Badass: A Relentless Onslaught of the Toughest Warlords, Vikings, Samurai, Pirates, Gunfighters, and Military Commanders to Ever Live, also known as Badass: The Book, is a history and biography book. It is the debut book of Ben Thompson, owner of the website Badass of The Week.

Badass
AuthorBen Thompson
LanguageEnglish
Subjecthistorical figures biography
Genrehistory, humor
Publication date
October 27, 2009
Publication placeUnited States
Pages352
ISBN0-06-174944-3

The book focuses on historical figures considered to be badass: having exceptional toughness, aggressiveness, battle skills and/or resilience, and have a significant achievement or impact on history. Thompson has stated in an interview that he intended to convey history in the language of youth, so that they feel like "reading something [they're] not supposed to, but ... actually learning something."[1]

Content

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The book has 40 historical figures organized in chronological order through four major time periods: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Age of Gunpowder, and the Modern Era. Some of the figures are:

There are also additional features such as a list of "Badass Marines" and a feature on "Awesome Things You Can Shoot Out of a Catapult." The illustrations are done by several artists that have done work for Wizards of the Coast, White Wolf, and DC Comics.[2] Steven Belledin provided cover art for the book.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Seattle 'Badass' author answers some questions, The Seattle Times, (December 4, 2009), Retrieved on 2010-05-29
  2. ^ BADASS by Ben Thompson: FAQ, Retrieved on 2010-05-29
  3. ^ Rahner, Mark (2009-12-14). "'Badass' is not your parents' history book". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2023-09-04 – via Newspapers.com.
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