Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Among the Bros:
Bros being bros.
Quick synopsis:
The story of a drug ring centered around fraternity members at the College of Charleston.
Fact for Non-History People:
How ingrained is Greek life in America? Only 2% of the population is involved in Greek life but they make up 80% of Fortune 500 executives, 76% of senators and congressmen, 85% of Supreme Court justices, and all but two presidents since 1825.
Fact for History Nerds:
In 2021, there was about 750,000 students in Greek life. It’s only 50,000 less than an all time high.
My Take on Among the Bros:
Bro, you need to read this book. Trust me, bro.
Max Marshall’s Among the Bros is basically what I expected and that was a good thing. Marshall tells the story of a drug ring which developed at a southern college that ended in a murder. If you are looking for a straight true crime book, then this actually isn’t it. Marshall also immerses the reader in the fraternity culture and at times explains his own experiences since he was in a frat at a different school.
I peeked at a few other reviews, and I noticed that many (not all) of the bad reviews for this book centered around Marshall being a bro himself and the fact he does not explicitly condemn Greek culture. While I agree that he does not denounce the culture explicitly, I respectfully disagree with their conclusions.
Marshall treats Greek life as a journalist and looks at it clinically. He does not say, “Frats do this and this is bad, shut them all down.” However, when you follow along with what he presents to the reader to explain where fraternities come from and what they have become, he is actually providing a searing indictment. At the same time, he fully recognizes his own part in this lifestyle and touches on how wistful it can seem years later. I think saying, “Frats are terrible and should be abolished,” will not reach readers who are prone to ignore that type of diatribe. Marshall does the harder job of showing, not telling.
Whether you love or hate Greek life, there is a book here for you. I highly recommend it.
(This book was provided for review by the publisher.)
Verdict:
A really good book. Buy it here!
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