Tripped

“The strengths of Ohler’s account lie not only in the rich array of rare documents he mines and the archival images he reproduces to accompany the text, but also in his character studies… Ohler effectively captures Hitler’s pathetic dependence on his doctor and the bizarre intimacy of their bond…Blitzed makes for provocative reading.” - New York Times Book Review on Blitzed

A fascinating book about the battle for LSD, which shines a light on the relationship between antagonistic powers, secret services, and the medical industry. An astonishing read, with remarkably vivid protagonists.” - Harald Jähner, author of Aftermath

“A brilliant exposé of how Dr. Albert Hofmann’s epic discovery of LSD got lost in the ensuing War on Drugs and the corollary, its misuse for mind control, which hurt him personally and has hampered investigation into the potential therapeutic and spiritual benefits of the pharmaceutical.” - Professor Carl Ruck, coauthor of The Road to Eleusis

“Norman Ohler’s fascinating study involves Nazis, the CIA, and LSD in an engaging narrative that provides a mind-altering history of ‘brain warfare’ and exposes the Cold War psychedelic fantasies of many within the US scientific and intelligence communities. A must-read for those interested in understanding the apocalyptic mindset of the nascent superpower rivalry.” - Edward B. Westermann, author of Drunk on Genocide

“With cracking prose, Norman Ohler’s Tripped is high-octane history writing, rich in acidic humor. You’ll be in ecstasy.” - Joseph Pearson, author of My Grandfather’s Knife

“Ohler’s book is at once a jaunty history of psychedelics, and a fascinating lament that the double-pronged legacy of Nazi drug policy – zero tolerance and weaponization – so severely limited research into their medicinal properties.” - New York Times Book Review

“Entertaining…Tripped is a story of front organizations, dodgy funds, bizarre experiments, assassinations, scientists, magicians, hookers, and spies.”

- The Times (London)

“Illuminating … entertaining” - Booklist

“A rollicking read, lively and engaging” - The Progressive

“A superb sequel to Blitzed, Tripped is a riveting and witty book about the obscure history of LSD. From the Swiss scientist and corporation that created the powerful hallucinogenic to the Nazis, G-men, and spooks that criminalized the chemical to the current boom in psychedelic research and start-ups, Tripped–meticulously researched and deeply personal–shows the awesome power of acid. Norman Ohler weaves a masterful tapestry of history in this revealing and fresh account.” - David de Jong, author of Nazi Billionaires

“Utterly fascinating and illuminating. In tracing the curious origins of LSD as a drug and as a cultural phenomenon–a compulsive, maze-like trail that takes in obscure Swiss institutes, the rise of Nazi Germany, the philosophy of brainwashing, CIA conspiracies, the White House, and Elvis Presley–Norman Ohler also cleverly throws fresh light on the Cold War that dominated the late twentieth century: a global struggle for psychological supremacy and psychic liberation. On top of all this, his storytelling is not only beguiling but–by the end–profoundly moving as well. It is possible that LSD will have a part to play in all our medical futures; this gripping and deeply felt book will tell you why.” - Sinclair McKay, author of Berlin

“A revelatory work that considers Hitler’s career in a new light. Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich is that rare sort of book whose remarkable insight focuses on a subject that’s been overlooked, even disregarded by historians.” - San Francisco Chronicle on Blitzed

“Ohler’s astonishing account of methamphetamine addiction in the Third Reich changes what we know about the Second World War...Blitzed looks set to reframe the way certain aspects of the Third Reich will be viewed in the future.” - Guardian on Blitzed

“Transforming meticulous research into compelling prose, Ohler delves into the little-known history of drug use in Nazi Germany.” - Entertainment Weekly on Blitzed

”[A] fascinating, engrossing, often dark history of drug use in the Third Reich.” - Washington Post on Blitzed

“A fleet-footed and propulsive account … Brilliantly sifting a massive history for its ideological through lines, this is a must-read.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A winning addition to the literature of psychedelia.” - Kirkus Reviews

Norman Ohler is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist.

He is the author of:

• Blitzed (New York Times bestseller)
• Tripped (non-fiction book about Nazi research into LSD during World War II)
• The Bohemians (non-fiction book about resistance against Hitler in Berlin)
• Die Quotenmaschine (novel, the world’s first hypertext novel)
• Mitte, Stadt des Goldes (novel, translated into English as Ponte City)
• Die Gleichung des Lebens (historical crime novel)

He was co-writer of the script for Wim Wenders’s film Palermo Shooting.

He lives in Berlin.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.