The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State

Gripping ... revelatory ... unrivalled
Tom Holland, New Statesman

"From Mosul to Melbourne, from Cairo to Tokyo, from London to Oslo, from Connecticut to California: Graeme Wood's quest to understand the Islamic State is a round-the-world journey to the end of the night."
Niall Ferguson

A radical rethinking of what ISIS is and what it really wants

From Graeme Wood, author of the explosive Atlantic cover story "What ISIS Really Wants," comes the definitive book on the history, psychology, character, and aims of the Islamic State.

Key highlights:

• Based on Wood's unprecedented access to supporters, recruiters, and high-ranking members of the most infamous jihadist group in the world.
• A riveting, fast-paced deep dive into the apocalyptic dogma that informs the group's worldview.
• Explores the ideas that motivate ISIS, the "fatwa factory" that produces its laws, and its very specific plans for the future.

By accepting that ISIS truly believes the end is nigh, we can understand its strategy—and predict what it will do next.