Campbell makes a strong, detailed case that the Proud Boys have pretty successfully marketed themselves as a drinking club full of simple, salt-of-the-earth tough guys who sometimes get out of hand, despite openly crowing that they are a murderously violent political street-fighting gang, and despite committing numerous violent crimes in public. Many readers may be paying attention to the Proud Boys for the first time and be shocked by a lot of what Campbell reports. I’ve thought of myself as paying attention to the far right for years, but Campbell was able to show me a lot of new information and remind me of things I’d somehow forgotten. (Hey, ‘member that MAGA-Trump mail-bomb guy with the wild van covered in MAGA stickers and painted messages? I forgot that guy, but Campbell didn’t.)
Stacy Carolan’s narration is so good I caught myself talking back to him out loud at times. There are several moments I won’t spoil for future readers, where Carolan’s subtle intonation helps create the humor or the grimness the author’s words are trying to convey.