you know that I finished your excellent book this evening. What an interesting angle to take on the fabs’ story. You managed to bring a very new perspective to a well told tale. And for once, no factual or historical inaccuracies to let a good Beatles book down. I had no idea John and George took their first (unintentional) acid trip so early. So many other great nuggets in there. Recommended reading for sure. Best wishes.

  5. Sir, I just wanted to compliment you on an outstandingly readable, well-researched, fun as all get-out book. I ordered it on a whim and was impressed beyond reason. You need to write another…several others. Truly an “I-couldn’t-put-this-down” read, which will have a permanent spot on my Beatles’ book shelf.

  6. Joe,
    Sorry to contact you this way. I couldn’t find a direct means to reach you.
    Congrats on your book release! I will be ordering it and look forward to reading your work. I’ve long enjoyed your website.
    I’m soon to be publishing a fiction novel with Beatles songs and lore central to the plot. I’ve just secured rights to song lyrics used in the book and I’m scheduled to publish later this year with a local publisher. I’m interested in 1) having you read and review my manuscript if interested and 2) buying ad space on your Beatles Bible website. I’ve reviewed your ad link but before I upload creative I’d like to speak or correspond with you regarding my questions.
    Daniel Hoffmann

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