Thompson’s writing constantly surprises with perfect, unlikely metaphors, but he also knows when to let his rhetorical bombast take a back seat to the the actual (though obviously embellished) facts of history. He possesses an inexhaustible stock of synonyms for reproductive organs and destruction, often unleashing several at a time in a gruesome volley of portmanteaus.

Besides the entertainment of reading awesome stories compellingly told, this book’s ultimate value is as a series of studies in determination. It becomes clear that the prime virtue of the badass is his or her single-minded pursuit of of excellence (most often in the fields of bloodshed and vengeance).

If you’re into this sort of thing, it all began with the author’s blog, Badass of the Week.