Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis

by Scott Payne, Michelle Shephard

For readers of The MAGA Diaries and Hate in the Homeland , an eye-opening and crucial true story of one man risking his life to infiltrate the most dangerous neo-Nazi group in the United States.

When Scott Payne was growing up, he never envisioned a future that included what happened on Halloween night 2019. Out in the woods of Georgia, he tried desperately to save a goat from being sacrificed in a ritual by a group of neo-Nazis without revealing that he was actually an undercover agent.

Now, this retired FBI agent reveals how and why he infiltrated the rapidly growing American Nazi group, The Base. Known as the “Hillbilly Donnie Brasco,” Payne was guided through some of the most terrifying and risky assignments in the FBI’s history by his devotion to his family and his Christian faith.

Timely and unputdownable, Code Pale Horse is an unflinching look at one of biggest threats in national security, as well as an inspiring memoir from an American hero.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, True Crime, Memoir, Biography, Crime, Politics

1 pages, Audio CD

First published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multiple times while reading Scott Payne's memoir Codename: Pale Horse, I found myself thinking, "Oh, this is going to get crazy!" Unfortunately, the book never provides enough detail and tension to draw the reader in. The subject is intriguing enough. Payne is a retired undercover FBI agent. As many reviewers have noted, the subtitle is very misleading. Payne doesn't get to any cases dealing with Nazis until two thirds of the way through a very short 220ish pages.

He covers multiple cases in his career which should serve as a font of exciting stories. However, only two cases are given more than a cursory rundown and even those feel like a lot of detail is skipped. I think if this was about one story with a lot more focus than this could have been much better. As it stands, it is not a bad book, but it leaves the reader wanting more in a bad way.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 25, 2025.

4 stars.

The cover information for the book is a bit misleading in that this covers the highlights of Payne’s career to date, not just his time infiltrating a neo-Nazi group; that part is less than half the book and while it is very interesting, I enjoyed his time spent with the Outlaws biker club just as much.

As to the neo-Nazis, the group was called The Base and he was with their Georgia outlet. They are “accelerationists” which means they don’t believe in a political solution to any of their complaints because the political system/system of government is corrupt. Society will collapse either on its own or due to a man made event so they should attempt to speed up that chaos. The Base specifically thinks that after sparking a race war they will then be involved with creating a white ethnostate. How they are going to do that with so few members is beyond me….maybe they have a great, super-secret recruiting plan or something. However, this appears to be the new thing…according to the book in 2021 90% of white nationalist groups are accelerationists.

I found the book both interesting and entertaining. Payne is not some golden boy plucked from the Ivy League and recruited to the FBI…he worked as a regular cop before he got interested. I think lots of guys who don’t always love to read might like this book.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the title I knew I wanted to read it. Maybe it is the times but it seems more important than ever that we root out Nazi behavior. This book was really well written and definitely grabbed the reader. I really liked to see the differences and what was the same from how media portrays undercover FBI work. I liked that he also put in a little about the impact on his family and the sacrifices he had to make to be successful as an undercover agent. I also liked how he humanized some of his marks and showed how despite their criminal behavior they were likable beucase that also seems realistic to me.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical going into this because it's not my usual, but I was completely captivated. I didn't even know going in that the author was born and raised in the city I live in now, and his first undercover KKK rally was near my hometown. It definitely made the horrors he wrote about hit closer to home. It's so surreal that groups with such extreme, hateful, and deceived beliefs exist in our world. The author had to act so normal amongst not only people who leaned on Satanic views to justify their actions, but what's almost worse, people who truly thought they were doing God's work. It's absolutely mindblowing.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Payne was a guest on the Armchair Expert podcast earlier this year, which is how I heard about him and this book. Code Name: Pale Horse is about Payne’s career as an undercover FBI agent. He details some of his cases which required false identities, extreme bravery, and commitment. Payne dealt with high stakes situations and while intense, I found his story engaging.

Now retired from the FBI, Payne offers an inside look that most of us aren’t privy to on a regular basis. I enjoyed hearing his story and listened to the audiobook of Code Name: Pale Horse, which Payne narrates himself.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learnt about this book in a very roundabout way. Basically, back in March or so I got really into Business Insider's 'Bootcamp' series of videos, which are basically mini military documentaries focusing on various aspects of military life. Because of that, my YouTube feed recommended me another Business Insider video: a sitdown interview with a former FBI undercover agent. Having nothing better to do one afternoon last month, I sat down and watched it.

Honestly, it was the author himself on the video that hooked me. He was GREAT at vividly describing some of the situations he found himself in over the last 20+ years of his career. Because of his background as a Southern white boy, he was perfect for infiltrating places like the Outlaws motorcycle club (an organised crime syndicate which I had never heard of but is in fact the world's second-biggest biker club, behind the much more famous Hells Angels MC) and white supremacist outfits like the KKK and, more recently, the Base. The book doesn't actually contain much more info than is in his hour-long interview (a shame, I could have read multiple books about his career) and though it's well-written, I strongly recommend the interview too to really bring it all to life.

[Matthew Huang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book because the other book I started has been on hold at the library for over a month 😩 I don’t like reading multiple books at once but since I’ve been waiting for years for whoever is taking their sweet time with the other book, I decided to start reading Code Name: Pale Horse.
I originally heard this book from a podcast where Scott Payne was being interviewed. Despite hearing a lot of his stories from that episode, there was still so much to learn about life as an undercover FBI as well I as all the crime that is happening in America.
What I appreciated most about this memoir is how he kept his faith as a Christian central to all his stories. He continually credited his safety and success to God.
Would definitely recommend this book!!

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was 10x more chilling than any thriller I’ve read.

Because it’s real life. Scott Payne, a former FBI agent, specializes in the undercover. He tells stories from his life from infiltrating pro-white, racist groups like the KKK and to even more terrifying, radical, racist and dangerous, The Base.

Hearing the depth of motivation and ideals of these humans made me physically nauseous.

The big surprise of this book was finding out that Scott grew up in my hometown! He went to a high school my friends went to and went to a church that I’ve actually been to!

Deeply unsettling and highly fascinating. Thank you Atria Books for this gifted copy!!

[Paula Bobsin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was first intrigued by Scott from his episode on Armchair expert and wanted to hear more about his stories about being an undercover FBI agent. Sadly I didn’t think his writing style was great and the book was kind of a series of unfinished thoughts. I didn’t think he gave enough detail to draw me into the stories like I had hoped (and I’m not sure if it’s because he actually couldn’t go into more detail). It’s definitely an interesting topic that I loved learning about (listened on audio), but this book didn’t quite do it for me!

[John Devlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

(1.5)

So a lot to say here, this book is a classic bait and switch…it’s only 225 pages and perhaps 50 is about combating supposed white supremacist organizations.

The book is back story origins and then a few tales of being hired as an ersatz hit man and then a long take on infiltrating the Outlaws, a biker gang that’s cut in the mold of the Hells angels or the mongols.

Here’s where the book starts to get sketchy. These bikers are close to moronic. Sure, they’re probably dangerous but using the weight and resources of the federal govt to go after a group who seem to be desperately casting around for illegal activity almost seems pathetic on their part and the FBI’s part.

The author entices these evil doers with supposed access he can get to Mexico so they will give him their motorcycles, claim their stolen, and reap the insurance windfall…oh wow, what a diabolical plan.

“Joe Doggs offered me three Harleys, which would be reported stolen for the insurance. One of the Harleys belonged to Clothesline and one to a member known as “Rain.” I can’t remember where the third one came from. The way the plan worked was that I’d pay him a hot (stolen) rate for the bikes and then “transport” them to Mexico for profit.

Doggs was a mess. In addition to never having the collateral to pay me up front, he hadn’t even arranged to have the motorcycles all in one place for pickup. That meant we were driving through residential neighborhoods,
bike that belonged to member Richard Elliott, a.k.a. “Rain.” His motorcycle wouldn’t crank, so we had to push it a fair distance to the truck and then up the ramp to load. That wasn’t a good start.”

Or this wonderful accolade, “proudly earning his “brown wings.” Earning your wings meant performing some kind of anal intercourse on a woman while your biker buddies watched.

Similarly, in order to infiltrate some pill sellers in the Appalachians he sells them out of state cigarettes—the taxes in places like New York in comparison to say Virginia make this a money making side gig for folks who want to fill up their trunks with Marlboros and go for long drives. The follow on to this are dozens of arrests on drug charges but the takeaway from all this is penny-ante.

So this is the book for most of its short length, so let’s get to the part where the author supposedly went undercover to expose America’s Nazis!

First there’s a lone wolf, incel, dweeb loser who are protagonist gives guns to so the fbi can then bust him for his homicidal musings.

Then there’s the Klan, our fbi man is able to join up with a phone call, some guitar playing, and a walk out into the forest where bullets are shot overhead to threats about this is what happens to snitches.

Navy SEALS this is not. Even in one of the fbi training seminars we get this, “It was an exhausting and grueling two weeks—no days off.” Oh wow

But nothing else comes from this and the Klan, as the writer says, “the Klan are basically your grandpa’s white supremacists”.

So here’s the meat of the novel, and I say meat the way a vegetarian does and I say novel…well..the way someone who reads does…

“The Base was one of the fastest-rising, most radical white supremacist groups operating in the U.S. They had only been formed a year before, in 2018, but they were quickly gaining American supporters, and cells were popping up around the world. They were domestic terrorists trying to incite a race war. They wanted society to collapse so they could establish a white ethno-state.”

Damn, this sounds crazy scary…and then one starts to look closer.

How does one enter the sanctum sanctorum of such a diabolical organization?

Well, you fill out a form on their website and within a few days you’re being questioned by four guys on Zoom like you’re applying for a low level manager position at fedex.

And who’s one of the interviewers? The leader of the organization. Not exactly a large group when the boss is reaching down to interview a guy straight off the net.

Quickly our hero is a part of a group of about a dozen guys. He stands out bc he’s so outside their demographic, which is guys just out of their teens with huge chips on their shoulders spouting all kinds of provocative hate about blacks and Jews.

The stuff they’re purported to have said is truly awful stuff but the language starts to come across as almost comical when you realize that it’s apparent that this is more of an obvious way for a bunch of young loser males to bond while doing a gun toting camping trip.

To set the scene, these young warrior/philosophers aren’t discussing eugenics, national socialism, or the intricacies of world war 2, they’re creating silly fake Norse rituals with blood and runes carved in wood and a goat that is sacrificed and blood drunk.

LoL the night where they dropped acid and the goat meets its demise coalesces into a farce when of course the machete they bring can’t chop the goat’s head off so they have to resort to several shots to the goats head…our fbi agent is so bothered by the goat’s demise he wonders if his surveillance team will barge in to stop the killing…

They don’t, but they later charge the men with animal cruelty..

Finally, two of the men hatch a plan to kill these two people they think are antifa…this seems serious and their casual discussions are chilling…but the FBI has all this wired and they arrest the men a few days before they can act.

But I’m left with far more questions about the FBI and the white supremacists movement now than before I started the book.

A quick AI search shows the men were not found guilty of attempted murder but a laundry list of weapons charges. Now perhaps that’s bc of prosecutors wanting the easier low hanging legal fruit, but here these men’s plans and polemics are all on tape…so hmm

Next is the larger picture. If as the author claims the Base and the new whites supremacy is on the rise why haven’t we seen similar cases to his? The only parallel is the FBI’s arrest of the purported kidnappers of Michigan Governor Whitmer that ended badly for the fbi when the men were mostly found not guilty and it was revealed that the Michigan evil doers were being egged on, curated, guided by the fbi itself.

I start to suspect the same happened here…other than the obvious parallels what would be the chances that the fbi reads some internet chatter and stumbles on the only other group of incel wannabes who have the wherewithal to plan an attack?

Some other takeaways and observations: the fbi and white supremacists are like Batman and Joker…they need each other…otherwise they’re just goofy ass guys running around in capes.

You can run a direct line from these Base supporters back to John Brown…
How? All believe that they will commit a violent act and the world will go to shit and from that dog pile of disorder they will be chosen to rise up and lead…John Brown massacred folks and thought slaves would take up arms and need him to lead…

Charles Manson thought killing white families would create a race war where he would lead the fallen blacks.

The weather underground believed that doing small scale bombings would unleash the pent up fury of the poor and the working class against the wealthy and the govt…

And now the Base etc think that killings will lead to chaos where they will have the grit and courage to lead… ““they vowed to “fucking like shut down highways” or derail train lines.”

It would be really fucking funny except these narcissistic dimwits always end up killing innocents far more than themselves..

“America had finally woken up to the problem in our midst with the devastating “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, where Nazi flags were on full display”

The author later admits that the rally consisted of about 100 men….he doesn’t mention that the next year there was about 25.
Robert Spenser, who was the rally point for white supremacists can’t get more than 100 people at his year end convocations…

There are thousands of men who go to the My Little pony convention each year…that’s far more disturbing.
My point is in a country of 340 million you can get a few hundred folks to come out for absolutely anything…

Again, see my comment about Batman v Joker

And it’s odd that in a society that the author would like you to think has a race problem he has one anecdote from his whole life. He’s a teen with a group of friends, some of whom are black, and they get busted by the cops for having alcohol in the car. The author claims the blacks were roughed up and trash talked more than the whites…of course, the cops let them all go, so that example of racism seems thin at best.

Ahh but here is real racism,
“But it took awhile to get a job, as I was told by law enforcement agencies across South Carolina that they were not hiring white males at the time.”

“law enforcement agencies all over America looked inward after the death of George Floyd.”

No inward vision was needed.
Derek Chauvin was innocent; George Floyd OD’d on fentanyl with a heart that had severe arteriolosclerosis.

“The second he left, I made sure to record every part of the deal in my daily investigative report, my “302.”

Only ironic in that when General Flynn was interviewed by the FBI those agents took weeks to write up their 302.

The above case was a bunch of internet losers but they got better FBI due diligence than the head of America’s national security..

The typical white supremacist
“Eisen’s real name was William Garfield Bilbrough, and he was still a teenager and acted like one. He was a stocky, redheaded, 170-pound pizza delivery boy who lived with his grandmother and trained in mixed martial arts.”

“There were a lot of similarities between the way Al Qaeda and The Base organized and the propaganda they developed. I remember after 9/ 11, the videos of Al Qaeda’s training camps in Afghanistan that played over and over on the news; jihadis in masks.”

Ahhh but the salient difference between the two groups is that Islam is a religion that’s followed by about a billion souls, that the saudis and others have madrasas by the bushel set up throughout the Middle East, that depending on the time suicide bombers are as thick as fireflies on a southern summer night.

See one is an actual group that has hundreds of million of dollars, controls Afghanistan, and perpetrated 10/7…while the other are a dozen guys here or there playing national guard in the forest while trying to be so edgy with their language…heres an example of their pathetic iconoclasm , “American flag first, and as he was trying to put the flag in the fire, he almost fell in. A huge part of me wanted to just let that play out, but I grabbed the other side of the flag. Members chanted “Fuck America!” as it burned. Then, it was time for the Bibles. The Bibles were placed open, face down in the flames. “Fuck your Jewish God!” “Fuck Jesus!” they yelled…

Oh what rebels…devoid of intellect they think burning a few bibles and cursing Jesus makes them Martin Luther.

[Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When the average American thinks of white supremacy, they conjure up an image of the Ku Klux Klan, the guys in the white robes and pointy hats..."

Code Name: Pale Horse was a great telling of an exciting undercover career. I was looking for something a little different from some of the books I typically read, so I thought I'd give this one a go. I first became aware of the author from his recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which I really enjoyed.

Author Scott Payne is a retired FBI Special Agent who spent twenty-eight years in law enforcement investigating cases against drug- and human-trafficking organizations, human traffickers, outlaw motorcycle clubs, gangs, public corruption, and domestic terrorism. He was also a SWAT team operator and instructor for firearms, tactics, and undercover operations. He lives in the Southeast with his wife, two daughters, and dogs.

Scott Payne :


Payne writes with an excellent style here, and the book is a real page-turner. He gets the writing off on a good foot, with a lively intro. He also narrated the audio version of the book, and did a fantastic job of the narration, too. He drops the quote above at the start of the book, and it continues:

"...But the Klan are basically your grandpa’s white supremacists, with deep historical roots in this country. What’s new today is a much broader white power movement. There are a lot of names and it’s hard to sort who’s who. A lot of far-right groups get labeled as white supremacists when they’re not. Take for instance groups like the Proud Boys, the Boogaloos, or militias like the Wolverine Watchmen or the Oath Keepers. These organizations may have white supremacist members and engage in illegal activities like trying to overthrow the government or kidnap a governor. But they’re not part of the movement I’m talking about. Other groups, like the Patriot Front, the Nationalist Socialist Movement, the League of the South, or the Traditionalist Workers Party, are white supremacist groups, and they’re definitely dangerous, but they’ve been around for a while."

The meat and potatoes of the book are incredible stories from the author's multi-decade career. He was involved with a takedown of The Outlaws Motorcycle Club. He also details his efforts in infiltrating a few different Neo-Nazi groups in the US. The book also contained many pictures at the end, which was a nice touch. I find pictures in books like this to be of great value, as they make a great addition to any story, and help bring some context to the writing as well.


These stories made for a great read. I won't be covering them here though, as I don't want to give away any spoilers. I will say that along the way, he had a few hairy close calls, where he stared death in the face multiple times. Only through a combination of "verbal judo," skill, and sheer luck was he able to escape to tell his story.

"A photo of me after I had passed the face-to-face vetting process with The Base and was given one of their trademark balaclavas and patch with runes (which is on my mouth)."


********************

I enjoyed this one. It was interesting and exciting. I would easily recommend it to anyone interested.
5 stars.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate it when a book is marketed as something it’s not. It was a fascinating read but I was frustrated by how long it took to get to the Nazi bits, which constitute less than half the book whereas the subtitle made it sound like all Nazis all the time.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Payne was so honest in code name pale horse. So brave! Without people like Scott Payne where would the world be?

“I’m not going to wade into the debates about policing except to say I’m saddened by how the base has been tarnished and how law enforcement is no longer seen as a noble profession by many. But I will say this. There are evil people on this planet who want to do evil things to good people. It’s been that way pretty much since the dawn of time. That’s where we step in. That’s why we’re needed.”

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Payne is the ideal bar patron on a slow day. He has the aura of a badass, a best friend, and a dad all in one, and his stories and storytelling ability can keep you enthralled for days. I discovered him through the YouTube series "Authorized Account," before immediately searching for any books he had authored. I feel like I've struck gold, especially with his self-narrated audiobook.

Despite feelings of inadequacy or dysfunctionality towards the FBI overall, it is clear that Scott was a gifted undercover agent. It was hilarious how many times his targets said "I knew I didn't have to worry about you." It was understandable for him to feel connected to the targets, especially when the Outlaws were checking on him after his surgery. It must be so tough to do all you can to get connected, but not too connected, to these groups. However, it was probably easier to keep distance from "The Base." It's terrifying that there are such prepared and trained individuals out there waiting for the pin to drop (or actively working to accelerate it). This book taught me a lot about the inner workings of these orgs, and I really appreciated Scott's constant reassurance on his moral beliefs and how they conflicted with these orgs, especially when he was doing "what he had to do."

Can't wait for Scott's next book, if he is working on one. Until then, I am going to binge podcasts he's recorded....

[Megan Maradiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code Name: Pale Horse by Scott Payne is nothing like my usual fantasy escapes. Instead of whisking me away to magical worlds, it drags me straight into the harsh reality of today, forcing me to confront the vile ideologies still thriving around us. It’s a sobering reminder of the twisted belief some hold—that they’ve lost their claim to America or no longer belong in it. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking all at once.
As a biracial person, I can’t comprehend the idea that diversity weakens a country. I wasn’t raised to believe in the concept of racial purity because it’s fundamentally false. Scott Payne’s account left me in awe—not just because of his ability to convincingly infiltrate white supremacist circles but also because of the sheer endurance required to do so. The mental and physical toll of managing operations, teaching classes, maintaining a family, and working undercover is unfathomable.
Reading this gave me a greater appreciation for the work of FBI agents like Payne. His story offers a rare glimpse into the complex, often harrowing world of undercover operations and the resilience it demands. This book is both an eye-opener and a powerful reminder of the work being done to combat hatred from within.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

[Kat Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Payne spent a lot of his FBI career working undercover operations. He infiltrated groups such as the Outlaws motorcycle gang and the Base, a neo-Nazi group.

I really enjoyed this memoir. I will say that it was slightly different than what I expected going into it. The title and blurb led me to believe the book would focus on his time with the neo-Nazi group. I was interested to read more about this group and their depraved thoughts and perhaps insights into combating these mindsets. And while we got some of that, over half of the book was Payne’s history with other undercover operations.

I still really enjoyed the peek into a world most of us know nothing about and probably glamorize more than we should. I left the book feeling even more appreciative of the men and women who are willing to risk their lives in order to make the country a better place for all.

This book releases on March 25, 2025. A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Garrett Alcorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what possessed me to write such a review, but here goes. Nowadays the world feels dark, this book pushes a message of hope that landed with me. Scott’s motivated by his faith, which I don’t fully share, but I still found a lot of common ground. He’s clearly out to stop hate and call out the systems that fuel it. I don’t fully align with organized religion, but I do respect personal spirituality. And that’s what comes through here… someone using their beliefs to push for justice, not control. That’s rare. And it matters.

[Linnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting. There is so much I can say about this book, but the most important is how very real hate groups are a threat to democracy in this country. Thanks to the service, courage and hard work of Scott Payne, a true patriot and hero to America. “Be careful who you choose as your enemy because that’s who you become most like.” Nietzsche

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. I first heard about it while listening to Scott’s episode on Jerri Williams’ FBI Case File Review podcast and downloaded it right away. His stories were fascinating, and he does an excellent job of showing the seriousness of the situation without making it feel overwhelming. That said, these are heavy topics, and hearing the rhetoric and violent plans of the white supremacy groups he infiltrated was truly frightening.

[Kami Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was very little flair to Scott Payne's writing, which shockingly was one of my favorite parts of the book. White supremacy is a difficult topic to cover. Payne wrote with a directness that allowed the disturbing events he lived through to speak for themselves. I would love to meet Scott Payne; he is an American hero. Dang. I'm emotional even thinking about this haha. He suffered so much and lost an absurd amount of his life to tackle Nazi's/white supremacy. And he literally was never looking for credit! So humble.

[Rob Wayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard his interview with Joe Rogan and he did most of the talking. That’s what led me to his book and let me tell you, it is one hell of a read. All the cases he talked about in his book could be a movie all of their own. Unbelievable story and a great read!!

[Myriah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Scott’s stories about the realities of these hate groups in America. The stress that a job like this brings and the toll it also takes on your family and home life.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

worth listening to the audio book because kinda like a story time but longer

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this was 4x as long. So so fascinating and such important work!

[Riddhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this book after hearing Payne as a guest on Armchair Expert. I wish there was more depth beyond what he did on his missions but it was a great little peek into the hell that exists in America

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

[audiobook] interesting enough but lacked some of the depth I was expecting. Seemed a bit self congratulatory.
Note: only the last third of the book relates to the subtitle.

[Chelsea Karosas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read! Not much of a “follow the plot” type book but interesting and revealing nonetheless

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at a sect of law enforcement that I know...absolutely nothing about. Payne and Shephard are great guides, their prose full of personality, honesty, and, even despite the topic, fun. You feel like Payne is telling you his story over a meal.

The tagline/marketing is, IMO, stretching the truth of the content--we're spending time with biker gangs and addicts for 60-70% of the book, not Nazis--but the content is worth it regardless. Good time. Learned a lot.

[Andrew Chadick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. Enjoyed the podcast he did with Joe Rogan more since he basically told every story in the book on the pod.

[Elizabeth Rakow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book club pick. I think the work Payne has done is admirable and I am glad there are people willing to do that work, but this felt like reading a college admission essay.