MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang is an account of  Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. 

Dudley provides such an informative and fascinating insight into the creation and expansion of the MS-13. This book touches on a number of things that played a role in the shaping of the international criminal gang. Dudley illustrates really well reasons why someone may join a gang, why gangs exist, and why they continue and strengthen. Dudley also discusses the violence perpetuated by MS-13 and the lives of the gang members, which is scary, yet so interesting.

The MS-13 is a dangerous gang who use various tactics to instil fear in anyone who dares to cross them, even members of the gang. Reading about how they have to live in fear everyday of possibly getting killed by their own members is unsettling.

What Dudley also illustrates well is how complex these types of gangs are and how this has enabled the MS-13 to expand it's territory into many parts of the world (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, United States, Canada and Spain).

It was interesting to read about the growth of this gang, as well as the MS-13's run-ins with the Mexican Mafia (the most powerful gang in the California prison system).

MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang is an informative read but does include graphic descriptions of murder and executions. But if you can deal with that, it's definitely worth a read.