Praise for previous books:'Filled with the dramatic moments, ironies and political intrigues that colour the Taliban's rise ... Griffin writes engagingly'
- The New York Times Book Review,
'Michael Griffin has reached a better understanding of the Taliban in his book than I have come across anywhere else'
- John Simpson, BBC,
'Recommended'
- CHOICE,
'Engaging and succinct'
- Middle East Journal,
The world is watching IS's advance through the Middle East. The US risks being drawn into another war in the region despite its experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. IS are creating catastrophic waves across the region, but it is still unclear what lies behind its success.
Michael Griffin uncovers the nature of IS through investigating the myriad of regional players engaged in a seemingly endless power game: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Iraq, which have all contributed to the success of IS by supplying arms and funds.
He foregrounds the story of the uprising against President Assad of Syria, the role played by the Free Syrian Army, Islamist groups, Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, the chemical weapons attacks in 2013 and the House of Commons vote not to impose a no-fly zone over the country.
Timeline
Preface
1. The Great Escape
2. Zarqawi’s War
3. The First Caliph
4. Clear, Hold and Build
5. The Successions
6. Springtime for Qatar
7. The Road to Damascus
8. Prince Bandar’s Last Adventure
9. Knights of the Silencers
10. Treasure of Babisqa
11. Chain of Custody
12. Game of Thrones
13. Paradise Square
14. Birth of a Nation
15. Twitter Caliphate
16. Call of Duty
17. Inside the Whale
18. Euphrates Volcano
Postscript: Saddam’s Ghost
Notes
Index