Books

A rare uncorrected proof copy of the first edition of Thompson's most famous book, together with galleys for the book composed from its first appearance in Rolling Stone magazine (November 1971). The magazine text has been excised, photocopied, and expanded to make the galleys. Thompson added four pages of material to the magazine version of Fear and Loathing for its publication in book form, with this expansion appearing here as four photocopied leaves of corrected typescript. His addition reworked the famous bathtub scene, in which Thompson's alter ego Raoul Duke finds his attorney "lying in the tub with a head full of acid and the sharpest knife I'd ever seen, demanding the White Rabbit". In the magazine version, Duke, "a cynical, chain-smoking, whiskey-guzzling, gun-loving connoisseur of illicit drugs" (ANB), puts on "White Rabbit", moves the radio away from the bathtub, and leaves the bathroom. For the book, Thompson expanded this scene into one of Fear and Loathing's most memorable episodes: Duke leaves the bathroom, only for his attorney to cause such a commotion that Duke returns to find that the track has changed. They fight over the radio, and his attorney demands that "White Rabbit" be put back on: "'Let it roll!' he screamed. 'I want it up just as high as the fucker can go... and when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that radio in the tub with me." Duke pretends to acquiesce, but instead throws a grapefruit into the tub at the track's peak. His attorney flies into a rage and chases him with the knife, before returning to the bath to see out the rest of his trip. This chemically enhanced adventure through '70s LA was adapted into a film by Terry Gilliam in 1998, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro in the lead roles. READ MORE 2 items. Proof: Octavo. Original blue wrappers lettered in black, manuscript notes on front wrapper: "$5.95 Pub 6/72" in ink and "July list Rec'd 5/10/72" in pencil, opened filing label at foot. Proof sheets: 206 pp., 67 of which are double-column photocopies of the Rolling Stones publication, with 4 photocopied leaves of newly added text, identified at head as "new ad. 1-4", with corrections in the photocopy, first leaf titled in ink, opened filing label at foot. Each housed in a custom flat-backed cloth box. Illustrated title page and 19 line drawings by Steadman. Proof sheets lightly toned with a few closed tears to title leaf, book square in fresh: in excellent condition. .

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.