This book is the first to compare the shared cultural tenets of ancient warbands and outlaw biker gangs. It argues that the values of hyper-masculinity can be traced from the former into the contemporary environment of the latter: codes of honour, loyalty and bravery have prioritised small groups of males over women and other men, creating a history of hyper-masculinity that shows little sign of stopping. Indeed, Outlaw Bikers and Ancient Warbands: Hyper-Masculinity and Cultural Continuity argues that such hyper-masculine culture can be found in many male groups such as the police, military and sports, and that if we want to understand hyper-masculinity and face it as a society then we need to recognize that outlaw bikers are a reflection of behavior that has a very long tradition. This pioneering work explores these issues from ancient times and into the future.
"Carl Bradley's much anticipated first book is a timely and welcome contribution to our shared understanding of outlaw biker groups. ... It is an excellent first book. ... this book breaks new ground so that the work of other researchers may flourish. ... invites other researchers in sociology and criminology, politics and international relations, history and security studies to gather further empirical evidence and assemble more case studies ... . Thank you, Carl, for your compassion, generosity and kindness." (Damien Rogers, National Security Journal, Vol. 4, May, 2022)