A timely, piercing study of the Islamic State, as its rise to prominence and domination of Middle Eastern politics, is explained in revealing detail by economist and bestselling author Loretta Napoleoni. Napoleoni illuminates the singularity of IS and how it differs from other jihadist organisations, particularly in terms of its economic structure and focus on consensus instead of pure violence. Napoleoni traces the beginnings of IS, its dynamic with al-Qaeda, and its current status as the first official Caliphate in over a century.
"The Islamist Phoenix is a great entry point for those in want of a more solid understanding of the history and social complexities involved in the rise of the Islamic State. Loretta Napoleoni explains how this iteration of Islamism does not form from a vacuum, but almost inevitably, and sometimes knowingly, from the circumstances and conditions of the West's recent involvement in the Middle East in the last century. The Islamic State can, and almost certainly will, be defeated. But, how it is defeated is what truly matters, especially in the years, decades, and centuries to come." --Chelsea Manning
"A vital contribution to our understanding of what is happening in the Middle East" --Chris Hedges
"A vital contribution to our understanding of what is happening in the Middle East" --Chris Hedges