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The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State Hardcover – September 22, 2015

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"Black Flags" by Joby Warrick
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick reveals how the strain of militant Islam, ISIS, spread from a remote Jordanian prison with the unwitting aid of American military intervention. Learn more | See related books
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Every policymaker and any concerned citizen who wants to understand the rise of ISIS should read this insightful and essential book by one of our greatest scholars of Islamist movements.” ―Lawrence Wright, author, THIRTEEN DAYS IN SEPTEMBER: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David and LOOMING TOWER: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

“It's hard to imagine anything more alien or revolting than the brutality of the Islamic State. Yet Will McCants's ISIS Apocalypse is lucid, thoughtful and illuminating on the group, its history, ideology and personalities. McCants understands every nuance of the religious concepts that drive the ISIS leadership, and he does a masterful job of explicating them and laying out the group's strategy. This is much the best work yet on the Islamic State.” ―Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism (2009-2012)

“No one knows more about ISIS's doomsday theology than Will McCants. McCants listens to the group with uncommon care and subtlety, and policymakers need to read this book to understand ISIS's origins and plans.” ―Graeme Wood, Edward R. Murrow Fellow, The Council on Foreign Relations Contributing editor, The Atlantic Lecturer in political science, Yale University

"An excellent account of how ISIS came into being...As to the future, McCants wonders if IS’s grotesque brutality will prove its undoing. Not necessarily. Up to a point, he argues, brutality works" --The Economist

About the Author

William McCants directs the project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World at the Brookings Institution. He is adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University and a former U.S. State Department senior adviser for countering violent extremism. McCants has a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University and lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 22, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1250080908
  • ISBN-13: 978-1250080905
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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Will McCants writes with expertise and aplomb about the Islamic State, its history, and the foundations of its efforts at regional dominance. While, some of the zig-zagging back and forth in time requires a bit of gymnastics from the reader, the book is both educational and entertaining. Anyone interested in learning about this organization from a truly qualified scholar would benefit from a read of this book.

Dr. McCants proclaims himself, rightly, as a guide, proficient in Islamic theology and history, modern jihadism, clandestine bureaucracies, and Arabic. The good doctor flexes his linguist muscles with translations of original Arabic texts, providing crucial context to the situations he describes.

The book covers the history of the organization, beginning with distinctions between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State; such as, AQ wanted to build popular support for caliphate, but IS wanted to impose a caliphate, regardless of the acquiescence of the masses. The book details Zarqawi’s rise to prominence and obsession with Nur al-Din and Saladin. Zarqawi linked his organization in Iraq to AQ [forming Al-Qaeda in/of Iraq (AQI)] but his brutality drew censure from Al-Qaeda Central. Once Zarqawi was killed and al-Baghdadi became commander of the faithful, AQI dissolved and was absorbed into IS with Masri as minister of war.

From there the book focuses attention on the Islamic State’s flag symbolism and parallels with historical references to the Abbasids. After Masri and Baghdadi killed in 2010, the focus shifted yet again. The group floundered until the Americans left and the Arab Spring happened. The next section details the beginning of the online presence through magazines and Twitter.
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Format: Hardcover
This is a difficult book to review on Amazon.com, because reviews containing the sorts of words and names that would normally be used to describe the contents of this book get filtered out as potentially objectionable content.

The current refugee crisis is just one of the devastating effects of the IS. The typical Westerner has absolutely no idea how the leaders of IS think or what motivates them. In order to resist IS, it is necessary to understand their history and their apocalyptic worldview and strategy.

This book provides many useful historical insights, some of which are based on the author's interpretation of a surprising array of correspondence between the leaders of the IS movement and the leaders of that well-known organisation based in Afghanistan, whose leader met his demise at the hands of Seal Team Six.

The book does not provide a handy plan for defeating IS, but it does help the reader understand where IS leaders think the world is heading, and how they are likely to respond to different types of provocation.
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Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
If you are interested in understanding ISIS and its underlying apocalyptic vision for the Middle East then look no further. William McCants in, The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State takes you on a bloody and violent tour of this doomsday cult in the words and writings of their leaders.

To be sure this was not what I would call a fun read, in fact the history of ISIS reads more like a real life horror story on the scale of the French Revolution or Nazi Germany but nevertheless I believe it is history which anyone interested in the subject would be well served in pursuing.

The Spanish poet and philosopher George Santayana wisely observed that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” There is no doubt in my mind that ISIS and its brutal doomsday apocalysm will go the way of other such abominable regimes but the question is what will we take away from this tragedy so that future generations do not have to experience this terror? That's the real value in reading this book in my opinion.
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Format: Hardcover
As a former counterterrorism advisor, I have to say this book is five stars. Thoroughly researched and well-written, it effectively outlines all-things ISIS. A must-read for anyone interested in foreign affairs.
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McCants offers a detailed and thoroughly documented history of this strange, almost alien group of rebels. We westerners just don't 'get it'. Its like they came out of a weird time portal from the middle ages to wreck havoc upon the 21st century. This authoritative book is sure to be a hit with writers, producers, and anyone else that wants to understand whats going on 'over there'. We can only hope that policy makers, candidates (do they read?) and military leaders take the time to grasp the cultural concepts present here. And how 'bout that Gog and Magog?
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Review – The ISIS Apocalypse, the History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State by William McCants

The ISIS Apocalypse, the History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State by William McCants is a detailed history of the Islamic State, its relationship with Al-Qaeda, its leadership, its attraction to young, disaffected Muslims, and the its apocalypse, end of days philosophy. The book is very readable, but very detailed. Be prepared to deal with numerous similar Arabic individuals names and place names. This book explains much that the news media ignores, glosses over, and does not report.

The apocalyptic prophecies of Islam are well laid out, and even quoted in an appendix. Without understanding this theology, The Islamic State is only a mystery.

The bitter feud between those wanting to use a populist approach to recruit the local populations and those who want to impose strict Sha'ia law is well laid out.

The excesses of the Islamic State in interperting the Koran and other Islamic books are discussed clearly.

William McCants in uniquely qualified to write this book. He states in the introduction that he is proficient in Arabic, Islamic Theology and History, modern jihadism and clandestine bureaucracies. After reading the book, I feel that he must be what he claims. According to his bio in the book, he directs a project on US relations with the Islamic World at the Brookings Institute, is adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University, and a former US State Department senior adviser for countering violent extremism. He has a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. Based on all this Dr. McCants writes clearly with deep knowledge, understanding and authority.
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