’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.
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.
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.
Also on this day...
- 2023: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston
- 2020: Celebrations take place for John Lennon’s 80th birthday
- 2015: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver
- 2013: Paul McCartney live: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, New York
- 2011: Sir Paul McCartney marries Nancy Shevell
- 2010: Photograph of John Lennon is projected onto Liverpool’s Albert Dock
- 2010: “And the world will be as one”: Global tributes take place for John Lennon’s 70th birthday
- 2010: Yoko Ono requests a million tweets for John Lennon
- 2009: Yoko Ono unveils Imagine Peace Tower in Second Life
- 2002: Paul McCartney live: Savvis Center, St Louis
- 2000: Tributes for John Lennon’s 60th birthday
- 1998: Yoko Ono dedicates a tree to John Lennon in Strawberry Fields
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
- 1990: Imagine is broadcast around the world
- 1989: Paul McCartney live: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
- 1988: John Lennon tributes are broadcast on US television
- 1985: Strawberry Fields is opened in Central Park, New York City
- 1984: Yoko Ono donates $90,000 to Strawberry Field in Liverpool
- 1981: John Lennon statue is unveiled in Los Angeles
- 1980: John Lennon’s 40th birthday
- 1979: John Lennon’s 39th birthday party, Tavern On The Green, New York
- 1978: John Lennon’s 38th birthday party, Tavern On The Green, New York
- 1976: John Lennon’s 36th birthday
- 1975: Sean Lennon is born
- 1971: John Lennon’s all-star 31st birthday party in Syracuse, New York
- 1971: Yoko Ono’s art exhibition This Is Not Here opens in Syracuse, New York
- 1970: Recording: Remember by John Lennon
- 1970: John Lennon sees his father Alf for the final time
- 1969: Yoko Ono is taken to hospital in London
- 1968: Recording, mixing: The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill, Long Long Long, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
- 1967: John Lennon’s 27th birthday
- 1966: John Lennon celebrates his 26th birthday in Spain
- 1965: The Beatles celebrate John Lennon’s 25th birthday
- 1964: The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Bradford
- 1963: Radio: The Ken Dodd Show
- 1962: The Beatles promote Love Me Do in London
- 1961: John Lennon celebrates his 21st birthday with Paul McCartney in Paris
- 1960: The Beatles live: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
- 1956: John Lennon’s 16th birthday
- 1940: John Lennon is born
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Awesome Joe ! Wish you success with this book !
Thank you!
I know what I want for Xmas from Amazon this year….
Good luck Joe. When is your book signing in Houston, Texas?
Haha! If you pay for my accommodation and return ticket from the UK, I’ll fly over to you!
I’ll definitely buy it because you have it in ebook format! Otherwise I wouldn’t buy.
Godspeed Joe!
Hello,i just wonder why the book didnt ship yet,i order it a week ago and nothing go further,hope ill get it.
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 🙂
Got the book brought to Mexico by a friend who was in Tucson. Just read the Introduction and got completely hooked. Thank you, Joe!
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
I recommend the book. Informative, enjoyable read, and not sensationalistic at all (which, given the focus, it could have easily been).
Thank you HarvG! I’m glad you liked it.
can I buy this book anywhere other than Amazon.
I would love to buy it but do not like using Amzon.
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.
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.
Got it, read it, very good book! Write more! 🙂
Excellent book, sir!!
Joe, Just finished reading your book and loved it. A fantastic read!
Thank you!
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.
That’s really very kind of you! Thank you so much 🙂
A great addition to my Beatles library ?
Well I wrote it, so I’m biased, but I believe the reviews on Amazon are pretty positive 🙂
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
Hi Daniel. Alas, I don’t have time to read manuscripts or review copies, but best of luck with the book. Here’s the link for buying ad space, but I’m afraid I don’t deal with any of it directly.