Book
The way of the strangers : encounters with the Islamic State / Graeme Wood.
The definitive book on the distinctive history and psychology of ISIS, based on Wood's unprecedented access to the Islamic State's own recruiters and supporters, and his extensive time reporting throughout the region. Based on interviews with Islamic State members and supporters, Wood delivers a fast-paced, riveting narrative about what the Islamic State wants and how it plans to get it. The true story of the on-the-ground reality of the wealthiest, most infamous jihadist group in our world today. A deep dive into the heart of the Islamic State's apocalyptic worldview, this is a bracing look at this terrorist cult from the people who belong to it, promote it and recruit for it.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780812988758 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xxix, 317 pages : illustration ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Random House, [2017]
- Copyright: ©2017
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-305) and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | IS (Organization) Terrorists > Iraq. Terrorists > Syria. Terrorism > Religious aspects > Islam. Terrorism > Middle East. Middle East > History > 21st century. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | 363.325 Woo | 31681010039493 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
The writer ofThe Atlantic 's cover story, "What ISIS Really Wants," presents an intimate and unsettling examination of the motivations that drive the men and women of the Islamic State, sharing the stories of individual followers against a backdrop of the violent events of today. Includes two charts. - Baker & Taylor
The Way of the Strangers is an intimate journey into the minds of the Islamic State's true believers. From the streets of Cairo to the mosques of London, Wood interviews supporters, recruiters, and sympathizers of the group. Wood speaks with non-Islamic State Muslim scholars and jihadists, and explores the group's idiosyncratic, coherent approach to Islam. Through character study and analysis, Wood provides a clear-eyed look at a movement that has inspired so many people to abandon or uproot their families. - Baker & Taylor
Presents an investigation of the strategy, psychology, and theology behind the Islamic State, offering information gleaned from supporters, recruiters, and fans of the group, as well as with non-IS Muslim scholars who explore the group's take on Islam. - Random House, Inc.
What does ISIS really want? This is the definitive account of the strategy, psychology, and fundamentalism driving the Islamic State.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS ' 'Worthy of Joseph Conrad . . . gripping, sobering and revelatory.''tom Holland, New Statesman
The Islamic State inspired a wave of true believers to travel to Syria from Europe, America, and the Middle East, in numbers not seen since the Crusades. What compelled tens of thousands of men and women to leave comfortable, privileged lives to join a death cult in the desert? Steven Pinker called Graeme Wood's analysis of this phenomenon in The Atlantic 'fascinating, terrifying, occasionally blackly humorous.' In The Way of the Strangers, Wood uses character study, analysis, and original reporting to take us further into the Islamic State's apocalyptic vision.
Though the Islamic State has lost territory, it threatens to rise again, and its followers are plotting on every continent. From the streets of Cairo to the mosques of London, Wood meets with supporters, recruiters, and scholars and asks them why they believe that killing and dying for this cause is the only path to Paradise. With a new afterword, The Way of the Strangers uncovers the theology and emotional appeal of this resilient group and explores its idiosyncratic, coherent approach to Islam. Just as Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower explained the rise of Al Qaida, this book will shape our understanding of a new and deadlier generation of terrorists.
Praise for The Way of the Strangers
"The Way of the Strangers represents journalism at its best: vivid writing, indefatigable legwork, and fearless analysis.''Robert D. Kaplan, author of The Return of Marco Polo's World
"Wood is a brilliant analyst and storyteller, and his firsthand reporting and language abilities make him the most reliable commentator on the Islamic State that I have read. His wit matches his intelligence ('Well-behaved Salafis seldom make history')'you don't get through any two pages in his book without a good laugh.''Peter Theroux, author of Sandstorms: Days and Nights in Arabia
"Excruciatingly well observed and devastatingly honest . . . This is the first and only book about the Islamic State to expose, explain, and ultimately undermine its ideology with the relentless irony that comes from blending deep knowledge with hands-on experience. Wood makes it impossible not to laugh, despite the horrors.''Elisabeth Kendall, senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Oxford
