R-rated

Mr Nice by Howard Marks

Mr Nice by Howard Marks

I recall reading this book circa 15 years ago and being much more impressed than 2nd time round. Marks' autobiography details his life as a marijuana smuggler in the mid-80's portraying himself as an all-round "nice" guy whilst trying to convince us that weed (and hash) should be legalised. The book provides good insight into the lifestyle that accompanies a drug smuggler, glamourising the events that occurred, and also providing what, on the face of it, is a startlingly amount of detail on other individuals also involved in this trade.

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The Gringo Trail by Mark Mann

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The Gringo Trail by Mark Mann

The Gringo Trail forged a path as one of the earliest backpacking books detailing Mann's travels with his girlfriend and friend on South America's infamous backpacking route in the early 90's. From the get-go, drugs feature heavily throughout the book, but the focus remains on the actual travelling and history of the region, which all combined, make this a good insight into the backpacking scene from this earlier time.

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It's Only the Himalayas by S. Bedford

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It's Only the Himalayas by S. Bedford

It's Only the Himalayas is Sue Bedford's debut travelogue regaling her outrageous tales during a year spent backpacking with her bestie around the world. Packed full of hilarity, this is a book that will delight both older backpackers looking back nostalgically at misspent youths and those thinking about embarking on their own wild travels themselves.

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In Search of Captain Zero by Allan C. Weisbecker

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In Search of Captain Zero by Allan C. Weisbecker

In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road is a bodacious account of Weisbecker's slow-travel South, from Mexico to Costa Rica, in search of a vanished surfing buddy. Comprising a hybrid of the movie Point Break and the book Mr Nice, spliced with a touch of gonzo travelling for good measure, this book proves beyond doubt that the surfing gods truly do exist.

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Fiction) by Hunter S. Thompson

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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Fiction) by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson's legendary road-trippin novel follows Raoul Duke and his Attorney, Dr Gonzo, on their drug-fuelled search for the American Dream in Las Vegas. The book that birthed gonzo journalism, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is widely considered as an American literary classic and one which deserves to read again and again in order to enjoy, understand and then simply enjoy once again.

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River of Time by Jon Swain

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River of Time by Jon Swain

River of Time is a beautifully written memoir by an English journalist living in the lands of the Mekong during the wars in Indo-China in 1970-1975. An outstanding and moving account of personal experiences during one of the most tumultuous periods of recent history, River of Time is essential reading for anyone interested in the haunting history of this region

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It's Every Monkey for Themselves - Vanessa Woods

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It's Every Monkey for Themselves - Vanessa Woods

It's Every Monkey for Themselves is Vanessa Woods' warts and all story of her year spent in the Cielo Forest in Costa Rica researching behavioural ecology of Capuchin monkeys. Focusing primarily on the upright primates that inhabit the "monkey house", rather than the those in the wild, the book abounds with plenty of adult-themed content and comes across as something like what the 1990's TV series Melrose Place might've been, had it been set in the jungle. 

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Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson

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Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson

Hokkaido Highway Blues (also known as Hitching Rides with Buddha) is an outstanding hitchhiking travelogue by Will Ferguson detailing his journey the length of Japan, from Cape Sata to Cape Soya, in the early 1990's. Insightful observations delivering cultural and historical information in genuinely funny fashion, this is everything you could ever hope a travelogue to be, with the only caveat that a fair amount of the material is at the adult end of the spectrum.

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