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cayleigh's review against another edition
Read this for school as I was doing a project on various terrorist groups. Really interesting and good for background information, although it would be better branded as a biography of Zarqawi. I
abe2's review against another edition
3.0
I think I had a high standard for books in this “genre” after reading The Looming Tower, but I don’t know, this one disappointed. It sources heavily from likely-ghostwritten memoirs by public figures - King Abdullah, Hillary Clinton - and interviews with a former CIA officer who was in the process of writing her own memoir at the time. Any time there was dialogue, I couldn’t help but think, “Come on, nobody talks like that.” It was all straight out of a TV political drama. Not to mention the character descriptions - after one “slender brunette” was followed by a “slender blonde,” I lost hope. The narrative was put together well, he tells the story clearly, but I just did not enjoy the book overall.
aust1nz's review against another edition
4.0
So, I listened to this book while jogging, and I was a terribly inconsistent jogger. The week-long gaps between listening definitely didn't help things.
Regardless, Warrick's book outlines events for non-experts like myself that led to the ISIS movement in Iraq and Syria, through several different angles. He gives a brief overview of the politics of the region, and stops to focus on Jordan's kings and their political challenges. Warrick spends considerable time diving into the radicalization of former thug Abu Musab al-Zarquawi, and the series of events that led to his imprisonment and rise to leadership of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Also outlined: the decisions and mistakes of Americans that allowed ISIS to take route, from the US's initial entry to the region, to botched responses to the Al Qaeda threat and decisions not to intervene in Syria or re-engage in Iraq after military forces withdrew.
It's a must-listen for Americans who aren't especially familiar with the conflict but wish to learn more about what forces allowed ISIS to take hold. Unfortunately, the ISIS of 2015 is addressed only fleetingly, in the final chapters and epilogue.
Regardless, Warrick's book outlines events for non-experts like myself that led to the ISIS movement in Iraq and Syria, through several different angles. He gives a brief overview of the politics of the region, and stops to focus on Jordan's kings and their political challenges. Warrick spends considerable time diving into the radicalization of former thug Abu Musab al-Zarquawi, and the series of events that led to his imprisonment and rise to leadership of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Also outlined: the decisions and mistakes of Americans that allowed ISIS to take route, from the US's initial entry to the region, to botched responses to the Al Qaeda threat and decisions not to intervene in Syria or re-engage in Iraq after military forces withdrew.
It's a must-listen for Americans who aren't especially familiar with the conflict but wish to learn more about what forces allowed ISIS to take hold. Unfortunately, the ISIS of 2015 is addressed only fleetingly, in the final chapters and epilogue.
mmazelli's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
jasperburns's review
5.0
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.
jlbates's review against another edition
4.0
Really good overview of about 2000-2014 and how we got to where we are now. Seemed to hit the right balance of details, fairness, and quick enough to maintain interest.
old_nikon_fm's review against another edition
5.0
A comprehensive and well written explanation of the ISIS phenomenon.