My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous: A Memoir

by Barrett Brown

Barrett Brown--journalist, hacktivist, troublemaker, face of Anonymous, legend in his own mind--went to prison for four years for leaking intelligence documents. He was released to Trump's America. This is his story.

After four years in prison for obstruction of justice, accessory after the fact, and threatening a federal officer, Barrett Brown is a free man.

Bringing together a unique blend of journalism, activism, and personal hubris in My Glorious Defeats, Brown recounts tales of his connection to the hacktivist group Anonymous, of his volatile relationship to the world's most notorious hackers, of the drugs he took and stories he wrote, and of his time in prison. He describes his arrest for his part in attempting to catalog, interpret, and disseminate top-secret documents exposed in an embarrassing lapse in security by the intelligence contractor Stratfor in 2011. And he guides us with hilarious and unapologetic contempt through his charges, trial, and sentencing.

But his story doesn't end with a heavy-handed miscarriage of justice. From prison, Barrett wrote an award-winning column about life behind bars and his compulsion to speak truth to power. Now, he tells us how he's addressing the corrosion of the rule of law and the diminished role of the media under the rule of a demagogue. He has a viable, active plan to harness the collective power of modern tools of communication to promote the public good.

Bold and combative, part Hunter S. Thompson, part Antonio Gramsci (not really), My Glorious Defeats is part memoir, part manifesto--a roaring indictment of the increasingly powerful and increasingly dangerous cyber-industrial complex.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Technology, Politics, Autobiography

416 pages, Hardcover

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Barrett Lancaster Brown is an American journalist, essayist and activist. He founded Project PM, a research collaboration and wiki, to facilitate analysis of the troves of hacked emails and other leaked information concerning the inner workings of the cyber-military-industrial complex.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf @25%

I thought this memoir would be fascinating; I was really interested in learning what Brown has to say about Anonymous, and I’m sure he has a good story to tell. But unfortunately I had to call it quits after 3 (long) chapters because of his writing style. Brown’s writing drips with an attempt at obnoxious sarcasm and ‘bro humor’ that just comes across really irritating and douchebaggy to me, and I couldn’t make it through a whole book of this.
I’m sure he has an interesting story to tell, and if you can stomach the writing style you’ll enjoy this much more than me…

[Marinna · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know the saying that goes something like "when someone tells you who they are, believe them"? I should have listened. The cover of Barrett Brown's book includes 'Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous: A Memoir.' He certainly comes across as a narcissist. My Glorious Defeats is a semi-coherent, but mostly rambling memoir of someone who I think believes he is a much bigger figure than her actually is. We are given long chapters with random stories related to incarceration and Brown's acquaintances. His drug use is often referenced, as well as constantly changing girlfriends. I felt like so much of the information we are given had no impact on the story and felt like self-aggrandizing fluff.

I almost stopped listening after the first few chapters as I felt uninterested as to how the prison stories were relevant to the overarching story. I stuck it out in the interest of hearing the intersection of Anonymous and Julian Assange (as he's been released this week). I don't think my efforts had any real payoff, and I can't say I would recommend this memoir to most people. Perhaps there is a subset of Barrett Brown fans or fan-girls (ex-girlfriends?), but I can't imagine his story being compelling to most. I much rather would have been interested in his upbringing, computer use/getting into 4chan, how he decided to make the actions he did, etc. but this was not that. There is random name dropping and boasting, very bad voice impersonations, and what felt like no clear storyline.

A pro for the audiobook is that Barrett Brown himself narrates and he does have a strong voice. I was also interested to learn Brown was the inspiration behind Mr. Robot - a show I really enjoyed and had no idea.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author and narrator Barrett Brown for an ALC of My Glorious Defeats.

[Tara Cignarella · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Glorious Defeats by Barrett Brown
Narration: C
Content/Memoir: C-
Story Telling/Writing: C-
Best Aspect: Allows the listener to hear the words and thoughts of a person who cares just for themselves.
Worst Aspect: Very hard to follow in part, so much chatter about the author that wasn’t cohesive. Choppy.
Recommend: No.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This annoying and engrossing book is a must-read to understand better the world we live in. Brown spent years in federal prison on ridiculous charges; he and his long-suffering mother were targeted after Brown became a prominent face of Anonymous.

Brown writes about what Anonymous was like in its heyday, when it was able to help a revolution in Tunisia. He is most entertaining when describing the horrors of the federal prison system, writing engagingly about life in the SHU in Seagoville. And he's most educational denouncing the incompetence of the media (including my beloved "All Things Considered") and the unnoticed, banal evil of private companies cooperating with intelligence agencies with no care for the Constitution, much less privacy or even accuracy. The banality of evil, a term coined by Hannah Arendt to describe the Nazi bureaucracy, is on vivid display.

While I found Brown's ego exhausting, he knows he's an egomaniac, and at least he's one who is on the right side of things, as opposed to, say, Peter Thiel, one of his many antagonists. Strongly recommended.

[esmereadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Glorious Defeats represents the autobiographical intersection of several spheres: the literary and the journalistic; the tragic and the comic; the technological and the human - justice and injustice, doled out in unequal, unbelievable measures. Brown's story is a complex one, marked by the machinations of the (corrupt, conspiratorial, and, frankly, moronic) powers that be, but here it is told with impish panache. Less a memoir than a modern-day picaresque, whatever absurd situation he finds himself in - be it placed (wrongfully) behind bars, or held in the throes of a drug addiction, or facing deportation for holding a sign the wrong way round - Barrett Brown manages to find the humour in it, to use his individual experience to speak towards something more profound.

The final chapter felt, in its current form, a little less tightly constructed than the others - that being said, every other aspect was a delight (and the cover, and title, are excellent).

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for this ebook ARC.

[Serena · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I saw this audio ARC on NetGalley, I was really intrigued and excited to listen to Barrett Brown’s story about Anonymous, hacktivism, and his sentencing/federal prison time. Unfortunately, I made the decision to DNF after a very painful 20% of the book, determining there was no way I could force myself to listen to another 8 hours.

The storyline is very disjointed. After a few chapters, I’m still not sure what the point is, where he is going, or what his angle is with this book. It’s like a collection of anecdotes and what honestly comes across as attempts at narcissistic sensationalism. Several moments early on I felt were absolutely made up to make himself sound like a cool “bro”. Sorry Barrett, I’m not buying what you’re selling.

The nail in the coffin for me is the narration - Barrett’s voice lacks intonation and emotion, and is quite garble-y at times. It almost gives Ben Stein, but without Ben’s clear enunciation and signature humor that makes his monotony entertaining. They really needed a different narrator unless the goal is for the listeners to sleep through 10 hours of this book.

I can’t speak for the whole book, so maybe someone will like this. When I’m feeling the need for self-flagellation maybe I’ll attempt to listen to more of this…

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kevin M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrible to listen to, full of pointless stories and delusions.

in the end I felt cheated as I wasted 9 hours of my life to listening to this heroin tech bro who doesn't even bro.

from the Amazon description there is this bit

"He was arrested for his part in an attempt to catalog, interpret, and disseminate top-secret documents exposed in a security lapse by the intelligence contractor Stratfor in 2011. "

which is completly false, he copy pasted a link with credit card details from Stratfor.

that was it, he did nothing anything remotely related to the Stratfor leak, this is documented in the extensive coverage of his case in the media and just a simple straight forward example of his book, full of revisionism and unrelated bollocks.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF after 2 hours in. I could not bear to waste any more time on this one.

Author came across as untrustworthy, stories were self absorbed, hard to follow actual "memoir" through tangents.

[Xheni · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book went as expected for the title.

[Dara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barrett Brown is a self-professed drug addict who never did anything that important. And I agree. He got into some trouble on the internet and when held to account his defense is: well, the government does worse stuff. If you listen to this book you’ll hear the author read all quotes attributed to authority figures in various silly voices. Barrett Brown isn’t bitter at all, either. I feel like I wasted hours of my life.

[Marian Semic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading in every journalism course in the English speaking world. Barrett Brown (albeit a man with many self-confessed flaws) is an American hero of the same self sacrificing caliber as Edward Snowden. This is a true horror story of what our media and the McIntelligence community has become. This book needs to go viral before our government finds a way to squash it. Trust me, they will try.

[ARC Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Glorious Defeats is a disappointing read that fails to deliver on its intriguing premise. The book indulges in self-aggrandizement and meandering narratives that overshadow any potential insights.

Brown's writing style is cumbersome and overly verbose. What could have been a concise exploration of his experiences in hacktivism and activism is buried under layers of unnecessary detail and tangents. The narrative lacks focus, making it a challenge to follow and draining to read.

Brown's relentless self-promotion and narcissistic tone detract from the credibility of his story. Rather than offering genuine introspection or critical analysis, the memoir reads like a platform for the author to boast about his exploits and grievances. Throughout the book, Brown plays fast and loose with facts, leaving readers uncertain about what to believe. This lack of transparency erodes trust and leaves the memoir feeling more like fiction than reality.

My Glorious Defeats is a tedious and unreliable account that I would caution readers against. Its self-centered narrative and questionable accuracy make it a frustrating and ultimately unrewarding read.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few years ago, I ran across a list of show business douche bags. You know who most of them are. The author pointed out that a couple of them clearly knew how douchey they are and asked whether that got them off the hook. She concluded that a self-aware douche bag is still a douche bag. Barrett Brown is a self-aware douche bag. He knows that he's obnoxious and glories in it. He'd like to change the world in a positive way and hopes that he can do it by being a gadfly. But wow, this guy is hard to take. How did he make it through four years of prison without getting himself killed? No wonder the Justice Department is out to get him. He asks for it at every turn!

On the other hand, he's very smart, he has a great writing style and, in my opinion, he's right about 90% of the issues he takes a stand on. And in a world where too many former good guys have gone wonky or alt right, he's true to his convictions. I had to like him for all of that despite my need to hate him for being so obnoxious.

More than once in my Goodreads reviews I have panned an author for being right in his conclusions but so flawed in his methods and attitude that I would never want him on my side. I come out the opposite way with Barrett Brown. As obnoxious as he is, I like him. I could actually be friends with this guy and fight side by side with him in the battle for a more just world.

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

89%

My glorious defeats. Indeed, I deal with the justice system in so many different ways, and that's why I figured out, in part, that why you need to have control. If you don't have control over yourself and your environment, there's so little that you can do. Because, really, people are operating on such low integrity and honesty that they just do whatever they want, and there's no accountability for it. And having to be in the same arena where I'm fighting against people with low integrity, low honesty, and end up pushing out these false narratives to ruin people, it really speaks to me deeply and reminds me, you know what? I have come to the decision. I'm going to work hard to fight back, fight back, and ruin these bastards' lives. And it's good to see a fellow compatriot that also strikes back venomously against people that are doing evil things, like the government, different businesses. Yeah.

[Gabriel Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am giving this five stars unread. Seems a safe bet.

There are literary, journalistic , academic and cultural debates that encompass us like a surround sound of incessant crickets.

This has nothing to do with any of that, finally.

It does but it doesn't.

Because there are also conflicts, combats, gladitorial conflicts which define culture and are limned with cosmic fire.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu!
Coyote and Roadrunner!
Columbo and some smug affluent nullity who has killed for mere $$
Holmes and Moriarty!
Huitzipotli and Quetzalcoatl!

Barret Brown and Peter Thiel!

Barret Brown is a warrior. With wreckless courage he has been stalking Grendel to its lair for twenty years. This skinny, narcissistic, compulsive, medicayted , drug addled autist has been a verytable Beowulf of unflinching valor.

This book is a chapter in our Iliad.

[Weshb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The range of review here are utterly predictable, and I have no doubt Brown would have predicted them. This is a brilliant book, in the style of Hunter S. Thompson: self-deprecating sarcasm feeding a narrative of national corruption and mendacity. That he is honest enough to critique himself at the same time is part of what makes this book so great.

I LOVE his writing style: brash, smart, witty, ironic, and full of truth. What is best is that despite a thousand reasons to, Brown never becomes cynical. He continues to attempt to fight the good fight, despite all the odds against him. I rank him as a true American patriot and hero in a world where we've mostly lost sight of what either of those terms mean.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

A readable but tedious slog. Brown is a high school dropout interloper who attaches himself to broader movements in a self-admitted search for notoriety. He has the drug addict's pettiness and obsession with individual people and the press and goes out of his way to get arrested for minor infractions.

The first couple of chapters is interesting then the long Lockup style slog is less interesting except insofar as it records the rise of Puro Tango Blast and Paidas and decline of the Mexican Mafia in Texas prisons and jails. The last couple of chapters are once again interesting.

It's somewhat weird Brown never mentions Sylvia Mann is Lauri Love's ex.

[Maddie Lazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand why people hated this, and to be fair, we all know “this guy.” And he understands himself to be an insufferable handful. His writing style often had my eyes glued to the back of my head, having rolled so far they threatened to 360. But the dude is writing his truth- a truth that hints at why we’re in our current predicament. Perhaps it’s a helpful reminder that we shouldn’t discount people we do not like and/or topics that may seem far-fetched. Sometimes the truth is unpleasant and comes from an unpleasant source.

I’ll admit I need to do a bunch of fact-checking still, so maybe my opinion will evolve.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barrett Brown is many things: A former rich-kid who grew up to fight corruption and spend a fair amount of time in prison. A member of the "hacktivist" group Anonymous who doesn't know how to write code. A drug addict and person involved in illegal, underground movements who somehow is also a publicity hound that continuously makes bad decisions and shoots himself in the foot. AND. A f'n fantastic writer who details his lifetime of ridiculousness in witty, manic, opinionated prose that's slightly reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson. A wild ride of a book.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating but very messy story. Very good read up until the very end where even Brown doesn't know how to wrap it up. Sadly pathetic where he can't explain at all what it is he's trying to do with Pursuance but does list an impressive list of names/titles. His is the picture next to the definition of dissolute, destroying himself with drugs and his own charm (with women and in general, others; qv. names/titles above).

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

A waste of time. Its like if 4chan went to college and then wrote about being bullied. The book is sarcastic, angry and pointless. Every page complains and tells the reader Brown is important and right

[Steve Goodreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting listen. While I do not agree with everything Brown posists, his writing style kept me going. Admitting he is a narcissist is the title gave him self acknowledgment credit and the dry humor helped. The depressing info on the justice and prison system was enlightening.

[Me · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you knew Barrett Clown youd know how much he leaves out

[Bo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barrett tries to rewrite history with his book, but hes been snitchin for years. He logs anons and cops use the logs. He knew Val was with the FBI but hides it in book

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this wildly entertaining and funny.

[Rafael Suleiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting memoir.

[Tarwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a hard read. It meanders. Bit it's a must read. Wonderfully prosaic. Scary in detail. History and future uncertain.

[Roxann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a very unlikeable guy.

[Abhinaya J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely needed a ghost writer, but he has a story to tell.