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Badass  By  cover art

Badass

By: Ben Thompson
Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
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Publisher's summary

A Relentless Onslaught of the Toughest Warlords, Vikings, Samurai, Pirates, Gunfighters, and Military Commanders to Ever Live

Throughout history - from the bone-crushing age of antiquity to the sack-tearing modern era - there have been larger-than-life ass-kickers with a natural talent for unleashing their epic bloodlust on anyone who crossed them. They built empires, smashed armies, and ravaged civilizations for wealth, glory, and ultimate supremacy. Sometimes villains, sometimes heroes, sometimes criminally insane, they had one thing in common: They were all Badass!

Chandragupta Maurya
An Indian warlord who commanded an army of drunken war elephants and employed an elite detachment of highly trained female bodyguards

Peter Francisco
An unsung hero of the American Revolution, this powerful giant battled the British with a massive five-foot-long broadsword

Wolf the Quarrelsome
A mysterious barbarian leader who only appears in history twice - and both times he's kicking someone's ass

Bhanbhagta Gurung
A fearless Gurkha who won the Victoria Cross by clearing out six Japanese foxholes with nothing more than grenades, a bayonet, and a knife

From Alexander the Great to George S. Patton, from Genghis Khan to Bruce Lee, this pantheon of ass-kicking awesomeness should inspire you to quit your stupid job and dive headfirst into a new career as a professional badass.

©2009 Ben Thompson (P)2009 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Badass

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Great material, sophmoric treament

This book had promise; a review of some of the toughest, most interesting characters in history. Unfortunately, it reads as though written by the protagonists of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I recommend The Deadliest Men by Paul Kirchner, which is not, alas, available on Audible.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Bad, if You're into that Sort of Thing

An entertaining listen, if looked at as historic comedy/satire. Unfortunately, the book tends to exaggerate a "badass" person's badass-itude using fantastical elements (a pirate lifting a cannon and uses it as a bat to hit his foes away, a general using headbutts to win wars, and various people doing it "Metal Gear Solid" or "Legend of Zelda" style.)

Very early in the book, I got fed up with the repeated use of the following phrases:

-Balls-out
-Bast*rds
-Jack***es
-Truly bad*ss

If you want to get a lighthearted look at history, or get tween boys interested in it, this book is ideal. If you just want to get balanced, mature, level information on the toughest, most impressive characters in history, look elsewhere.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Unconventional

If you weren't put off by the title and you enjoy a great story narrated with gusto, this might be the book for you. I loved it but I don't think any english teacher is going to recommend it. Review the author's web site, badass.com, to read some story lines on 'badass' history characters to get a flavor for his 'over the top' writing style. The author, himself, is badass and doesn't care one bit for someone's sensibilities. He just likes to tell a great story in a fun way. L

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The name says it all

With a name like "Badass", you really don't go into this with high literary expectations. To be fair, low overall expectations are more likely. However, if you make the mistake of judging this book by its title, you're making a very non-badass mistake. Broken up into short, very "Spike-TV" style sections, this book keeps your interest--sometimes just to hear what the next euphemism for being hit in the scrotum will be (which does wear a bit thin after the first 100 or so). This book is not for the faint of heart. This book is for those who are comfortable with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne style solutions.

Aside from the normal cast of characters in any retelling of the most dominant men of history, there are a few genuine surprises for the student of badassery. Freed slaves, woman ninjas and samurai, and even a mad scientist are included in this rollercoaster through historical toughness. Nevermind that the history involved tends to take on a convenient interpretation to match the theme. It's still fun.

So, sit back and enjoy this instant classic of micro-history focusing on the universal church of badassness. Just remember to wear a cup.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

accurate but hilarious history!

This had me laughing so hard that I kept having to rewind so my husband could hear it; yet the history is accurate. I LOVE this book!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Shazam!

Had they taught history like this in school,
I would've never missed a moment, and would've
been begging for homework! What a refreshing
way to learn all the things you didn't know you
didn't know, and re-learn all the stuff you thought you did! Hats off to the author, and the narrator? Perfecto mundo! So, to quote the famous non-badass, Gomer Pyle - "Shazam!" Can't wait for the author's next venture in time.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

It's a historical comedy

Really, the title and the discription of the book says it all. This book is history as told by a comedian. I personally think it's a nice change from the stuffy history books that I am used to. Some other reviewers complain that the humor is stupid and immiture. I admit that this humor is not for everyone,The author uses a lot of exageration comedy when it comes to talking about the people in this book. If you are in high school or college and want to read an interesting and funny history book, then this is the book for you.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

decent listen but nothing special

This book is an interesting listen, I learned some new things. It is not the best book you will ever read but it is a fun and easy listen.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

History as Told by The WWF

This book is strangely entertaining, although I found it to be over the top silly. I'm quite sure that it would appeal to anyone who likes wrestling, hip hop and pop culture. Sadly, I found that it got annoying and repetitious. Nevertheless, I was glad that I stayed with it to the very end. It is populated by some extremely interesting individuals, even if the descriptions of their lives was not as artful as I had hoped. You can't help but learn a few things. Keep your expectations low and you will probably enjoy it.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

BADASS

To describe this is as superficial would be to give it too much credit. It's target audience must have been twelve year old boys. I;ve read better written comic books. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME .

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3 people found this helpful