ISIS: A History - Hardcover

Gerges, Fawaz A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691170002 ISBN 13: 9780691170008

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2016

Synopsis

The Islamic State has stunned the world with its savagery, destructiveness, and military and recruiting successes. What explains the rise of ISIS, and what does it portend for the future of the Middle East? In this book, one of the world's leading authorities on political Islam and jihadism sheds new light on these questions. Moving beyond journalistic accounts, Fawaz Gerges provides a clear and compelling explanation of the deeper conditions that fuel ISIS. This unique history shows how decades of dictatorship, poverty, and rising sectarianism in the Middle East, exacerbated by foreign intervention, led to the rise and growth of ISIS―and why addressing those problems is the only way to ensure its end. An authoritative introduction to arguably the most important conflict in the world today, this is an essential book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the social turmoil and political violence ravaging the Arab-Islamic world.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"Not just timely but unlikely ever to be bettered, this is an indispensable guide to the evolution of the Arab world's leading terrorist organization by a global expert. Fawaz Gerges's book is judicious, well argued, and based on a close personal acquaintance with conditions in Iraq and Syria. It is unrivaled in its ability to unravel the ideological and political power struggles among ISIS leaders. And it is an often shocking indictment of Western missteps in dealing with the organization's growing capacity to harm foreign interests."--Roger Owen, author of The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life

"Fawaz Gerges, long one of the most perceptive writers about the Middle East, has written a lucid and erudite account of the rise of ISIS that will be read with great profit by both specialists and the general public."--Peter Bergen, author of United States of Jihad, Manhunt, and The Longest War

"In the flood of recent publications about ISIS, Gerges provides a welcome island of thoroughly researched analysis by a major authority on extremist Muslim movements. Both general readers and specialists will benefit from Gerges's balanced and well-informed understanding of this important and dangerous movement."--John Voll, professor emeritus, Georgetown University

"In this original and empirically rich study, Fawaz Gerges persuasively analyzes the rise and power of ISIS. Building on his profound knowledge of salafi and jihadi movements, he locates ISIS squarely in its context, dissecting the ideas and political factors that have made it so surprisingly formidable in Iraq and Syria, as well as disturbingly influential elsewhere."--Charles Tripp, SOAS, University of London

"Fawaz Gerges is the right scholar to bring the history of ISIS past its journalistic first draft. This should be a valuable source for policymakers, specialists, and the public alike."--Noah Feldman, Harvard Law School

"This is quite simply the definitive book on the group by a very smart, well-informed guide to the region, superbly researched, well-written and intelligent throughout. Everyone opining about ISIS should be required to read this book first."--Fareed Zakaria

"Fawaz Gerges is a first-class expert on contemporary Jihadist movements. This book should have a wide readership."--Ian Lustick, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Fawaz A. Gerges is professor of international relations and Emirates Professor in Contemporary Middle East Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His many books include The New Middle East, Obama and the Middle East, and The Far Enemy. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, Foreign Affairs, and other publications.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0691170002
• ISBN 13: 9780691170008
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384