The Perils of Extremism

“Jason gives us a front row seat into the inner workings of both the Oath Keepers and its leader Stewart Rhodes. Jason’s journey is depicted by his first-person account of what life was like working for one of the most infamous militias in America’s history and how he got out.” —MICHAEL COHEN, New York Times-bestselling author of Disloyal and creator and host of the Mea Culpa podcast “Look, we won’t get into whether you would think Jason and I would be working together on your bingo card or whatever. What can I say? I had the privilege of doing a panel with Jason, and I kind of fell in love with him. Naturally, he had me at ‘I’m queer.’ I hope you read his story because it is nothing short of gripping. Terrifying in some parts and, thank goodness, hilarious in other parts. He takes you inside with this group in a way only he can.” —KATHY GRIFFIN, Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedian and actress “As an avid reader, I voraciously consume books. However, this was a different experience. I picked up Jason’s book, and while I knew a majority of the history and occurrences, I was drawn in. The book was read cover to cover in one sitting. It was emotional, riveting, and a great example of historically relevant events.” —RONNIE OROPEZA, former law enforcement officer for the US Forest Service “Don’t be fooled by the face tattoos and Keyser Söze limp: Jason Van Tatenhove drank the Kool-Aid and lived to tell the tale. Imagine if a Jonestown follower was not only immune to poison, but drinking Kool-Aid gave him super powers: that’s Jason Van Tatenhove and his accounts in his new book.” — PETER J. SCALETTAR, Emmy-nominated writer and executive producer of Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

Raised by artists and computer programmers, Jason Van Tatenhove gravitated toward the punk and grunge scenes in Colorado. His literary hero was Hunter S. Thompson and, when he had a chance to embed with the most infamous militia of our day, he jumped at the chance: wanting to write his own Hell’s Angels.