Among the Bros
-
-
4.4 • 48 Ratings
-
-
- $16.99
-
- $16.99
Publisher Description
“Among the Bros is a harrowing and disturbing book. I have read about fraternity life but nothing like this. This book will blow your mind, each page digging deeper into the unimaginable. Except every word is true.”—Buzz Bissinger, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito Bowl and Friday Night Lights
A brilliant young investigative journalist traces a murder and a multi-million-dollar drug ring, leading to an unprecedented look at elite American fraternity life.
When Max Marshall arrived on the campus of the College of Charleston in 2018, he hoped to investigate a small-time fraternity Xanax trafficking ring. Instead, he found a homicide, several student deaths, and millions of dollars circulating around the Deep South. He also opened up an elite world hidden to outsiders. Behind the pop culture cliches of “Greek life” lies one of the major breeding grounds of American power: 80 percent of Fortune 500 executives, 85 percent of Supreme Court justices, and all but four presidents since 1825 have been fraternity members. With unprecedented immersion, this book takes readers inside that bubble.
Under the live oaks and Spanish moss of Travel + Leisure’s “Most Beautiful Campus in America,” Marshall traces several “C of C” boys’ journeys from fraternity pledges to interstate drug traffickers. The result is a true-life story of hubris, status, money, drugs, and murder—one that lifts a curtain on an ecstatic and disturbing way of life. With expert pacing and a cool eye, he follows a never-ending party that continues after funerals and mass arrests.
An addictive and haunting portrait of tomorrow’s American establishment, Among the Bros is nonfiction storytelling at its finest.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Comedies like Animal House and Old School celebrate college frat life and its drunken high jinks, but investigative journalist Max Marshall’s thrilling true-crime book uncovers the privileged, problematic reality. Following a highly publicized 2016 campus drug bust, Marshall embedded himself as a student at the College of Charleston—and got a firsthand look at the rise and fall of kingpin Mikey Schmidt, who used the Kappa Alpha organization and other sympathetic fraternities as a national distribution network for controlled substances. Marshall chronicles the local Kappa Alpha chapter’s rise and fall, from wild parties with hip-hop stars to shocking episodes of drug-addled violence. Like an anthropologist studying a different culture, Marshall writes matter-of-factly about the destruction the group caused while other Greek organizations looked away. Narrated by actor Stephen Graybill, Among the Bros provides an up-close deep dive into an unsettling true story.
Customer Reviews
Wow, had low expectations but this book is fantastic
I took a chance on this strictly because I’m a former frat bro from ‘06. Figured I’d give it a shot.
I gotta say, this book was really good. The audiobook narrator does a good job too.
I can remember back in my day knowing all the dealers riding high and flashy only to get raided and ruin their lives. A tale as old as time.
Kinda funny that Gen Z bros are Bartards. Millennials pioneered addie and X, the Hippies had their LSD and mushrooms. 80s bros were coke heads. Every generation has their drugs of choice I guess.
The author does a good job of explaining the nuances of Greek. It’s a a very well written and insightful book.
Fascinating
Max did an excellent job of investigating and telling the story of this impressive, yet illegal, business operated by opportunistic college students. I’m a bit older than the subjects of this story however being from the Atlanta area and in a fraternity myself, this hit home. Like Max and his circle of friends, I questioned if I myself could snitch on my fraternity brothers. I’d like a follow up of how young men in this story are moving on with their lives.
Listeners Also Bought