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A review by sjwoods
The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State by William McCants
5.0
This book is relatively short, so it's important to remember that this isn't a comprehensive analaysis of the birth of ISIS. McCants begins with the figures starting ISIS in 2006 without providing the context for *why* it began when and where it did. For those seeking to learn about the destabilization of Iraq or how the US contributed to the rise of ISIS (other than leaving it as early as it did), this is not your book.
What McCants does do, he does masterfully. With proper academic rigor and detachment, he gives a good chronology that explains ISIS's first failures, its split with Al-Qaeda and Al-Nusra, and the characteristics of a number of its leaders. Most significantly, he explains the group's end-times vision with plenty of reference to the Hadith on which they're based, and how it relates to their current behavior and future plans.
Definitely recommended for those trying to understand the current ISIS and jihadist climate.
What McCants does do, he does masterfully. With proper academic rigor and detachment, he gives a good chronology that explains ISIS's first failures, its split with Al-Qaeda and Al-Nusra, and the characteristics of a number of its leaders. Most significantly, he explains the group's end-times vision with plenty of reference to the Hadith on which they're based, and how it relates to their current behavior and future plans.
Definitely recommended for those trying to understand the current ISIS and jihadist climate.