Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening

by Jim Newton

A history of the Grateful Dead that kaleidoscopes into an examination of the American counterculture through the life of its iconoclastic frontman, Jerry Garcia, and his merry band

In early 1960’s Palo Alto, Jerry Garcia randomly opened a dictionary to a fable in which an appreciative soul repays the generosity of a traveler by delivering him a fortune, a “gift of the grateful dead.” After a traumatic car accident that injured him and killed a close friend, Garcia had recently resolved to build the life he wanted, which meant making music. He had practiced relentlessly and caromed across the northern California folk and bluegrass scene, gathered up some fellow musicians and formed a band.

Now they had their name.

Following the history of the Grateful Dead means tracking American political and cultural history through a period of tumult and radical reconsideration. The band broke through in 1966 at Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests, parties where the line between performer and audience ceased to exist. The Dead played at the Human Be-In and Woodstock, the occupation of Columbia and the Bail Ball for People’s Park. They took one look at Altamont and passed, hours before it disintegrated into murder. They performed at the base of the Pyramids during a lunar eclipse, at the gates of San Quentin to protest the death penalty, at Madison Square Garden to defend the rainforests, in San Francisco to sound the alarm over AIDS and at Huey Newton’s birthday party. The band waged a thirty-year campaign to explore the meaning of freedom.

The radical message of The Dead, to reject the mainstream and build a bohemian community centered in San Francisco, radiated across the world, manifesting itself in art, music, business, and politics that remain with us today. Here Beside the Rising Tide tells the story of those disparate shafts of light, putting Garcia into a broader context while telling the story of his life.

Nearly a century after his birth, Garcia’s influence stretches onward, expressed in guitar licks and immersion in a gentle and forgiving way of life, one of excellence and gratitude, chasing freedom, living moment to moment, guided by song—the gift of the Grateful Dead.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Memoir, Art, Audiobook

528 pages, Hardcover

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Jim Newton is editor at large of the Los Angeles Times and writes a weekly column for the Op-Ed page on the policy and politics of Southern California.

Newton came to the Los Angeles Times in 1989, having previously worked as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as a clerk at the New York Times, where he served as columnist James Reston's assistant from 1985-86. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the recipient of numerous local and national awards. He was part of the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and the earthquake of 1994, both of which were awarded Pulitzer Prizes to the staff.

Newton also is the author of two critically acclaimed, best-selling biographies, "Justice for All: Earl Warren and the Nation He Made," and "Eisenhower: The White House Years."

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down , the best Dead book I’ve read. Set in the political, social, and cultural context of the time, Rising Tide ably summarizes the events Garcia and the Dead lived through and the contributions and impact they had on the GD fans and the culture as a whole.
Idk if anyone but deadheads will like this much because it has extensive history of individual songs and albums. But for fans that’s really fun. Learned some new things about songs I’ve known forever.
And Donna Jean died while I was reading about her. Just another little synchronicity. I wasn’t a huge fan (was anyone besides Keith?) but RIP, you gave it your best shot. And Keith was awesome for a while.

[jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

in here beside the rising tide, long-time l.a. times journalist jim newton — author of previous books on earl warren, eisenhower, and gov. jerry brown (and co-author of leon panetta's memoir) — explores the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s, foregrounding the lives of jerry garcia and his grateful dead bandmates amidst the era's sociopolitical and cultural happenings. largely intriguing if perhaps a touch too arbitrary in paralleling concurrent events, newton's take on those tumultuous times is engaging and thoughtful. with fondness for garcia and the dead plenty evident, newton juxtaposes their shared history and enduring legacy with the (counter)culture's more complicated trajectory.

and at the center of it all, for better and for worse, was jerry garcia—open, imaginative, and magnetic, only to become tragically withdrawn. what did his life mean to the counterculture? and what does the counterculture mean for us today? those are big questions, with complicated answers, worthy of consideration at a time when so many feel a loss of direction, when the country once again feels unmoored. today, amid division and distraction, many wonder about the signs that were missed, the opportunities wasted, the gains achieved, the progress made, the lessons learned. it may not be too late. it is just possible that the counterculture may still suggest a path through the thicket, a twinkle in the darkness as we try to rediscover who we are and how we might be better.

[the society of inkdrinkers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely you find a band that strikes a chord with your heart, that moves your soul, and unites a group of people as a community. The Dead was not just a band but a way of life for many. In this history of the band and the torrential wave of the 60s and 70s, the author shows how counterculture and historical events shaped the band’s progression.

I recommend this book for history fans wanting to know the real stories of The Grateful Dead and what was happening in the world during their conception and evolution. I was mesmerized by how much detail about the band and history that I did not know though I have been a Dead fan for over 30 years. Extensive research and work went into this tome of The Grateful Dead, what a long strange trip it’s been.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Russavage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Newton is a historian that takes his chronicling seriously—he presented a story that grows out of his expertise, weaving facts into a sentence whenever I realized I wanted to know this story wasn’t just his fond imaginings. I bought my father in law an original pressing of Blues for Allah for Christmas, so had to give it a listen, and it is genuinely layered music, including a layer for the narrow listener like myself.

Jim Newton also loves the counterculture. I would get shouted down if I called the people who saw space and time during their trips myopic, so instead I’ll say they seemed to be wanting in pragmatism. Of course the practices of free drugs and wanton sex and lack of understanding of law and disregard for children would create a culture that, while beautiful for some, would spread more widely into those who are simply lost and those who are seeking tools for malignant purpose. There are beautiful hopes that shaped the counterculture that Jim Newton writes about, and—proving again his excellence as a historian—he admits the less beautiful outcomes as well. I’m glad I read his book, especially for the side trips he took that wove a fantastically effective picture of American culture, society, and politics from the 60s to the present time. Jerry Garcia seems like a nice guy and a great musician, but there’s a lot of gross irresponsibility in his life that does keep my response to him back from full respect. He died intestate, he had children he had no intention of caring for, and for someone with his resources that simply feels inexcusable. But he made something beautiful, and the ideas I find most beautiful about the modern American experiment were deeply woven into his life. I finish this book with far more positive feelings for Jim Newton than his subject.

[Mike Macchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a longtime lover of the Grateful Dead and Jerry. I was halfway through it when Bob Weir passed, making it a little surreal......great intro book for people who want to learn more about the band beyond description.

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

super interesting book on Garcia, The Dead, counterculture, and their 4 decade arc

[Rachel Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, moving and beautifully written story about the Dead and the culture around them.

[Daniel Visé · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books.

Back in the 1960s, the Grateful Dead weren’t even regarded as the best band in San Francisco. That honor went to the Jefferson Airplane, who headlined the second day at Woodstock, albeit at 8 a.m. on day three. More than half a century later, the Dead loom large on the American music scene — larger, perhaps, than any other band of their era, from Frisco or anyplace else.

I don’t know of another American rock band that has been the subject of more books: a veritable shelf-load, including collections of stories and pictures, annotated lyrics, business studies, scholarly tomes, and even a book about the Dead’s sound system that somehow reached the New York Times bestseller list this year.

Now, into that fray comes Here Beside the Rising Tide, a biography of Jerry Garcia penned by Jim Newton, a longtime Los Angeles Times journalist. In selecting Garcia as his subject, rather than the band as a whole, Newton wisely skirts most of the Dead books on the aforementioned shelf. There’s only a handful of prior Garcia bios, most notably Garcia: An American Life, published back in 1999 by Blair Jackson, one of a few Dead scribes who serve as more or less official historians of the band.

Garcia was the Dead’s reluctant leader, a man who wanted to spend every waking hour playing the guitar. The band’s singular approach to musical performance reflected his vision of life as one long improvisational solo.

Garcia is, or should be, a towering figure in American musical history, probably on a par with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. But Garcia had none of their ego and no wish to lead, so he cocooned himself within a band.

Does the world need another volume about him and the Dead? Maybe so. I’ve read a few of the others. They’re good books, thoughtfully written, but most seem to exist within an insular Deadhead bubble. They look and read like portraits of a cult band, written by Deadheads for Deadheads. But there are exceptions. David Browne, a longtime Rolling Stone writer, penned the excellent So Many Roads, published in 2015 and written from a perspective outside the Grateful Dead universe.

Newton’s book, too, clearly aims for an audience beyond Deadheads, starting with its cover art, which pictures an unadorned Garcia on a beach, with no trace of skeletons, lightning bolts, dancing bears, or blood-red roses.

One quality that sets Newton apart from most prior Dead biographers is his reportorial depth. Journalists have a skillset that historians sometimes lack: They’re more likely to consult sources beyond the official canon — including news clippings, court records, police reports, and voices from outside the bubble.

Garcia remembered watching his father die, drowning in a river in 1947. But Newton the journalist scanned local papers from that day and found no reference to a child’s presence at the scene, politely pushing back on Garcia’s memory.

In another anecdote, members of the Dead recalled someone spiking the coffee with LSD at a 1969 TV appearance with Hugh Hefner. Newton reviewed subsequent correspondence between the band and the production team, which makes no reference to any transcendental incident. He concludes, “It seems more likely lore than true.”

Newton isn’t a music writer, per se. I remember him as a superb police reporter at the L.A. Times in the O.J. era. And he’s written books about Eisenhower and Earl Warren. Here, he delivers a sociopolitical work about a musician. His thesis: The man and his band led and shaped the counterculture in its decades-long battle against various police departments and politicians. Newton shows the Dead playing a central role in many iconic gatherings of their era, from Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests to the big rock festivals at Monterey, Woodstock, and Altamont.

The book posits Ronald Reagan as Garcia’s nemesis and the staunchest opponent of the counterculture, first as California governor and, years later, as president. The counterculture and its battles, in fact, provide a strong counternarrative to Garcia’s story, and Newton is an astute historian. He describes Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign and the Acid Tests circling each other, “competing for adherents.” He portrays the Dead lying “at the center of California politics” in the late 1960s and posits Reagan and Garcia as opposing forces, each fighting for his own brand of “freedom.”

Garcia and the Dead sought their freedom in collective expression, coming together as a community to do, play, sing, and ingest what they wanted. Reagan sought a different sort of freedom, individual, and grounded in the language of escape — from tyranny and persecution at the hands of an overreaching government or a lawless citizenry. Both Garcia and Reagan, Newton writes, “would take their fight from California to Washington and beyond.”

Is that a stretch? Garcia and the Dead were hardly household names in the late 1960s: No Dead song touched the Billboard charts until 1970. And yet, the band certainly sat at the center of the counterculture in San Francisco. And Newton makes a good case that the Dead kept the counterculture alive through the Reagan ‘80s, their shows and vast community a beacon of hope for those who rejected Reaganomics.

One thing that makes the Dead so interesting is that the band kept getting bigger and bigger in the Reagan era, though most of its best work lay many years past. Newton notes that the band was the second-highest-grossing musical act of 1985, scored its first Top 10 hit in 1987, and staged the largest concert tour of 1993.

Newton is a great writer, and I breezed through Here Beside the Rising Tide. But I have two quibbles. First, the book struck me less as a Jerry Garcia biography than a bio of the full band. After the second chapter, the story moves freely among Garcia and his bandmates, never dwelling too long on the reluctant leader himself.

My other observation, not necessarily a criticism, is that Newton’s book isn’t really about music. When he discusses the songs, he mostly parses their lyrics. And that’s fine: They’re great lyrics. But Garcia didn’t write most of them. The Dead employed a full-time lyricist, Robert Hunter. A reader can learn plenty about the Dead by reading Hunter’s lyrics but not so much about Jerry Garcia.

Of course, many other great writers have delved into what made Garcia such a brilliant guitarist and songwriter. Browne, of Rolling Stone, is one. Newton quotes another, Jon Pareles of the New York Times, on Garcia’s legacy: “There was no aggression in his solos, and even when he picked up speed, he phrased with the relaxed tickle of a bluegrass guitarist,” Pareles wrote in 1995. “His most characteristic mannerism, sliding down a few frets, was the sonic image of someone slipping out of the spotlight.”

Throughout their three-decade career, the Dead never really crossed over into mainstream American culture. Much of society viewed them and the Deadheads as a hippie cult, albeit a very large one. And that, I think, is why the Grateful Dead never merited serious consideration as one of the great American musical acts, an honor they deserve. Newton recognizes that, and his Garcia biography is a step in the right direction.

Daniel de Visé is the author of five books, including The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a revelation!! The immense cultural shift that came out of San Francisco in the 1950’s changed America and the world forever, using Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead as a vehicle to expound upon all the various changes that affected the country beginning in the 1950’s. The emerging of folk and jugband music into the electric music produced by the Dead changed the direction of music forever. Too bad Garcia loved heroin. What a bummer! to realize that he didn’t take care of himself! He treated the women in his life terribly, using and discarding them with no afterthought. This book is a great read!

[Greg Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "experiencing" element of the Grateful Dead, may be the reason they are forever tied as both musical singularity and a counter-cultural juggernaut. Many bands from the 1960s are rightfully tied to a myth and lineage (The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Who), but Garcia's group evokes a more impassioned approach toward the larger culture. Communalism, drugs, vehement intensity, and one of my favorite descriptors from Jim Newton "masculine ebullience".

The storied chapters of the Grateful Dead, most of which are centered on the first run of the band (1965-1976), are interpersed with the cultural moments of the 1960s. Newton shares notable cultural moments such as Mohammed Ali declaiming his views on Vietnam, the ascendency of the Black Panther party, and the politics of the asccdent cultural-right with Nixon and Reagan. Some my favorite artifacts he explores are the literary ones such as the masterfully convoluted 'The Crying of Lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon, Ken Kesey's heavyweight "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", Kurt Vonnegut's darkly satirical "Slaughterhouse 5" and the 1960s paranoid thriller 'White Noise" by Don Delillo. As noted in the title, this book is as much about the fish as it is the water . For many like myself who were born decades later, it's a satisfying and enriching way to explore the culture of that time.

Like so many great musicians, beneath the noise and adventurous musiciality is an abudance of practice and discipline. We get insights into Garcia's steadfast tinkering with stringed instruments like the steel pedal guitar and banjo. Phil Lesh's improvizational jazz leanings and classical training added an adventurous dimension. Impassioned lyrics by Robert Hunter and the blues leanings of other bandmates gave their first band "The Warlocks" and by extension The Grateful Dead a wide template for sonic exploration. The chapter "Dark Star" explores the sound of their enterprise improvizational vehicle. Newton describes the exploratory jam as “grand and empyrean" (p.154). Notable as an amorphous and ever-changing exploration of mood and strucutre, Newton compares it to the interoception of an LSD experience - very fitting for the Grateful Dead.

One of the political questions uniting our time and the 1960s is about the freedoms to express dissent. While some artists mentioned,Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, had politically forward music, Garcia expressed a more personal approach to politics. Newton writes 'Garcia's artistic and social vision clung to the idea that transformaton was personal, that revolution, if it iwere to happen at all, would start with individual people, who would discover new selves through music' (p.199). Only paragraphs later a more fiery rejoinder from John Lennon to a young tadical states it succiently "you smash it - and i'll build around it". Despite an opposition to politics of then-governor Ronald Reagan, it is interesting to see the ways in which the very same freedoms were underscored and redfined. The push/pull tension between communal spirit and individuation may be a useful way to consider the fight for freedoms.

The highs and lows of their phenonomen are explored, particualrly with regard to the flagpole festivals: Monterry Pop Festival, Woodstock, Altamamount. We see their adaptation to televisied audiences with an SNL expeirence in 1978 and content creation for MTV. Their musical accomplishments are explored from their breathtaking and meditative "American Beauty" (1970), to their Top 40 hit "Touch of Grey". We do see some of the rocky moments - where the band was considering breaking up do professionalism concerns. There is also an exploration of the turbulent 1980s, Garcia's inability to take responsibilties as a partner and parent and a late career plunge into heroin addiction, show some of the haunting aspects of a lifestyle without correciton. It should be noted we see the positive sides to his charater too: a bountiful joy, creative spirit and communicative nature as a performer.

On a personal note my wife and I were fortunate to see Phil Lesh and musical friends (Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline, Margo Price) a few years ago at the Chicago Sacred Rose festival (2022). As Newton points out in the book, the post-Garcia years of the Dead may not have the smae spontaneity or creative spark as the original version of the band, but the magic of the music and performers endured. Hearing songs like "New Speedway Boogie" and "Ripple" with an endearing crowd gave me an appreciation of why people would follow this band obsessively. Hopefully they continue to be a touchpoint for inspiration to new musicians and listeners, and are rightfully placed as essential to the American songbook.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this new biography about a man who became the face of everything that was cool about the counterculture, a face for the people who hated the counterculture, a face on an ice cream carton, a musician, an artist, and so much more.

I first starting listening to the Grateful Dead late in my musical awakening, when music was more than trying to fit in with others, or something my parents played on long car trips. I found jazz, weird music, punk, classical and soundtracks not in that order, but hippie music was not my thing. Mainly it was the fans, the Dead Heads, who just seemed insufferable and annoying. This changed of course as I listened and heard so much in the music that I could lose myself even when surrounded by thousands of people. Scarlet>Fire from Cornell '77 is my favorite jam, one that helps my mood immensely. There are lots of others songs, too that make my day seem brighter when I want it, sadder when I want it. To the world Jerry Garcia was an avuncular character, making people dance, making them smile, smile smile, all while the world around us was buring, a Captain Trips to a pleasant tomorrow. That and the fact he looked like my Dad, big beard, big glasses, big body, made me listen with a particular closeness. There was something else my father and he shared, and that was a pain, my father's physical, Jerry's emotional and familial. Jerry Garcia was a great musician, but as a person he was lacking in many ways. And yet the world could use him today. Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening by journalist, editor and writer Jim Newton is a look at the man, the myth and the times that he lived in the politics, the art, and way everything changed.

Jerome John Garcia was born in the year 1942, in San Francisco and Garcia's heart never left it. Garcia's childhood was one of constant sorrows, losing the tip of his middle finger to his brother on vacation. Losing his father to a drowning accident a year later. Garcia never got over the loss of his father which affected his life and health in different ways, along with many relationships. Jerry did love music, and after the gift of an accordion was returned, received a guitar that he taught himself to play. Garcia loved to practice, sometimes for twelve hours a day, learning chords, and learning to play with others. A brief stint in the Army left Garcia, homeless, jobless and clueless to the future. However there was always music. Garcia began to learn bango, and later pedal steel guitar, teaching others and making contacts in the music scene, which lead to more jobs, and slowly a band. Garcia married, but lived a bachelor lifestyle hitting the road to catch bluegrass shows across the country, while his wife stayed home with their child. A band began to come together at the same time change, and revolution was filling the air. The band name needed to be changed, a look in a dictionary showed the Grateful Dead, and a band, a legacy and history was made.

I have read most of the books on the Grateful Dead, all of the biographies, Skeleton Key, many of the looks at the band, both professional and fan based. I will say this is one of the best, if not the best. The writing is very good, not written as a fan, nor as someone trying to figure out why the Band hit the way the did, but as an observer, to the man, the music, and the world around them. There is a good look at the changing politics in America, the darkness of Nixon, the blackness of Reagan, the grey of Clinton, all while Garcia was playing in the band. Newton has a very good grasp of the politics of the time, as well as what was happening in the streets. Plus the way Newton writes, one can tell he enjoys the music, the asides, the deep cut comments. I leaned much about Garcia, Reagan America, the counterculture and much more.

I can't praise this book enough, not just for the way Newton writes about Garcia, neither hero or villain, just a man with demons and a large musical gift, but the world around them. A book I enjoyed far more than I expected, and one I can't wait to recommend. For readers of history, music, culture, and for those who enjoy well written tomes.

[Chet · Rating 4 out of 5]

From what I can tell, there has not been a real biography of Jerry Garcia published since 1994, so it was about time. There have, however, been many, many books and articles written about this musical legend and, since he has not been with us in 30 years, this bio does draw heavily from previously published interviews and materials. I don’t say this to disparage Jim Newton’s work on Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead and An American Awakening. It’s just to say that you will not likely find anything new or shocking within these pages. I already knew most of what was discussed in this wonderful new book, but I loved it all the same. That may be because it’s well-written, comprehensive and a thoroughly fun read (except Jerry’s passing, which was depressing 30 years ago and still is today).

It might also be because I am a huge Dead fan and a huge fan of Garcia. I discovered the Grateful Dead in the early 90’s and liked them, but I never really got on the bus until college. I rode that bus and am still riding it here, in 2025, which seemed like the distant future back then. I can’t imagine that Jerry thought in the beginning that his music would still be loved by millions, but here we are. The tale of Jerry Garcia is a tragedy, to be sure, but it is also a tale of love, determination and hope. Jerry always wanted to live life on his own terms and, for the most part, he did. Unfortunately, he left a trail of heartache, sadness and “What-Ifs” in his wake.

Here Beside the Rising Tide is a biography, but it has a twist. Jim Newton’s goal with this book is to tell Jerry’s story while linking Jerry to pretty much every important cultural event from the 60’s through the 90’s and beyond. He achieves this with varying levels of success. On one hand, Jerry can be linked to many of those events (often being an instrumental part of them), but there are times when these attempts are making a huge stretch. Still, this will be a really important read for those just getting into the Dead and discovering who Jerry was, something at which this book does excel. Newton doesn’t shy away from highlighting Jerry’s faults, which if we’re being honest, are almost as large as his genius. That was also one of the beautiful things about Jerry: He knew what those faults were and he accepted them, which is something most of us are unable to do. Jerry was far from a perfect human, but he was the human that he wanted to be.

The bottom line is that, if you are a Deadhead or just a fan of Jerry’s, then you want to read this book. You know you do, so go get it. If you’re a normie, then I still suggest giving this book a shot. You might just start to understand a little bit about the Dead’s music, Jerry’s music and why people are so crazy about it all. Everybody can agree that the real magic is in the tunes, but knowing how and why that music exists can help keep that trip going into space.

Thanks so much to Random House, Jim Newton and Netgalley for sending me an advance copy of Here Beside the Rising Tide. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Richard Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this new biography about Jerry Garcia, for my Honest Review.

What started out as a typical biography of the iconic heart and soul of one of the greatest bands of all time, the author Jim Newton took on the massive undertaking of trying to find Jerry's place within the counter culture that grew out of the Haight Ashbury/Summer of Love in San Francisco in the turbulent mid-sixties. Touching upon life altering events such as the the rise of Ronald Reagan, the Watts Riots, the Vietnam War, the Assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert Kennedy, the Democratic Convention in 1968, Watkins Glen, Woodstock, the Tate/Lobianco Murders and even Altamont, Newton tries to tie Garcia and the Grateful Dead into the context of the changing society with some hits and to a lesser extent misses. As influential a musician Garcia was, he was famously apolitical and therefor some of the effort to tie him into all the countercultural events was a stretch.

Leaving these issues aside, the remainder of the book was fascinating not only about Jerry's life, and the rise of the Grateful Dead as a cultural phenomena, but also te historical context of their long strange trip as the counter culture grew and ultimately faded away.

From my first Dead show at Englishtown, NJ in 1977 through shows at the Spectrum, the Meadowlands, and ultimately the Greek Theatre in Berkely, CA in 1982 as well as numerous Jerry Garcia Band shows at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA no one could play guitar or hypnotize the crowd like Jerry. As I drifted away from their music ( self exiled as I reasoned it could never be better than seeing the Dead in their backyard ) it was sad to "relive" the sorrowful decline caused by Jerry's addiction to heroin.

As Jerry's journey feels like being at a Dead Show, I highly recommend truckin' along with Jim Newtown's tome and looking past the effort to place Jerry in the middle of every important event in our lifetime and just enjoy the ride that is the Grateful Dead. Otherwise this is 4.5 stars with a bullet.

[Randall Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who's read a number of the books about the Grateful Dead (and there's quite a few), and spent many hours listening to their music, I found nothing new in this book, so I found it to be quite disappointing. In particular, I felt like there wasn't that much information or insight into the details of Jerry Garcia's life, but there was a lot of general Grateful Dead info, along with a lot of cultural context and analysis. As an example, there was almost nothing about Jerry's guitars and the amplifiers that he used, and his experimenting with MIDI in his later years, and there was little about his family life, his relationship with his children, when they were younger or as adults, etc. I also felt like the author barely scratched the surface when writing about Woodstock, Summer Jam '73, and some of the other big concerts that they did. A main area where the author didn't do a very good job was with Jerry's (and the rest of the band's) drug use. For goodness's sake, for 20 years Jerry was addicted to heroin, plain pure and simple, and alcohol killed 2 out of their 3 keyboardists, and at least partially contributed to Phil Lesh's kidney transplant. The difference in the Dead's music from the highs of Europe 1972 to 1977 and onward are clear as can be - the energy level drops like a rock, the sound mix is terrible - too thin and too much treble, the drums are lost in the mix, as are Weir, Donna Jean, and Keith - and don't get me started on Jerry's singing, especially towards the end. Also, the musical output of the band - once incredible in the early 70s - dropped to almost nothing after that. All of that mainly due to Jerry's heroin addiction. It deeply saddens me, because if you listen to them in 1972, there was so much energy, so much promise, and then it was all thrown away, and what was left was a shadow of their former selves - just so sad. None of that comes across in this book. I don't recommend it - even if you're a Dead Head - there's just nothing new here.

[Jon Jurgovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't so much a biography on Garcia as it is a book that uses Garcia and the Grateful Dead as a vehicle to explore the politics of the counterculture that began in the 60s and had great consequence for the decades that followed.

The author hardly makes any attempts to hide his political opinions when recounting this history. At it's worst this book rails on the "evils" of Nixon and Reagan, spending excess pages criticizing the Dead and MLK Jr.(?) for their "misogyny", and lamenting the counterculture's inability to stop Trump in the 21st century. But at it's best it delightfully analyzes the lyrics of songs from some of my favorite records like American Beauty and Workingman's Dead, recognizing Robert Hunter as the unsung hero of the Grateful Dead. Though he was never on stage as a band member, he penned so many of the great lyrics of the Dead songbook and in 2025 the songs are still sung despite only three original members of the band being left.

I think the music will continue to be performed on a large stage even after the deaths of Weir, Hart, and Kreutzmann so, really, many of Hunter's lyrics and his, largely anonymous, legacy will outlive every band member. The Dead's catalogue is uniquely American and I think that resonates with so many in a way that's difficult to describe but easy to attribute to Hunter's greatness.

I also enjoyed the retrospective epilogue that reflected on Dead & Company playing in the Sphere - a long way from Haight-Ashbury and an impossible to believe trajectory if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I followed the Grateful Dead for about 7 years until Jerry died, and though I can no longer see them in concert, I have never stopped listening to them. They have played a huge part in my life, so, of course I picked up this book as soon as I saw that it was available! It is a comprehensive tome; not only following Jerry's life from birth to death, but also the life of the band, and each of its members, and many other bands and their members, plus the political climate from 1962 to present day. I did not realize just how much the Dead and Ronald Reagan antagonized each other over so many decades! I loved learning the origins of all the songs, especially my favorites, and I went on a 10 day constant Dead listening spree until my 15 year old begged me to stop (I never stopped listening, before or after reading this book, I just make sure my airpods are in now). It took a long time to read, and I had to stop and take breaks because it is so much to absorb. I may have to purchase my own copy in future. If you love the Dead, or love the history of counter-culture, this is the book for you. It is just magnificent, and I enjoyed every word of it!

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do we need another biography of Jerry Garcia? After all, there are already a number of really good ones out there, i.e. "Garcia: An American Life". Surprisingly, the answer is yes when it comes to Jim Newton's new biography of Jerry Garcia. This biography does something that prior ones didn't do, or at least not in this depth, in that situates the story of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead in the broader social and political cultures of the day, showing how Garcia and the Dead were both shaped by various cultural movements and how they in turn helped to shape those same social and political cultures around them. All in all, this is an engaging and enjoyable read, and it's nice to have a biography with a new spin. Highly recommended for all Deadheads and anyone interested in understanding just how important the Dead were as a band.

[Amoreena John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Read this just as the news of Bob's passing hit, and it made it even more poignant. Newton does a tremendous job of situating the Dead in the social, political, and cultural context of the time. I also appreciated that he showed the reader Garcia's humanness. He was just as flawed as any of us, and it broke my heart to read of his demise (even though I knew the basics).

Highly recommend to any fan of the Dead (the sections on their songs and albums might be a lot for non-Deadheads to handle), but also to anyone interested in political and social history. I was sad when it ended.

Hope Bobby Jerry, Phil, Pigpen, and the rest are all having a huge jam wherever they are.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid read and, even if it doesn’t really crack open a lot of new doors of information about Garcia for the well read Deadhead, Newton’s way of placing his story within the larger cultural context works well. I could complain about omissions (the 80s and 90s being rushed through, not nearly enough time spent with his solo career and JGB touring), I’m still glad to add it to my ever expanding Dead library.

[M. Sarki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. My review of this important book can be read here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/msarki/...

[Greg Mortenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes this book is about Jerry and the Dead. However it is really a history book covering the 1960's, 70's and 80's.

However..... regarding Jerry and his worldwide impact...:
The NYSE briefly shut down with the announcement that Jerry Garcia had died.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous--no ordinary biography, it instead uses the arc of Garcia's great American trip as the through-thread for a half century of the counterculture and its opponents. Reagan is the villain because duh.

[Karen Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable

I began reading this book after attending a Jerry Birthday Celebration in Novato....Hopmonk Novato, California...I read most of it in San Francisco...I cannot recommend it enough.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite book yet about the Dead. Gentle with its pacing, honest in its descriptions, and rich in context, this is a great introduction or refresher for anyone interested in Garcia's legacy.

[Chad Wakefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a very fast moving, detailed, interesting and informative book about a figure and band that I don’t really know much about. I never dove into the Grateful Dead, although I gave it a shot sort of when I heard Touch of Gray as a 13 year old. Many contradictions and juxtapositions.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the material about Garcia and the Dead interesting.

I find the attempts to place Garcia and the Dead in the larger context of American politics and society somewhat belabored.

And because the latter takes up a lot of the book I'm docking it two stars.

[Mary Newbegin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an honest portrayal of Garcia’s life and music, including interviews with band members and those who knew him well. I appreciated the details about the music and the band’s historical and cultural legacy.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like a great read for Real Heads and for someone who has never heard them play a note. Interspersing the chronology of the Dead and the concurrent events, it places them in their space and time.

[Ben Milde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

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