Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere

by James Bloodworth

Audio duration: 7 hours 47 minutes

Rarely has there been a more confusing time to be a man. This uncertainty has spawned an array of bizarre and harmful underground subcultures, collectively known as the manosphere, as men search for new forms of belonging.

In Lost Boys, James Bloodworth delves into these underground worlds and asks where have they come from? Why are so many men susceptible to the sinister beliefs these groups promote? What does the emergence of these communities say about Western society? And what can we do about it? In the course of his journey he meets incels, enlists on a bootcamp for so-called 'alpha males', and speaks to modern day Hugh Hefners using social media to broadcast their jet set lifestyles to millions of followers.

Combining compulsive memoir with powerful reporting, fascinating international case studies, data, cultural analysis and history, Lost Boys is an essential guide to the crisis in contemporary masculinity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Psychology, Politics, Gender, Social Justice, Social Commentary

8 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

James Bloodworth is an English writer and the author of two books, The Myth of Meritocracy and Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain. His work has appeared in the Guardian, the Times, New York Review of Books, New Statesman and elsewhere. He is on Twitter as @J_Bloodworth.

Reviews

[Peter Thorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading on a massive issue. I've already loaned this out to someone, and it'll definitely impact things that I do as a parent and as a teacher.

[Tom Boniface-Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read…

… for anyone fooled by the nonsense spouted by the likes of Trump and Andrew Tate. Couldn’t put it down!

[Eric Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first page of this compelling book, you’re in the thick of it. James Bloodworth describes participating in a course to teach him how to pick up girls in London’s Leicester Square. That was twenty years ago. And my first thought was, wow, Bloodworth has been doing research for twenty years. But … no, he was actual a somewhat confused very young man at the time and while he regrets what he did, he learned stuff.

And much more stuff later on as he attended various events and interviewed people in the “manosphere” — the largely online universe in which men rant about how evil / stupid / powerful women are. Some of those men go on to commit hate crimes against women, including murder. Much of this is a horror story — but a real-life horror story.

Others have written about all this before, though not with this depth. And Bloodworth adds a unique element to the story — he reveals the close links between the manosphere and the far Right, including Donald Trump. He takes us deep into the rabbit hole where dangerous woman-hating extremists discover who “really” runs the world — and, no spoilers here, they mean the Jews.

This is the kind of journalism I have loved since I first read the 1940’s best-seller from the U.S., “Under Cover”, in which an anti-fascist journalist joins the various pro-Nazi and pro-appeasement groups that were quite strong at the time. It takes real journalistic talent — and courage — to pull this off.

Lost Boys is essential reading.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on the Male Issue. Especially interested that it comes from an authour who dabbled personally in the arena in what sounds like a previous life.

Read in bed

[Heather Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a deep dive into the 'manosphere', from its beginning with pick-up artist culture in the early 2000s, through to the widespread political influence we're seeing today. The author uses his insights from interactions with relevant people and groups, which makes it feel more authentic, and personal. It is somewhat distressing to read - with all the current evidence in the world of the awful effects of these mindsets I felt a little like I'd prefer not to know, but it also seems crucial to understand the how and the why, with whatever hope we have to change direction.

[W.S. Luk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having briefly stepped into the world of pick-up artists as a younger man, James Bloodworth's investigation examines how this movement mutated into the blend of disaffection, bigotry, and con-artistry that form the modern manosphere. Bloodworth excels at demonstrating how this movement's improbable range of inspirations and leaders merged together, and the violence that it has spawned, with his book combining scholarly insights with firsthand research and interviews that bring fresh perspectives into the topic. Like other ventures into the alt-right ecosystem such as Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere, there's a dark sense of humour to his narration that points out the tragicomic bizarreness of this world while still confronting the hate crimes, abuse, and corrosive social effects that this ideology has produced. While I would've been curious to see Bloodworth explore approaches to tackling misogyny and online hate (for instance, do experts believe that present or proposed measures offered by governments will work? What can be done about its root causes, like the distorted nature of social media or male loneliness? How have men who escaped these ideologies done so?), LOST BOYS is a bold and compelling exploration of this topic.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If horror is your thing, this is the book for you...

[Miles Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As essential as every bit as it is depressing. Come on men, we had a good run. It must be time for us to bugger off now, yeah?

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s important to have men, particularly men who have been attracted to manosphere content, writing honestly about what drew them in and how they clawed themselves out again. I wish the analysis extended beyond the Epilogue, though. Many of us know the story of the pickup artists’ heyday, eventually ending up in Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate territory - for those who don’t, it’s a very useful primer - but it could do with fleshing out and digging deeper. It’s fascinating that common insecurities around dating can be propelled into a place where companionship and sex are no longer the end goal, but rather means to sex-as-power-to-impress-other-men. It’s evidence that we all need feminism more than ever, but as the author invokes, men’s problems and their shifting position in society need to be addressed, not with derision, but head on and with candour. Because we have a tendency to ignore and trivialise modern misogyny, we’ve left a misogynistic, hateful bottomless pit.

[Bobby Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant important read

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a woman interested in reading about toxic masculinity, I thought it important to make sure that I read books written by men from the men’s point of view. I’m glad I did because it was very educational. This is possibly the scariest book I’ve ever read! In having finished it, I find myself teetering on the edge of despair. Men, WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!!!

[róisín · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy to read, good, interesting, appreciate a man getting involved in anti-manosphere rhetoric etc.

[Frank Lindt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best way to describe this would be as a decent add-on to Richard Reeves’ Of Boys and Men. Full of descriptions and observations on what attracts men between the ages of 12 and 50, this book lacks analysis and depth to be a compelling read.

[Mics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrowing. This needs to be required reading for young men.

[Minnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inside look at Pick Up Artists was interesting but the Black Pill/Red Pill content was nothing new if you've been on the internet for a while

[Millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think this is an important book, however i think this is a book for radicalised men rather than women who already know all of this
sadly we know they won’t read this

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read.
I am a woman in my late 20s, and before this book I believed a “body count” was something like BMI, let alone something to do with colourful pills.
This book is exactly what I have been looking for. It is frightening because it shows how easily ordinary adolescent insecurities and simple questions like “how do I find a girlfriend?” can be funnelled into violent misogyny and even mass-rapist ideology “in three simple steps, an online course, and a monthly subscription.” It is raw in the way it outlines the backgrounds of some apparently major influencers (whom I had never heard of before) and politicians (unfortunately, very well-known). It is honest because it includes the author’s own experiences and complicated relationships with the manosphere, as well as the stories of others who have been part of it.
From my perspective, this book is not only about men or purely male issues; it is about society and its changes. In his personal journey, I believe Bloodworth has created not just a macabre exploration of 8 years old “women-haters,” manipulation, and pick-up artists turned black-pill, but also a study of the instruments of power and radicalisation that affect everyone.
Time to tell the men in my life I love them.
Stay safe.

[Andrew Camilleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sobering book that highlights the unseen realities of the manosphere.

[Sam Wescott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Pretty harrowing to read because of the subject matter, but the author keeps it moving along at a very quick pace. It’s very attention-grabbing and I found it to be a very fast read. I’m not sure I found anything truly new in here as someone who anxiously reads a lot of books on this subject, but the level of detail was high and there’s the added humanizing factor of the author’s personal dabbling in the pickup artist space. I think it’s a valuable text and always useful to name dangerous forces in our society, but I’m not sure if the people who need it most will be drawn to pick it up.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Interesting material and a good overview of the Manosphere. However, if I have to look up 5 different words while reading, it means you suffer from Guardianitis. Speak in plain English.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rage was simmering away below the surface. Rage at feminists for supposedly emasculating men. Rage at society for being insufficiently deferential to alphas. Rage at women for the careers they were prioritising instead of being kept little wives, subservient and agreeable. Rage at social media for giving women an expanded suite of romantic options - and rage at women for choosing the wrong men."

Before reading this, I had read "Men Who Hate Women" by Laura Bates. Enjoy isn't the right word, but I found it very enlightening (and depressing). When I came across "lost Boys" I was eager to have some input on this subject, but from a male's perspective.

At the start of this book, Bloodworth is waiting in a coffee shop, in 2006. He tells us that those in the small meeting have each paid nearly £2000 to be there, to find out how to become a pickup artist. In the end, his own personal journey didn't go much further. Fast forward to 2018, and he was then looking for the subject of his next book, when his editor suggested it. "Looming large was the fear that in writing about the manosphere I would have to confront my own flirtation with it." What follows is an interesting and very depressing delve into why misogyny is flourishing.

As you would expect with this subject matter, this is a pretty hard hitting book. Personally, I would truly recommend it, for men and for women.

[Matthew Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense book.

The personal journey narrative is interesting but also I feel it is underdeveloped. The book relies heavily on journalistic second hand research and spends at least half the time plotting the history of the manosphere through secondary sources. At least that’s what it feels like anyway.

The author’s personal candour is admirable but again, I feel this could have been so much more developed to give a deeper understanding of the authors inner world.

Nevertheless, the content is well researched and structured in a way that feels logical. The book spoke to my own personal politics and lays bare the link between current conceptualisations of capitalism, masculinity, fascism and racism/anti-semitism/xenophobia.

It’s also just depressing to read at times. From a personal perspective I understand that finding success in love is hard, but it’s a massive leap to suggest that women are enemy, and you have to wonder why some men have an ability to think critically. The exploration of the dualism that women are somehow lesser yet the also controlling the world links easily to feminist critique of conceptualisations like victim blaming.

It’s important to have books that are as easily accessible as this right now.

[Delphine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This book wasn’t written in the way that I expected it to be - no fault of the author’s!! I haven’t much experience in reading investigative journalism but this was a good read in that regard. I think my favourite part of the book was the interview with 18 year old Alex at the end, which is what I hoped and expected the book would be like. Stories from the men that the manosphere hurt. Also I kind of knew everything in the book (apart from the 2000s pickup artist community)? I think it’s because I am very online and aware of these sorts of things but it didn’t give me much new information or insight. That’s okay though! Overall, I think this is an important book for young men to read, especially since so many have unfortunately been radicalised in contemporary society.

[Sophie Skotland-Crowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, I think it is excellent reading for anyone who interested in understanding the manosphere. I would have liked some more in depth analysis specifically surrounding message board culture, such as 4chan and reddit, and further exploration into the integration between the manosphere and the far-right.

With that being said - this book desperately needed another edit. It incorrectly identifies Gabor Maté as a physicist, rather than a physician, and miss categorises Julia deCook's article "Trust Me, I’m Trolling: Irony and the Alt-Right’s Political Aesthetic" as a book. I don't suspect the information in this book to be largely factually incorrect, however with two pretty obvious errors, it does make me wonder how vigorously the information was vetted.

[tom milner · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s nothing in this you wouldn’t read in a manosphere Wikipedia entry but you know what I finished it quickly so that’s saying something. And I think people really need to let twitter go. Let it go. It’s not important or relevant and apart from a weird summer in 2013 it never really has been. Every viral tweet has been forgotten, pissed into the cultural maelstrom. Dedicating so much space and energy of a book into a record of tweets and their retweets is insanely lame and really just weakens any argument. Who cares if a 2019 tweet got 14,000 likes??? Who cares???? Do you have any idea how lame that sounds??? It’s gone, it’s forgotten, it means nothing, it never meant anything to anyone, let it goooooooo

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like it because its pretty much just mini biographies of a load of irrelevant misogynistic losers. It purports to have a narrative that you completely lose sight of because the author keeps introducing random guys and their ideas, and then harkens back to another guy (using just his surname) and you've no idea who he's talking about because these people aren't famous. There's also way too much emphasis on pick up artists, but never really explains why they, or anything for that matter, is bad. So its just a tough read and only small bits were interesting. Not actually sure how it got published.

[Euan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.

You forget blokes like this walk amongst us.

I broadly enjoyed this and have always found Bloodworth's writing exceptional, but I can't help but wish there was more here. I already knew a lot of the prevalent issues in the manosphere, and I expected the book to touch more on the crisis of masculinity and what can be done, and touching more on how men need feminism too (I guess the end interview with the young lad who had come around to feminism etc was good).

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dive into the 'manosphere' is based in large part on the author's experiences over the last couple of decades. It pulls together the bits and pieces of information we've probably all heard into a more coherent account of what goes on, with some insight into what drives the poisonous narratives that seem to be gaining an increasing hold on men of all ages

[Eric M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting points, some very significant oversimplification but not unexpected from opinion pieces nowadays. I listened to the audio version and thought the narration was actually quite good, which sets it apart from many recent items on audible.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors expose of the 'manosphere', and the community of men who promote misogyny, sexism and "the game" of trying to pick up women. To the author's credit, he actually goes through the 'pick up artist' trainings himself, which sounds like a miserable and painful experience.