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Jessica Stern

J. M. Berger

ISIS: The State of Terror Hardcover – March 12, 2015

by Jessica Stern (Author), J. M. Berger (Author)

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The Islamic State, known as ISIS, exploded into the public eye in 2014 with startling speed and shocking brutality. It has captured the imagination of the global jihadist movement, attracting recruits in unprecedented numbers and wreaking bloody destruction with a sadistic glee that has alienated even the hardcore terrorists of its parent organization, al Qaeda.

Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger, two of America’s leading experts on terrorism, dissect the new model for violent extremism that ISIS has leveraged into an empire of death in Iraq and Syria, and an international network that is rapidly expanding in the Middle East, North Africa and around the world.

ISIS: The State of Terror traces the ideological innovations that the group deploys to recruit unprecedented numbers of Westerners, the composition of its infamous snuff videos, and the technological tools it exploits on social media to broadcast its atrocities, and its recruiting pitch to the world, including its success at attracting thousands of Western adherents. The authors examine ISIS’s predatory abuse of women and children and its use of horror to manipulate world leaders and its own adherents as it builds its twisted society. The authors offer a much-needed perspective on how world leaders should prioritize and respond to ISIS’s deliberate and insidious provocations.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Ecco
Publication date

March 12, 2015
Dimensions

1.5 x 5.9 x 9.1 inches
ISBN-10

0062395548
ISBN-13

978-0062395542
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger’s new book, “ISIS,” should be required reading for every politician and policymaker…Their smart, granular analysis is a bracing antidote to both facile dismissals and wild exaggerations….Stern and Berger offer a nuanced and readable account of the ideological and organizational origins of the group.” -- Washington Post

“By far the most important contribution yet to our understanding of an organization that remains cloaked in mystery and misunderstanding . . . A brisk, readable, and eye-opening account of ISIS’s past, present, and future. This is a book every American should read.” -- Reza Aslan, author of No God but god and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

“A timely and urgent book that is essential reading for analysts and policy makers alike. In what is already a cornerstone contribution, Stern and Berger offer the kind of cold-blood analysis so desperately needed on the poorly understood phenomenon that is the so-called Islamic state.” -- John Horgan, author of The Psychology of Terrorism

“The first serious book to analyze the rise of ISIS . . . Stern and Berger write clearly and persuasively and marshal impressive primary research from ISIS’s prodigious propaganda to help explain how ISIS became the dominant jihadi group today. It’s a terrific and important read.” -- Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad

“Stern and Berger pull back the curtain to expose facts and myths about the violent Salafi apocalyptic cult calling itself the Islamic State. A must-read.” -- Mike Walker, former undersecretary and acting secretary of the United States Army

“ISIS emerged in territory occupied by American soldiers, governed by dictatorial regimes, and fought over by sectarian extremists. Stern and Berger provide context for understanding ISIS’s past and considering how its media model may affect future extremist movements.” -- Kecia Ali, associate professor religion, Boston University

“A penetrating analysis . . . The book provides important context for an evolving organization and proto-state that is attempting to rewrite the jihadi playbook.” -- Aaron Zelin, Washington Institute for Near East Policy

“ISIS: The State of Terror is a timely and important history of a movement that now defines the 21st century.” -- Sam Kiley, Evening Standard (London)

“This book should be required reading for every politician and policymaker.” -- Washington Post

From the Back Cover

In ISIS: The State of Terror, two of America’s leading experts on terrorism dissect the new model for violent extremism that the Islamic State, known as ISIS, has leveraged into an empire of death in Iraq and Syria, and an international network that is rapidly expanding. Stern and Berger offer a much-needed perspective on how world leaders should prioritize and respond to ISIS’s deliberate and insidious provocations in this compelling, essential account.

“ISIS should be required reading for every politician and policy maker....[Stern and Berger’s] smart, granular analysis is a bracing antidote to both facile dismissals and wild exaggerations....A nuanced and readable account of the ideological and organizational origins of the group.”—Washington Post

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco; First Edition (March 12, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062395548
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062395542
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.5 x 5.9 x 9.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,509,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #980 in Radical Political Thought
- #2,160 in African Politics
- #2,469 in Terrorism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
173 ratings

About the authors

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Jessica Stern
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Jessica Stern is one of the foremost experts on terrorism. She serves on the Hoover Institution Task Force on National Security and Law. In 2009, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work on trauma and violence. Jessica is a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. She was named a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, National Fellow at the Hoover Institution, fellow of the World Economic Forum, and a Harvard MacArthur Fellow.
She has authored TERROR IN THE NAME OF GOD: Why Religious Militants Kill, selected by the New York Times as a notable book of the year; THE ULTIMATE TERRORISTS; and numerous articles on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. She served on President Clinton’s National Security Council Staff in 1994–95 (read a May 1995 letter and July 1995 letter from the President and this note from the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs expressing their gratitude for her work and contribution).
Jessica was included in Time magazine’s series profiling 100 people with bold ideas. The film, “The Peacemaker”, with Nicole Kidman and George Clooney, was based on a fictional version of Jessica’s work at the National Security Council. Her new book, DENIAL: A Memoir of Terror, is now available, published by Ecco, a HarperCollins imprint. She lives in Cambridge, MA.
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J. M. Berger
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J.M. Berger is the author of Optimal (2020) and Extremism (MIT Press, September 2018) and a research fellow with VOX-Pol. An analyst studying extremism, terrorism, propaganda and social media analytical techniques, Berger's previous works include ISIS: The State of Terror, with Jessica Stern, and Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam.
Berger writes for The Atlantic and Politico, and he has authored and co-authored several groundbreaking studies on social media analysis, including the development of metrics for measuring influence, community detection and detecting the use of manipulative tactics online.
In addition to his published work, Berger consults for and trains technology and security companies and government agencies on issues related to homegrown terrorism, online extremism and advanced social media analysis. Much of this work is concerned with initiatives for countering violent extremism (CVE), a topic on which he frequently speaks.
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Top reviews from the United States

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C. Townsend

An important and authoritative exploration of the Islamic State

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2015

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Among my frequent, and just as oft dismissed, complaints to my wife has been the lack of a scholarly work on the Islamic State. Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger have filled a significant void in the literature with their impressive and comprehensive offering, ISIS: The State of Terror (I loathe the poor translation this acronym represents, but the authors justify their use of it). Though a bit uneven in the middle, the book begins and ends powerfully and leaves the reader fully informed on the roots and history of the Islamic State (IS). Additionally, they offer a series of suggestions on countering the messaging of the self-styled Caliphate. The book is an impressive collection of sources that will enrich any reader who wants to understand and overcome the phenomenon represented by Al-Qaeda (AQ) and the IS.

The authors begin with the beheading of James Foley and subsequent shattering of the “jayvee” reputation of the IS and conclude the introduction with their explanation on the use of ISIS as the acronym throughout the book. Chapter One focuses on Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). The authors detail the humble and surprising beginnings of Zarqawi through his rise to power and pseudo-alliance with Al-Qaeda Central (AQC) in Afghanistan. The authors outline the ideology behind the group and its takfiri (declaring others apostates) ideology. AQI died with its creator and the IS rose from the ashes. Chapter Two chronicles the rise of the so-called state to include theological influences and the role of the Syrian conflict in solidifying the fledgling insurgency with dreams of claiming the mantle of Caliphate.

Chapter Three winds the clock back and details the rise of AQC after the end of the Russian efforts in Afghanistan. The chapter explores the divisions within the group as it expanded and the shifts in communication strategies, highlighting the significance of an American in ash-Shabab for taking the jihad to the online mainstream. Chapter Four focuses on the importance of foreign fighters in the proliferation of the IS, exploring the allure of the group for both genders. Chapter Five details the messaging efforts of AQC and the IS from initial forays into print to online efforts and the shift towards propaganda videos with their now-notorious execution scenes.

Chapters Six and Seven explore the significance of social networking tools in the proliferation of AQ and the IS from the early forum days to the current Twitterstorm. The authors note that suppression has been effective and that even more sophisticated methods may be on the horizon to stifle the groups’ ability to promulgate their message, noting the necessity for continuous efforts to “weed” the social networks. Chapter Eight details the rifts and power struggles between AQ and the IS concluding with the rise of “lone wolf” terrorist activities around the world. The book strays a bit in Chapter Nine into an exploration of evil itself, addressing such topics as beheadings, child soldiers, slavery, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Chapter Ten delves into the apocalyptic dreams and machinations of the IS to bring about the end times.

Chapter Eleven concludes the main portion of the book with the authors’ explanations of the importance of understanding the mindset of the leaders of the IS and the difficulty of fighting an ideology. The authors suggest that the focus must be on eliminating the illusions of simplicity the IS uses to paint the world in black and white while refusing to play into their apocalyptic fantasies. Stern and Berger insist that the IS state has well-defined, but vulnerable messaging that can be countered or suppressed to reduce their reach. The authors note the importance of the moral high ground and of carefully measuring calls for action against what we hope to accomplish. The authors conclude with their assertion that democracy cannot be forced, advocating a patient approach while noting the willingness of regional partners like Jordan to shoulder at least some of the load.

The book is fantastic. It is extremely well referenced and is as entertaining as it is informative. While some of the middle chapters seem like essays that were added to a work that could have stood without them, they do provide additional layers of fidelity on the nature of the IS and its meteoric rise into the world’s consciousness. The book fills a significant gap in the literature and will be important as we continue to study and understand the role of these dangerous movements. The appendices and notes sections are as enjoyable as the book itself, adding incredible levels of detail to the chapters. Historians, students of the region, and policy makers all could benefit from reading this book as well as anyone who wants to understand the complicated entity that is the Islamic State.

65 people found this helpful

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Was good for its time but has been surpassed by other books

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2020

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The rise of the Islamic State to international prominence in 2014 with its seizure of Mosul, Iraq and the declaration of its caliphate led to a cottage industry of western books on the group. ISIS The State of Terror by Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger was one example coming out in 2015. It tried to compare the Islamic State to the larger jihadist movement, highlighting the differences between IS and Al Qaeda. It also talked about its unique use of violence and the Internet. Overall, the book is a bit uneven. The first half on the history of the Islamic State and its differences with Al Qaeda is good. The second part not so much as it tends to lose focus.

ISIS The State of Terror has a very good start pointing out the differences between the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. It compares the beheading of James Foley in 2014 with the decapitation of Nicholas Berg in 2004. That highlights IS always promoted gruesome acts of violence across the world to intimidate its foes and recruit new followers. Al Qaeda always condemned these acts warning that it could cost the jihadist movement support amongst other Muslims. Al Qaeda saw itself as an intellectual vanguard group that would assist others. IS on the other hand called on all Muslims to come to its caliphate. Al Qaeda was small and elite. The Islamic State was populist. The Islamic State was able to push its message through a slick media operation involving magazines, newspapers, Facebook and Twitter in multiple languages meant to appeal to foreign audiences. Al Qaeda in comparison had long videos of its leaders like Ayman al-Zawahiri giving speeches with none of the excitement nor popular appeal that the Islamic State’s media had. It focused on other jihadists already converted to the cause. Stern and Berger wrote that IS was a game changer. It’s use of violence, media and its utopian vision of the caliphate set it apart from not only Al Qaeda but all the other jihadist groups around the world. It set a new standard of what an extremist group could do and achieve.

Where the book starts going off track is its discussion of social media and ideology. First it has a whole chapter on the use of the Internet that has nothing to do with IS. Then it goes over some of the major Al Qaeda and Islamic State supporters on Twitter, what they said, and how the company eventually responded. When it first discusses the Islamic State’s ideas it doesn’t deal with what it said but rather tries to use sociology and other Social Sciences to try to explain how it appealed to people. Then when it does go into its ideology it focuses upon its apocalyptic ideas. The book does note at the end that it didn’t know whether IS actually believed in the End Times or was just using it to gain followers. This whole second part of the book showed how ISIS The State of Terror was a reflection of the 2014-15 period. Jihadist Twitter accounts for instance and the back and forth between them were trendy at that time, but in the big picture of things weren’t that important as how IS used the Internet which was already covered earlier in the book. The talk about IS being an apocalyptic group also proved to be way off. One of the group’s slogans was that it would endure, not that it wanted everything to end.

ISIS The State of Terror was definitely a book of the moment when it was published in 2015. To many Western researches the group was brand new to them, and so its use of things like Facebook and Twitter were very novel. Unfortunately that took the book off on tangents. Other times Stern and Berger were quite good like their comparison of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Today there are much better books focused solely upon the Islamic State, its strategy, tactics and ideology because people’s knowledge has grown so much. When ISIS The State of Terror came out it wasn’t bad. It’s just that it’s been surpassed by others in the field since then.

Musings On Iraq Blog

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Jordan Prosser

Captivating whilst being educational is sometimes hard to look for...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have not read all of this book but it has been essential in my successful dissertation and has provided fantastic framework for the paper due to the superb outlining of each and every single event that has occurred in Iraq within the past 40 years.

Secondly, the critique of ISIS regime helped me develop a criminological theory within my paper which was regarded as one of the better parts of my work.

I read all I could from this book within the short time frame I had and would recommend it to anyone for a read. Whether it be for educational purposes or just something to read. It will hook you.

Thank you.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Solid walk through of IS up to the end of 2014

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

Good book. Solid walk through of the rise and thinking of IS, as well as some of the West's response, backed up with research and anecdotes.
Avoids sensationalism and storytelling, but is more accessible than a straight down the line academic book. If you follow Berger's blog, Intelwire, it's more of the same (in a good way).
Overall, a great starting point for those wanting to learn the background. And a collossal appendix gives lots of pointers for further reading.
My only regret is not buying it sooner - it's a fast moving issue and I only got round to reading it Nov '15.

4 people found this helpful

@DavidFalt

Dynamic - Deep - Innovative and important to read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2015

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This is the most interesting and comprehensive read up to date on ISIS. Combined with Weiss & Hassan's book and you get as good of a picture one can from sitting at home reading. I found a few sections very innovative and important. The detailed forensic account of ISIS social media strategies is one such area where other books covering ISIS fall short. But the most interesting parts are the last few chapters of the book, where the psychology of ISIS is analyzed in a simplistic but efficient way. The fact that the authors have turned to Steve Pinker and other important experts is a huge bonus. I also like the fact that the authors don't shy away from delivering actions and advice to policy makers. The last chapter should be mandatory reading for any elected official, government official or employee at any MOFA.

6 people found this helpful

Josh W.

Not the best book I've read on this topic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

Overall it was a good read. However the structure was average and the flow seemed it lacked structure. I'd advise readers to pick up a book by former FBI Agent Ali Soufan to gain a sound background within this area.

One person found this helpful

martin

Came early love it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Intresting to read

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