John Higgs’ excellent biography of Tim Leary, I Have America Surrounded, has just been released in the UK (release in the US scheduled for September). The book takes a look at the amazing life of one of the 20th centuries most controversial figures:
A brilliant Harvard psychologist, Leary was sacked because of his research into LSD and other psychedelic drugs. He went on to become the global figurehead of the 1960s drug culture, coin the phrase “tune in, turn on and drop out”, and persuade millions of people to take drugs and explore alternative lifestyles, yet, the tremendous impact of his ‘scandalous’ research has been so controversial that it has completely overshadowed the man himself and the details of his life. Few people realise that Timothy Leary’s life is one of the greatest untold adventure stories of the twentieth century. Timothy Leary led a life of unflagging optimism and reckless devotion to freedom. It was, in the words of his goddaughter Winona Ryder, ‘not just epic grandeur but flat-out epic grandeur.’ Leary’s life is undoubtedly one of the greatest untold adventure stories of the twentieth century and this book presents it for the first time in all its uncensored glory.
I’ve been reading through an advance copy already, great stuff. You can pick up a copy of the book, no matter where you live, via Amazon UK. And remember that John contributed an article on Leary’s affinity with Aleister Crowley to Issue 4 of Sub Rosa, which you can download freely from the SR website.
