Book Details

The fabled 1964 cross-country bus trip of Ken Kesey & the Merry Pranksters-on a psychedelically painted school bus crammed with amplifiers, cameras, costumes, & assorted contraband as cargo & Beat legend Neal Cassady at the wheel-marked the irreversible end of the "Eisenhower Era," & set an American cultural revolution in motion. On the Bus, by Paul Perry, 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 & 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, & others, alongside candid & insightful interviews with participants & leading countercultural figures. In addition to forewords by Hunter S. Thompson, Jerry Garcia, & Ken Kesey, On the Bus features commentary by Ron "Hassler" Bevirt, William S. Burroughs, Malcolm Cowley, Ram Dass, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jerry Garcia, Allen Ginsberg, Wavy Gravy, Denise "Mary Microgram" Kaufmann, Ken Kesey, Steve "Zonker" Lambrecht, Timothy Leary, Gordon Lish, Ed McClanahan, Gurney Norman, Lee Quarnstrom, Robert Stone, & Hunter S. Thompson.