A
gripping investigation into the nation’s most notorious far-right
group, revealing how they created a new blueprint for extremism and
turned American politics into a blood sport
After the 2016 election,
Americans witnessed a frightening trend: the sudden rise of a host of
new extremist groups across the country. Emboldened by a new
president, they flooded political rallies and built fervent online
presences, expanding rapidly until they were a regular sight at
everyday demonstrations. Amid the chaos, one group emerged as a
leader among the others, with matching outfits, bizarre rituals, and
a reputation for violence: the Proud Boys.
From leading extremism reporter
Andy Campbell, We Are
Proud Boys is the
definitive narrative exploration of this notorious street gang and
all the far-right movements they’re connected to. Through
groundbreaking new reporting, Campbell delivers the untold story
of a gang of blundering, punch-happy goons who grew to become the
centerpiece of American extremism and positioned themselves as the
unofficial enforcement arm of the GOP. Beginning with their
founding by Gavin McInnes, the media personality best known for
co-founding VICE, Campbell takes us deep into the Proud Boys,
laying bare their origins and their rise to prominence. As he exposes
the group’s noxious culture and strange rituals, he reveals how the
ultimate project of the Proud Boys–to desensitize Americans to
political violence–has succeeded entirely, culminating with
Republicans calling the January 6 insurrection “legitimate
political discourse.” The bizarre, frightening story of the
Proud Boys reveals the playbook they have created for domestic
extremism, giving us the necessary insight to push back against
radicalism in America before it swallows our democracy whole.