A review by johndiconsiglio
Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick

4.0

Chilling nonfiction narrative on the evolution of ISIS. Follows Jordanian thug Zarqawi’s rise from street hoodlum to terrorist superstar—thanks in part to American missteps. The details are so vivid & compelling that it seems this Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter was everywhere—from desolate Afghan caves & hellhole Jordanian prisons to battle-scarred Fallujah streets & secret White House briefing rooms. Not the first stellar post-9/11 journalism (it’s reminiscent of Wright’s Looming Tower, without being derivative), but earns its spot on that impressive shelf.