We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism

After the 2016 election, Americans witnessed a frightening trend: the sudden rise of a host of new extremist groups around the country. Emboldened by a new president, they started showing up at political rallies, building fervent online presences, and expanding at an alarming rate. Amid all this, one group seemed to show up in the news constantly, creating a reputation for its bizarre behavior and regular violence: the Proud Boys.

From leading extremism reporter Andy Campbell, We are Proud Boys is the definitive narrative exploration of this notorious group 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 inside 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 normalize extremism in America--has succeeded entirely, culminating with Republicans calling the January 6 insurrection "legitimate political discourse." The bizarre, frightening story of the Proud Boys lays bare 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.