Whether navigating the backroads of Louisiana or Thuringia, exploring the snowy Quebec woods, or performing onstage at Rush concerts, Neil Peart has stories to tell. His first volume in this series, Far and Away, combined words and images to form an intimate, insightful narrative that won many readers.

Now Far and Near brings together reflections from another three years of an artist’s life as he celebrates seasons, landscapes, and characters, travels roads and trails, receives honors, climbs mountains, composes and performs music. With passionate insight, wry humor, and an adventurous spirit, once again Peart offers a collection of open letters that take readers on the road, behind the scenes, and into the inner workings of an ever-inquisitive mind.

These popular stories, originally posted on Peart’s website, are now collected and contextualized with a new introduction and conclusion in this beautifully designed collector’s volume.

Neil Peart is an internationally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-nominated author, and for more than thirty-five years has been the celebrated drummer and lyricist for Rush, the most successful band in the history of Canadian rock music. Defying categorization, his books have earned a devoted, ever-growing readership by combining elements of memoir, travel writing, and social commentary with a thoughtful, musical sense of self-discovery. His previous books include Roadshow: Landscape With Drums, A Concert Tour by Motorcycle (2006), the story of Peart’s two-wheeled travels on Rush’s 30th Anniversary tour in 2004; TRAVELING MUSIC: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times (2004), a unique triple memoir of a man, a musician, and a traveler; and THE MASKED RIDER: Cycling in West Africa (1996), a richly textured account of bicycle touring in “the continent where both life and art began.” The relentlessly soul-searching GHOST RIDER: Travels on the Healing Road (2002) was chosen by The Writers’ Trust of Canada as a Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize finalist for its “exceptional merit” as one of the five best biographies of the year. For their achievements, Peart and his Rush bandmates have been appointed Officers of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor.

Neil Peart's profile page

“He has a keen eye for the physical beauty of the different landscapes he encounters … For rock fans and readers who enjoy a good road epic, this work will have great appeal.” — Booklist

“One does not need to be a Rush fan to appreciate Peart’s story telling. It’s a beautiful text, rife with interesting photos, anecdotes, and factoids” — The Huffington Post

”Experience the sheer joy Peart takes in life and his passion for sharing it with others. Far less scandalous than ‘rock drummer writes book’ might suggest but far more interesting, too.“ — Kirkus Reviews

“This is a fine travelogue that fans and general readers alike should enjoy.” — Publishers Weekly

“If you have a Rush fan, travel enthusiast, motorcycle rider, or an artist on your Christmas list (or all of the above), Peart’s new book seems like a perfect gift.” — Waterloo Chronicle