Ralph Steadman Books

Ralph Steadman gives and honest, insightful and funny glimps into the work he and Hunter S. Thompson did over the years.

If your a fan of Hunter I highly recommend this book. I'ts written by his best friend, not some second hand source of filtered information,
so it's told how it is, how it was, and what really wend down on their adventures on the job.
The book is also full of Ralph's Gonzo Art - some of the very pictures Hunter requested him to draw.
I feel like I'm on Reading Rainbow right now, but this is a book I'm happy to have added to my collection.
My prop's to Amazon for the best deal I could find on the internet, Thanks.
So if you want to hear about Hunter from the man that was with him on his mission's and how that man was influenced and likewise, than this book is for you, I'ts well writted also. Peace.

I'm going to miss the good doctor. Hunter S. Thompson, with his faithful English mad man gave us the ultimate in gonzo journalism. This is Ralph's side of the love/hate partnership they shared. For the most part, he does a good job. There are some rants and he pulls off some of his own scabs from life with Hunter. The artwork is first rate and of course, that is what Ralph does best. Still, all in all, it was a good read and I recommend it for anyone who has ever been the sidekick of a huge ego or savagely bludgeoned by the wierd that has gone pro.

Ralph isn't the greatest writer ever born, but I've always enjoyed his books. This books is a great read. I gives a Ralph's eye view of Hunter. I would recommend it to anyone that has read at least 4 Thompson books... If you just read Vegas once because you liked the movie you might want to pass.

Don't get me wrong, I am no author. In fact, I am no astronaut either. Some things should be left to the pros. 'Don't write, Ralph. You'll bring shame on your family.' A pro said that and he was right.

I bought this book hoping to gain some insight into the life of a great journalist, author and legend. What I got instead was a book written by a man desperate to remind us that, without him, there would be no journalist, author or legend. 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas would be nothing without its illustrations.' Balderdash. Reading this book is kind of like going to a family reunion and watching the less coordinated, less handsome, younger brother of the captain of the football team try to catch one of his passes. We all know he has no chance, and we try to be kind as he repeatedly falls on his face. Children are entitled to kindness. Ralph isn't a child so, in this case, let's be honest. This book is poorly written. It is particularly poorly written from a grammatical standpoint (and yeah, the fact that he's Welsh is no excuse). There are times when it is nearly impossible to figure out what the hell he is talking about! Better writing and better editing would have helped a lot.

Of course this book wasn't all bad. In between patting himself on the back, or unnecessarily sounding off on his take on events like Watergate, there are some nuggets of worthwhile information in here. Too bad those nuggets aren't representative of the book as a whole.

So, in the end, do buy this book but buy it used.

Arch, witty fable very loosely based on stories about the great Australian bushrangers (outlaws, cattlerustlers) such as Ned Kelly with comical domestic and international incidents and a variety of animals, all with strong personalities, in the gang. Wonderful for children 6-11, both girls and boys. Nicely written.

From the dedication at the start of this story to the wonderful names of its characters like Euphemia(?) Chiffle, this is a deceptively clever story about Australia's past. I teach this novel to young students who appreciate just a small amount of its wit - a bit like The Simpsons. Enjoy it with any child as audience, although there is also a wonderful tape version as well.

This book is set in western Australia, The characters cosist of Midnite and his 4 animal friends Khat a very intelligent siamese cat, a very cheaky dog, Major a handsome cockatoo and red Ned Midnites trusty horse. I liked the book because it was not just blood and guts and it got more exiting and funniyer towards the end. I would recomend this book to kids aged betwween 9 to 14. It was definently one of the best books i have read and is a bloody good book.

This is a classic, funny piece of Australia children's literature that delights adults too. It has been made into a play for children's theater and puppetry.

Using iconic Aussie figures such as bushrangers and the ideal of the rebellious colonial youth that grew up without the 'civilizing' in fluences of Europe, the myths ar turned on their heads as the dim witted young hero renamed 'Captain Midnite' relies on his clever animals to help him survive once he becomes an orphan.

Try some Aussie book sites if Amazon can't track it down for you - it's a perennial favorite.

Randolph Stow also wrote adult literature and poetry focussing on the imagery of Western Australia, and Geraldton in particular. A bit dated now perhaps, but great writing. Fortunately 'Midnite' is ageless.

The story of Captain Midnight and his band of faithful (animal) followers is an absolute delight. It is one of the most wonderful children's books ever written, and all adults should share it with their children. If you don't have any children, and if you don't even like them, treat yourself to the book anyway. It's a hoot!

Our hero is a bush ranger, like a highway man, though this is almost by default, and he is a very reluctant and to a certain extent inept bad guy. The other characters are equally delightful, especially his feline confederate, the siamese cat Khat, and the depictions of the Australian bush and the times in which they live are wonderful.

It is funny, it is enchanting, and I cannot reccommend it highly enough!

This book is great. It is so beautiful. I think this book is sweet. I am fond of the author/artist.

As one who loves good literature and cats, I was eager to own this book after reading the reviews. I was disappointed with each and every page! I found the story and the 'characters' lacking both depth and interest. I am not familiar with the author, but closed the book wishing he had allowed someone else to put his sketches to word.

This book was given to me for my birthday by my wife after we had seen it in a bookstore. I've always found Steadman's work to be amazing, and he doesn't disappoint this time. From all accounts, Jones was a typical cat: supremely disdainful of everyone around him, and yet more than willing to take advantage of Hunter, et. al., when necessary. The bond between a cat and a person is never easy to describe, and yet Ralph does so with surprising ease. Those of us who are familiar with Dr Thompson and his works can easily see how he and Jones were perfect for each other. A must read for cat lovers and Hunter fans alike.

This was a very enjoyable book, especially for cat lovers. As a person who has nine inside cats, I really understand the personality of Jones and can see how he got under Ralph's skin. The drawings are wonderful, and even though I personally didn't know Jones, I felt like I did. I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who likes cats.

Jones was the cat of Hunter S. Thompson. Ralph Steadman, the artist for many of Thompson's books, was at his house on numorous occasions and made various scetches of the cat. After jones had been dead for some time and Ralph famous, this slim volume was published as a tribute.

What can I say? I like cats and I like Ralph Steadman's art. It works for me.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was veru interesting. THe drug trips scared me but allowed me to see what goes on in the real world. I felt that the literary merit was slim to none. The book is fun of description but does not really have a plot line other than just getting high and all that jazz. The author certainly has some problems and can teach what happens when you get too strung out on drugs.

There I was, wandering the various warehouse-like isles of my neighborhood bookstore hopelessly staring at the shelves of books I read in the past. Stumbling across the Hunter S. Thompson books was probably the best thing that happened to me all week. As everyone else does from time to time, I took a gamble and bought "Fear & Loathing: In Las Vegas" having heard nothing about the book, or Hunter S. Thompson prior to my purchase.

The description on the back of the book entranced me, with visions of drug-drunken anarchy. A description that upon reading, sounded so crazy and out of control that I figured the book was probably trash. The description, as great as it was, however, didn't even do justice to the book.

Have you ever dreamed about going on the road and doing just about every drug imaginable over a period of a week or two, and raising absolute hell in the city of Las Vegas? Driving around in a large red convertable, picking up hitch-hikers and scaring them worse than they scared you? And don't forget the fact that during this dream ("The American Dream" as Hunter S. Thompson describes it) you have an equally Drugged, spontaneous, crazy and armed attourney to smooth things out for you and keep you out of trouble?

This book has more action than you are prepared for, and there is never a slow or dull moment from start to finish, And will leave you back in the isles of the book store, or in this case back in front of the monitor shopping for more of Hunter S. Thompson's books. This was the first one I purchased, and ended up buying the rest of his books.

(Warning: This book contains Sex, Drugs, Rock'N'Roll, Adult situations, Explicit Language and just about anything else you could imagine on an interstate drug frenzy)

That so many people have tried to justify, make sense of and interpret Thompson's pseudo-fiction in literal terms only indicates how many asinine, clueless people have read this magnificently absurd book. All that's required when reading HST's drug-addled interpretation of his misadventures with Acosta is to simply ingest, and to set your inhibitive sense of reality aside while doing so.

In his correspondence, literature and journalism, HST ably explains how he rode the crest, slope and break of the most exciting, disheveled period in the history of American culture. His written discourse is invaluable for obtaining a clear understanding of a muddled and dynamic era, where dysfunction of many varieties constituted the norm and both the freedom afforded by a permissive society and its' technological advances were exploited for enormous personal gain. In a time when America is descending into a sanitized quagmire of mediocrity and sedation, we could only hope for so much.

The previous reviewer is what one may call a "gotard."
He feels that fear and loathing is only about drugs. He is simple minded, and can't see what is really occuring in one of the finest American novels of the later half of the 20th century. Fear and loathing in las vegas is about the search for the long lost American Dream. It is story about two men set out to find the American Dream, and they use drugs and excess as means for getting there.

This was almost too good to be true -- a new book and FAR less than what I would have paid in a book store.

Few people today remember that Ralph Steadman grew to fame for his Gonzo art that complemented some rather famous Gonzo journalism. Today, his is arguably best known for his art that complements wine bottles, as well as a number of wine books published over several decades.

In Untrodden Grapes, his latest book, we get to read and see a number of small wineries through his artist's eyes. Focusing on small but premium producers (hence the title) from around the world, Ralph intersperses his personal editorial on the state of today's wine world along with descriptions and renderings of what he's seen.

A great read for wine lovers, and well worthwhile for anyone who enjoys the intersection of memorable art and great writing.

Steadman has outdone himself with this latest book of narrative and artwork. You will be taken on a tour of the wine producing areas of the world, portraying the author's love of the drink. Each story is highlighted with artwork as further interpretation. I especially enjoyed the account of a bottle of wine's ability to transform a mountain of greasy fish, chips and extra peas at a local chip shop to a culinary masterpiece. The writing is honest, expressive, humorous and straight-forward. Those who appreciate a witty turn of phrase will be delighted. Those too drunk on wine to notice will wonder why they feel suddenly lighter.

The artwork is quintessentially Steadman. If you are not familiar with his work, you need to be sure to approach this book with an open mind - as it is not for the faint of heart. Figures can be what some would describe as ugly - maybe even grotesque, there are great splatterings of ink and often quite a bit of mayhem. But, the overall effect is intoxicating with rich colors and visually shocking contrast.

I have collected and appreciated Ralph Steadman's work for over 20 years now, and like any good wine, he just keeps getting better.

Ralph Steadman is a wonderful artistic talent. In this book he combines his love of wine, humor, and his comedic illustrations. If you are a true wine lover (i.e. someone who just doesn't take the whole wine tasting thing too seriously, but knows what she or he likes) you will thoroughly enjoy this book. It is also a wonderful gift for wine-lovin' friends.

Enjoy!

Ralph Steadman is a very wicked person. Has no respect
for nothing, this guy. Anybody who could do drawings
for Hunter Thompson couldn't possibly get serious
enough to do justice to wine, could he?

The Grapes of Ralph is a semi-serious, very funny
look at the world of wine by a guy with a truly enviable
talent for illustration. His drawings range from wistful
to wildly exaggerated. The text, which is sometimes as
funny as the drawings contains a good bit of information
along with the humor. I bought two copies, one for
the bookshelf and one to cut up and frame in the
winecellar.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005

This is a great idea, design and book. But it seems that there is just not enough space to handwrite the info (my husband has a very neat and small-lettered handwriting + he uses 0.5 pen - still not enough). If that does not bother you I definitly would RECOMEND it!

Ralph Steadman is a hoot. His maniacal view of the universe of wine lovers and wine makers is nothing short of wonderful. This is a wonderful travelogue for those who not only love a good bottle of wine, but dream of touring the vineyards that produce them and meeting the often wacky people that make the wine. I gave all my wine loving friends one of these for Christmas last year.

Along with Steadman's unique and inspiring art, this book explores the land of the weirrd....humans who once entertained the boring people with their bizarre and unusual oddities. With each tale of a sideshow star, Steadman draws us a picture and weaves an eloquent and highly entertaining story about his subject. Steadman is literate as all hell. When you're done with this be sure to check out his latest...DOODAA - a triography. No doubt this man has a bundle of fun with himself - his mind is a treasure chest of wacky good times and he seems to have a great grasp on our human reality - every inch of dystopic madness. With books like this, Steadman does his part, in keeping the rest of us sane and amused.

The stories in this book are fun documentations of abnormal individuals.

The illustrations are as dynamic and charming as you'd expect from Mr. Steadman.

It can be very hard to enjoy them, however, as the publisher has taken all of the best illustrations and buried them in the spine of the book crossing the page breaks. What the hell were they thinking?! You can tell there's a great drawing there, but you can't even see most of it without mangling the book. This is true on page after page.

Somebody who really doesn't care put this thing together slap-dashedly. It's a shame. It makes the whole thing not worthwhile.

This book is not just a worthy purchase because of the Steadman artwork. The short stories and accounts of the faboulously odd fellows and delightfully abnormal ladies would make this book a definite keeper even if there were no pictures. But add the refreshingly unique artwork to the equally interesting tales and you have a book that you'll pull off the shelf more than once. I also like that this book is somewhat oversized, which means the reader can appreciate the artwork on a more grand scale. Also, if you don't have the time or the energy to read a book from front to back in one sitting, this is an ideal book for you because it is full of short stories that you could walk away from for months and come right back to without having to remember a thing.

I was initiated into the face of Yankee public power through the pages of the then(1970s) radical & radiating music rag, Rolling Stone. And no one tapped the arteries of power gone awry more than the curious & formiable coupling of Hunter S Thompson & Ralph Steadman. Steadman's career seemed allied to Thompson's throughout the 70s, their frenzies wedded to Nixon's political campaigns, & cavorts with Hell's Angels. Occasionally, tucked away in Letters To The Editor, we sampled Steadman's bizarre philosophy in erratically numbered,'Gardening hints.' For a suitably distorted biography of the guy, his 'Between the Eyes' is an excellent primer. You'll see he names the German dadaists as his forebears. George Grosz springs to mind. But Ronald Searle & the Goons lurk midst his mordant wit. 'I Leonardo', 'Sigmund Freud','Alice In Wonderland' list amongst his achievements. His is an ego that needs larger than life subjects to vent his rage. It comes as something of a relief to find him in less than overdrive with the hilarious & intimately observed collection,'Dog's Bodies.' It's a manual on coping with dogs: the full Heinz catastrophe, & should be available with your mutt's licence. If, like me, you've been intimidated by dogs, felt their rabid fangs in your flesh, or had your sleep reduced by their lunitic howling, you'll revel in Steadman's advice for doggy discipline. His signature splatter techniques & ejaclatory ink-blobs often proclaim a defiance to a hostile world. These marks find a natural target in the scumbag arena of Dogland.

Psychogeography in its contemporary manifestation owes much to the 1950s situationists from the Left Bank of Paris believing (this was after several carafes of vin de table) that by traversing the city on foot they could bring down the micro climate structures of capitalism - the pod like enclaves of home, train and office and instigate the revolution.

They failed. But Guy Debord, a founder member of this group, with his seminal text 'The Society of the Spectacle' laid the foundations for a Marxist interpretation of modern life as a chimera, mediated through the lens of the media and technology, so nothing is real any more.

Will Self, himself a long time lancer of contemporary societal virtues and mores, tries to reorient himself eotechnically amongst the modern climate of car and aeroplane. (For an interesting exposition of this concept, check out his google lecture on the subject, available easily via, er, google). He walks, not in the standard fashion - rugged Appalachian trail, romantic sunset beach - but amongst the Ballardian structures of urban life - the motorways, industrial estates, retail boulevards and urban hinterlands, traditionally neglected by the visually snobbish flaneur.

Starting out, he details a walk he took aiming to fuse the twin parts of his psyche - his base in Vauxhall, South London, and his mother's homeland, New York. He walks from South London to Heathrow, flies business class to New York - giving opportunity for a delicious metaphor of forming a cupola with fellow traveller 'anonymous lovers spent by mercantile soixante-neuf' - and walks from JFK to the centre of Manhattan accompanied by several members of the great and good of New York literary society who become puzzlingly engaged in the walk (and cop quite a few blisters on the way).

The rest of the book consists of bite sized articles from Well Self's Independent newspaper 'Psychogeography' column. A vast array of points on the globe are covered: Morocco, Ohio, Barcelona, Dublin, Rio (though not so much east of Suez). Reading these pieces as a collection you pick up a sense of how the flow of the column works: Self visits a place, often in the context of a book tour, or a family trip, or sometimes - as in the case of a visit to the Buncefield oil depot leak - purely his own curiousity. Once there he puts out his imaginative and surrealist feelers to get a sense of how the architecture, landscape and people of a place rub him up and affect his sense of psyche. Hence the pieces in urban areas are written in a more boiler plated, grittier style, with appropriate metaphors than those in cleaner, sparsely populated areas. The resulting text is often far more surreal, and studded with more references to contemporary culture, architecture, politics (anything that fills Self's voluminous memory) than you could probably imagine.

Generally, the book is an entertaining coffee table work, full of well written, 'glib satires' as Self terms them. They are generally not his greatest journalistic performances. Sometimes he draws up a keen sense of psyche and place, at other times clearly nothing much is happening and Self draws on his vast memory reserves to regale us with a tale from his myriad past. The writing is always fresh and pungent and the illustrations by Ralph Steadman - engorged, satirical grotesques in the spirit of Dali - are ideal accompaniments.