Decent; quality of writing more that of analysts than of journalists. Best parts for me were analysis of different motivators of IS members, from true believers to opportunists to pragmatists. Also the degree to which IS is a melding of jihadism and Iraqi Baath Party members. There's discussion of IS's hostile relationship with other armed groups in Syria, but could have used more discussion of its cooperation with other armed groups in Iraq, particularly the Naqshbandi. ( )

As some reviewers already said this is rather complicated book.
Cause for this is constant reiteration of how Syrian regime is behind the ISIS as organization but then next chapter states that they are chasing and killing them. Also in the first part of the book opposition to both ISIS and Syrian regime is presented as group of tribes and urban militia that are fighting the terrorist network, enjoy support from US and allies and are doing the good fight but in the last few chapters they give statements from witnesses that these militias were pretty significant criminal element in the whole story and were not liked by the local populace at all. They even supported and fought alongside ISIS up to 2014(!?!).

Book is full of these contradictory statements. Nevertheless they do show how a terrifying, fear-sowing terrorist organization that [by their laws and actions] feels like anachronism from Middle Ages and something unfathomable in the modern world can spread over many countries and root itself - to the point where it seems imposible to remove them at all.

What authors do show is complete lack of (or maybe complete disregard of?) understanding of the people in the region (religious sects, tribal organization, internal squabbles) by the US and their allies. Decisions to nevertheless shatter such complex (and lets face it internally divided) society with war and then leave them alone (with famous "it is their internal issue now") in the whole post-war trumoil where internal and external strife (caused by ever present animosity from neighbouring states) only plunges the society into further cycle of violence only show that there are always alterior motives that unfortunately almost always get precedence over common sense in inter-state affairs. Unfortunately this state of affair provides fertile ground to organizations like ISIS to flourish and spread.

Interesting book, with lots of contradictory elements, leaves a lot of questions open. It surely does intrigue the reader to find more materiel on the subject. ( )

Good overview of ISIS and factors within Syria and Iraq, including conduct of both ISIS and other groups, which have led to their rise. Doesn't focus on pure religious doctrine as much as other books, but does include information about Baathists from Iraq and the interesting motives for the Syrian Government's hands-off policy with respect to ISIS until 2014. ( )

Radicals who fought under other names have reconstituted as ISIS, according to this book, which tracks a welter of confusing political alliances of convenience and otherwise. It’s cleverly bribed important people and provided safety – for some, anyway—and taken advantage of other rivalries to make itself look like the best of the lot. The sex slaves and people whose hands are chopped off for violating fundamentalist Islamist rules are likely to have a different viewpoint, though the authors don’t talk to them. ISIS seemed better to many people tired of constant conflict in Syria and Iraq, and many locals supported only the “good” parts of ISIS and not the vicious beheadings. But, as we know, you can’t shake hands with the devil and say you’re only kidding. ( )

This work is at its best in illustrating how ISIS emerged from a stew made of equal parts the international jihad, Iraqi sectarian conflict and the accelerating disintegration of the states created by Western imperialism that were frozen in place by Cold War politics. What the authors don't convince me of is that more involvement by the Obama Administration would have made that much of a difference, in as much as the Shi'ite players in this story appear to be too arrogant to be saved from themselves; which is not exactly a revelation if one has been paying attention to events over the last five years or so. The real problem with this work is that I expect it to be rapidly out-dated by events on the ground. ( )