Islamic State

In this timely and important book, Abdel Bari Atwan draws on his unrivalled knowledge of the global jihadi movement and Middle Eastern geopolitics to reveal the origins and modus operandi of Islamic State. Based on extensive field research and exclusive interviews with IS insiders, Atwan offers a comprehensive review of the group’s organisational structure and leadership, strategies, tactics and diverse methods of recruitment. He traces the salafi-jihadi lineage of IS, its ideological differences with al-Qa‘ida, and the deadly rivalry that has emerged between their leaders. Atwan also shows how the group’s rapid growth has been facilitated by its masterful command of social media platforms, the ‘dark web’, Hollywood ‘blockbuster’-style videos, and even jihadi computer games, producing a powerful paradox where the ambitions of the Middle Ages have re-emerged in cyber-space. As Islamic State continues to dominate the world’s media headlines with horrific acts of ruthless violence, Atwan considers the movement’s chances of survival and expansion, and offers indispensable insights on potential government responses to contain the IS threat. ‘A key voice explaining Islamist militancy to the English-speaking world’ Peter Bergen ‘Thank heavens we have writers such as Atwan – who knew the real Bin Laden better than any other journalist’ Robert Fisk, Independent ‘An extraordinarily gifted, experienced and knowledgeable analyst of Arab affairs’ Ann Leslie, Daily Mail ‘Atwan ‘got it’ from the moment bin Laden appeared on the scene’ Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA bin Laden ‘Alec’ unit