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To Live Outside the Law: Caught by Operation Julie, Britain's Biggest Drugs Bust
To Live Outside the Law is the first insider account of the LSD conspiracy ended by Operation Julie, Britain's biggest drug bust. The book opens with Leaf Fielding's arrest in a pre-dawn police raid and ends five years later with his release from jail.
The narrative moves back and forth between the harsh world of prison and his previous life - from a childhood at a brutal boarding school onto undergraduate days and his LSD epiphany in the summer of love, 1967.
Acid transformed him in an instant from nerdy scholar to footloose freak. His ten years of adventures in the hippie underground gave the title to this book - a quote from a Bob Dylan song - they also took him across Europe, to the Andes, to Indochina and on to the edge of the known universe. They also led inexorably to his downfall.
The narrative moves back and forth between the harsh world of prison and his previous life - from a childhood at a brutal boarding school onto undergraduate days and his LSD epiphany in the summer of love, 1967.
Acid transformed him in an instant from nerdy scholar to footloose freak. His ten years of adventures in the hippie underground gave the title to this book - a quote from a Bob Dylan song - they also took him across Europe, to the Andes, to Indochina and on to the edge of the known universe. They also led inexorably to his downfall.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 25, 2017
My first LSD was made by this crew, changed my life for the better, thanks for that. A couple of the reviews for this book seem a bit unfair, maybe it helps if youv'e had a trip or two. The guy is not a writer, he's a tripper and manufacturer of LSD so give him a bit of slack. Taking this into account I really enjoyed this story, sure he's not Shakespear but who is. He is funny though, he tells us of police getting contact highs when handeling the stuff. Also while he was manufacturing the LSD his glove tore and he ended up tripping out his skull, hilarious. It's also informative about things like the manufacture and distribution. All in all a good read from a guy who helped change the world for the better before the straights got a hold of him and his compatriots. Rock on
May 14, 2012
A good read from a drug dealer with morales - love them hippies!!!Would have only got 3 stars but added an extra one as he was from the DING and probably sold my dad acid back in the day.....Now. I am living with the consequences..a veggie patch rather than goalposts in the back garden......tie dye hand me downs from my brother..........the Jimi Hendrix fear etc. www.facebook.com/1000cutts come join the future...
May 30, 2014
Having read Operation Julie, it was clear having then read this book, that the author was not too keen on portraying the truth in his account of events and I found much of the book unbelievable and poorly written. I'm sure that if it had been written as it actually was, it would have been a far better read.
February 13, 2014
Have to agree with Howard Marks - this book is fucking good
January 16, 2019
Leaf Fielding strongly states the case for the Counter Culture. After a drab, repressed ,and unhappy, childhood, Leaf Fielding's youth coincided with the rise of hippies His account of beatnik type adventures are fun to read and the world travelogue is entertaining- it is easy to forget that such adventures in the late 1960's/early 1970's were not nearly so common as they are now. . And the 'globetrotting' contrasted with prison life makes the book an interesting read.
However, much as Leaf Fielding comes as over as a very likeable chap with many qualities, the staggering naivety he displays is incredible at time. He seems to see taking acid as an almost a sacred duty, for humanity and the planet. but little mention about the 'breadhead' hippy capitalists who saw LSD manufacture simply as a way of making vast amounts of money. Or some of the more heavy criminals who got involved who were unmoved by idealism but cynically went along for greedy motives. Leaf also seems to play down the fact that bad trips can happen and have strong consequences. But an important edition to the books about Operation Julie and an important slice of counter culture history nevertheless.
However, much as Leaf Fielding comes as over as a very likeable chap with many qualities, the staggering naivety he displays is incredible at time. He seems to see taking acid as an almost a sacred duty, for humanity and the planet. but little mention about the 'breadhead' hippy capitalists who saw LSD manufacture simply as a way of making vast amounts of money. Or some of the more heavy criminals who got involved who were unmoved by idealism but cynically went along for greedy motives. Leaf also seems to play down the fact that bad trips can happen and have strong consequences. But an important edition to the books about Operation Julie and an important slice of counter culture history nevertheless.
August 25, 2017
This book is a bit of a mish-mash of anecdotes about Leaf Fielding's travels, troubles with authority and experiences in the drug underground. Some of it is entertaining enough but I found it a little self-indulgent and even irritating at times. I could understand some of his motivation for doing what he did and he seems to be a forgiving, tolerant character. In the end, however, he seems to have been motivated by money. And easy money at that.
The writing itself was of the Daily Mail exposé type. It was clear enough and I followed the narrative. I thought there were quite a few loose ends apart from the ones Fielding mentions at the end of the book.
The writing itself was of the Daily Mail exposé type. It was clear enough and I followed the narrative. I thought there were quite a few loose ends apart from the ones Fielding mentions at the end of the book.
October 13, 2023
Came for the Uk Acid scene, got Into The Wild with selfish hippies.
Leaf drank his own Kool-aid. Some good stories about travelling and some of the description of his early acid trips are fun if not a tad too grandiose.
“I soared through time and space pondering the big questions of life, but un able to retain any coherent thought processes. Unfolded in my eyes and thoughts flew through my brain like a flock of birds. I’d merged with creation.”
I felt like Red Foreman for half the book thinking he needed a ‘foot in the ass’ for some of the dumb, selfish decisions he made throughout his life (although he does acknowledge this maybe once?).
Would not go for a pint with him.
Leaf drank his own Kool-aid. Some good stories about travelling and some of the description of his early acid trips are fun if not a tad too grandiose.
“I soared through time and space pondering the big questions of life, but un able to retain any coherent thought processes. Unfolded in my eyes and thoughts flew through my brain like a flock of birds. I’d merged with creation.”
I felt like Red Foreman for half the book thinking he needed a ‘foot in the ass’ for some of the dumb, selfish decisions he made throughout his life (although he does acknowledge this maybe once?).
Would not go for a pint with him.
December 5, 2023
This book helped me solve a mystery in my life. In 1977 I was told I had liquid sunshine by a man I met in Wales. I thought he meant orange juice at the time, and actually, for two more years until someone informed me it was one of the strongest form of LSD. He had been lacing my food with it. Then I learned this fall when I traveled to Wales about Operation Julie. I was collateral damage for quite a while back then since I had no idea what was happening to me. I can’t say it didn’t open some windows of perception in the process. But I am grateful for the author’s insights and glad he found a more honest and fulfilling life.
September 10, 2021
Hab ich gelesen als ich England war, es hat mich sehr dazu ermutigt meine comfortzone zu verlassen, raus in die Welt zu gehen, sachen zu erleben, reisen zu gehen das Leben zu leben, sachen auf sich zukommen zu lassen, neue Wege zu probieren all sowas eben. Hat mich sehr motiviert, auch wenn ich es nie so ausgelebt habe wie ich es vor hatte hat es mir zu wertvollen Erfahrungen und Geschichten verholfen.
July 1, 2019
Really good read. It is more of a memoir of Fieldings life as a hippie in the 70's than a history of Operation Julie, but well worth a look.
April 5, 2021
It's no Mr Nice but I found it a good read.
November 14, 2012
Excellent! Really interesting story of the 70s lots of wisdom and valuable insight along the way.
February 17, 2013
Mainly dull, self-indulgent and charmless. He frequently talks about some drug-addled acquaintance that could spin an amazing yarn. Shame he's not one of them.
March 7, 2014
brilliant insight into one of the many players of the 60's/70's acid ring
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews