Jihadism transformed : Al-Qaeda and Islamic State's global battle of ideas /

It is hard to think of a more important topic in national security affairs than the rise of the Islamic State. This collection of essays, mostly authored by scholars at British universities and organizations, is timely and accessible. The chapters include detailed accounts of the relationships between al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the consequences of the Arab Spring, the propaganda emanating from various radical Islamic organizations, and the ways in which that propaganda is being received. The authors have consistently tried to make their expertise available to a wide audience. They minimize the use of jargon and the temptation to address themselves to other specialists in their field. The result is a kind of extended briefing on a critical topic in which knowledgeable students of Middle Eastern affairs help citizens, scholars, and policy makers understand key developments in the recent evolution of the jihadist threat. Any serious student of American foreign policy or international relations will want to know what these authors have to say and how their insights might help in the development or evaluation of effective responses to a challenging set of national security dilemmas. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Robert A. Strong, Washington & Lee University