Buy new:
-14% $15.49
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.49 with 14 percent savings
List Price: $17.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 10. Order within 11 hrs 27 mins
Only 2 left in stock (more on the way).
$$15.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$11.85
Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
FREE delivery May 16 - 22. Details
Or fastest delivery May 10 - 14. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

James Riley
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Bad Trip: Dark Omens, New Worlds and the End of the Sixties Paperback – May 11, 2021

by James Riley (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.49","priceAmount":15.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"37JDszxzl796wpN%2FzOjHnh58K9V33G0KgdP1AR%2FDLwbKiSiNxyElndaCtOqXW0prU0h0dZUI9D%2FCC5DUShuOyaD5ZgZcIJltfRHhUp8XltQEbrLQQGHVMj1HmmvVAQImQ3D7eKzh3oXqpSPq%2Fc%2B2Qw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.85","priceAmount":11.85,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"85","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"37JDszxzl796wpN%2FzOjHnh58K9V33G0KrAFMw50sh5uZq9%2BkY1D%2BzBI5KW%2FjOzxqK7SlkE6zPApKH7EwTGKJctln6LpmIzB70SOmOvwU3VHAAGaM4MUTwT4vRHpnon0UGNYUliipDBJohd2YsvxFxDEjxvFIAiA2dUd59XndlRmablfXjWA5ZrczMz51R4dY","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

'A history that makes perfect sense when the sky is falling down.' - The Sunday Times

Beneath the psychedelic utopianism of the sixties lay a dark seam of apocalyptic thinking that seemed to rupture into violence and despair by 1969.

Literary and cultural historian James Riley descends into this underworld and traces the historical and conspiratorial threads connecting art, film, poetry, politics, murder and revolt. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Manson Family and Roman Polanski, ley-line hunters and Illuminati believers, Aldous Huxley, Joan Didion and the Beat poets, radical protest movements and occult groups all come together in Riley’s gripping narrative.

Steeped in the hopes, dreams and anxieties of the late 1960s and early ’70s, The Bad Trip tells the strange stories of some of the period’s most compelling figures as they approached the end of an era and imagined new worlds ahead.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Icon Books
  4. Publication date
    May 11, 2021
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 1 x 7.5 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    178578594X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1785785948
  9. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

From the Publisher

Beneath the psychedelic utopianism of the sixties lay a dark seam of apocalyptic thinking that seemed to rupture into violence and despair by 1969.

s

Literary and cultural historian James Riley descends into this underworld and traces the historical and conspiratorial threads connecting art, film, poetry, politics, murder and revolt. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Manson Family and Roman Polanski, ley-line hunters and Illuminati believers, Aldous Huxley, Joan Didion and the Beat poets, radical protest movements and occult groups all come together in Riley’s gripping narrative.

Steeped in the hopes, dreams and anxieties of the late 1960s and early ’70s, The Bad Trip tells the strange stories of some of the period’s most compelling figures as they approached the end of an era and imagined new worlds ahead.

x

Meet James Riley

James Riley is a Fellow of English Literature at Girton College, Cambridge, focusing on modern and contemporary literature, popular film and 1960s culture. He co-edited The 1960s: A Decade of Modern British Fiction (Bloomsbury, 2018). He also makes films and performs spoken word poetry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Dense with conspiracies, chaos and apocalyptic death drives, The Bad Trip is a history that makes perfect sense when the sky is falling down.’ -- The Sunday Times ― The Sunday Times

'While the depth of knowledge is impressive ... it's the joining of the (micro) dots linking occult energies to these events which will keep 60s obsessives up at night'

'Essential reading for enthusiasts of 1960s transatlantic counter-culture, written with verve and brio. Riley is an expert tour guide' -- Douglas Field ― Douglas Field, senior lecturer in literature, University of Manchester

'The Bad Trip is a good trip: an essay on the power of art in dark times. In our own dark times, half a century later, that’s something worth reading.' -- The Business Post ― The Business Post

'A fresh take on an altogether over-discussed, if rarely very carefully analysed, era. His chapter The Omega Men is particularly good at steering a path through cinema and publications that predicted a bleak future, or suggested how that might be averted.' -- The Herald ― The Herald

'A meticulously researched look at how the hippies' rejection of rules opened the doors to drug abuse, occultism and some very dark deeds.' -- Mark Radcliffe ― Mark Radcliffe

About the Author

James Riley is a Fellow of English Literature at Girton College, Cambridge, focusing on modern and contemporary literature, popular film and 1960s culture. He co-edited The 1960s: A Decade of Modern British Fiction (Bloomsbury, 2018). He also makes films and performs spoken word poetry.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Icon Books (May 11, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 178578594X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1785785948
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
James Riley

James Riley

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
62 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Kindle Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Pass
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
Conclusions, if any, are murky and questions unanswered. If you lived through this decade as I did and are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to remember any of it, this sociological tome is only going to annoy you. An anthropological look at the 60's would offer more insight, and be lots more fun.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Apemantus
1.0 out of 5 stars great.... only if you want to read about Peter Whitehead.
Reviewed in Italy on June 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
Beware: this book is in reality a Cambridge professor’s interpretation of ‘the sixties’. If you are expecting to read about Vietnam, Europe ‘68, US riots, and other historically vital events, forget it. A few references to these is all you’ll find - if you’re lucky. Italy or even Paris is not mentioned once. The rest is dedicated to such groundbreaking events as: a poetry reading in London, a running theme of a film made by John Lennon of a balloon ascending, and a LOT of pages detailing the life and ‘artistry’ of… Peter Whitehead (err…… yeah, exactly). No doubt the author has fun regurgitating this stuff about films and novels he thinks his students should like but I hardly think it is justified in turning this sort of self-indulgent rot into a book with such a misleading title and premise. I’m sure he’s already getting paid enough from Cambridge. Without wanting my and your hard-earned cash thank you very much.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for anyone interested in the 1960s
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
This fascinating and well researched book has been published in a timely way to coincide with the 50th anniversary of 1969 - a year where the counterculture of the 1960s reached a dark crescendo. The author takes us on a tour of the music, art, film and literature of the late 1960s in a way which is utterly engrossing. I made numerous searches whilst reading the book to film trailers and clips, art, photographs and literature, as similarly to Olivia Laing's non-fiction, Riley captures the imagination in an inspiring way, introducing the reader to key figures in 60s subculture as well as expanding knowledge of figures we already know. It will inform my understanding of the 60s films and documentaries I watch in the future, and I now have a list of further reading/ watching on this enthralling time in history. It is such an interesting and enjoyable read - highly recommended!
9 people found this helpful
 Report
Jay-Cee
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating BUT ....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
I found it an absorbing and fascinating read. The bibliography is also great for further reading on the various subjects covered. However, I could not give it 5 stars. Not only was the Beatles "Abbey Road" omitted in the prologue (as spotted by another reviewer) but the very first sentence of the first chapter contains a glaring error. "On 9th August Sharon Tate hosted a small party at 10050 Cielo Drive". In truth, Sharon Tate was murdered in the early hours of 9th August. I am sure more errors/omissions will be brought to light but, as they say, 'to err is human' so don't let this put you off buying the book.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Mr D Robertson
3.0 out of 5 stars Dark Side of the 60s
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
The title doesn't mislead. This is not a book giving a rose tinted look back at the 1960s covering the 3 Bs (Bond, Beatles and Batman). Anyone looking for the usual saccharine reviews of the period namely dolly birds, Carnaby St, E-type Jags and colourful hippies would be well advised to go elsewhere. This is very much about the dark side. It charts the early political and cultural optimism of the era that had well and truly burnt out by the end of the decade. Bookending the infamous Manson murders we get drugs, busts, deaths, political failure, broken promises, unfulfilled hopes and, in the case of Manson himself, a truly psychotic control freak. To round things off we get the chaos of Altamont, a less than favourable look at Woodstock and the break up of the Beatles.
The author certainly documents many of the events of the 60s in considerable detail, but I was left with the feeling a lot was omitted. Whilst (and obviously) Vietnam gets coverage, especially the impact the Tet Offensive had on US television audiences, there's nothing on the end of the Prague Spring as the tanks rolled in. No mention of the 6 Day War, Biafra or Mao. If dark forces swirled around the West and East coasts of America, London, Paris and Vienna, it was as nothing compared to the ultimate dark force of Mao himself. Death, suffering and almost complete socio-economic collapse on a scale beggaring belief. Whilst the author may, in fairness, argue the events of China were not widely realised or understood at the time, Mao's presence was still universal. The Beatles sang about him and every student had a copy of his Little Red Book. I still have mine in a drawer. Mao was very much part of the bad trip and his omission is, to me at any rate, inexplicable.
I'm also surprised the Spaghetti Western trilogy of Serio Leone aren't included. The author explores the 'Violence is art' movement and some of the films that came out of that school of thought are covered, but Leone brought his violent and amoral characters to the big screen with huge success. Clint Eastwood became a superstar off the back of them and is refenced through his involvement in Dirty Harry, but with no mention of his earlier role in these films. Arguably Harry was an extension of the man with no name persona that provides some insight in to the equally amoral character of Harry himself.
Whilst on the subject of characters, it seems strange Jim Morrison and The Doors don't get a look in either. The Doors were probably the most successful of the West Coast bands and they had in Morrison someone almost more Dionysian than Mick Jagger. If anyone captured the narcotic anarchy of the 60s West Coast it was Morrison. His sexuality on full display as the leather king - he was charged with exposing himself at a concert - he was the wish fulfillment of every teenage rock star wannabe. He even dabbled in poetry, yet nary a mention. Strange.
Lastly, we come to the ultimate invocation of the 60s, certainly so far as British politics is concerned. Enoch Powell and the Rivers of Blood speech. The dark energy that speech has and continues to release is colossal. It probably influenced the Brexit referendum. Look it up on YouTube and there are no end of websites screening it in part and in whole. I can't think of a political speech that has had such an impact over the last 50 years or so. For it to get no mention at all has to be the omission of the book. It's for this and the other reasons I've outlined I can only give this book a 3 star review. It is good and in many ways a worthwhile read, but it's incomplete; bit like the 60s themselves.
11 people found this helpful
 Report
Tom L.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating take on the Sixties
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
I remember (!) the 1960s and have read a lot of writing on the era. It turns out there was much more to say! I read Bad Trip in two days. It manages to convey nuances of the sixties that I haven’t seen expressed before. The book takes a fresh perspective and assumes an intelligent audience (avoiding the usual lazy clichés/lists found in much sixties writing). Refreshing to see such precise scholarship applied to this subject matter. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
 Report