Insurgent Iraq: Al Zarqawi and the New Generation

A 'must' for any seeking to understand the roots of terrorist activities is INSURGENT IRAQ: AL ZARQAWI AND THE NEW GENERATION. It examines Iraqi insurgency and the forces which contribute to it, documenting the regrouping and strengthening of terror networks and the development of an Iraqi resistance since the invasion over two years ago. Most of all, it tells of al Zarqawi and his history and involvement in Iraq, providing a blend of history and social inspection throughout. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

"Insurgent Iraq" is the most lucid account I've been able to find on the dynamics behind the current threat posed by radicalized Islam. I've read books by American, European, and Muslim writers, but "Insurgent Iraq" seems the most unbiased account of how we've reached the point of near-certain civil war in Iraq. Ms. Napoleoni provides a clear analysis of the myriad players and agendas in this very complex situation. Key leaders within the Democratic and Islamic camps have made ill-conceived decisions because of their reliance on dogma rather than on realistic assessments. Too bad Napoleoni had not been consulted right after 9/11; we might have implemented much more astute policy. In the meantime, readers can rely on this exceptional work to better understand how we've gotten to this point. I look forward to her future writings -- this story is far from over.

Napoleoni's book is well researched, full of useful information and easy to read. It is a biography of al Zarqawi and at the same time the story of the Jihadist movement and the chronicle of the war in Iraq. She writes beautifully, as a skillful and passionate author, so that the reader cannot stop turning the pages. I bought the book at LSE book shop and read it overnight, I simply had to get to the end of it. This is a book which stands out from the vast production of books on terrorism and Iraq, a book written by someone who understands the meaning of terrorism. Napoleoni, I found out by reading her biography on the net, did a PhD at LSE in the early 1990s on terrorism, at the time she was the sole student working on such a topic. We often forget that until 9/11 terrorism was not a hot topic and famous journalists and authors were uninterested in researching it. This book confirms what most academics and studends of current affairs know, you cannot master a topic in a short time. True knowledge requires years and years of research, reading and above all experience. Well done from a fellow LSE scholar, Susan

The author has presented a candid, vivid, precise and penetrating understanding of Al Zarqawi; his life, his passion for a caliphate for the region and certainly, his thirst to inflict as much harm and death as possible upon those who oppose his interpretation of a radical Islam. His youthful and turbulant experiences in Jordan; hence, the introduction to al Qaeda and of course, his leadership role, as an outsider, in terms of the Iraqi insurgency is seen and heard in the daily death bombings dispatches involving the occupaton forces and ordinary Iraqis who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The tentacles of his organization have invaded Jordan and perhaps other regional nations as well; his further objective to attack Israel and even Saudi Arabia is not in doubt. To understand the man, the financing and the radicals recruited with similar loyalties, is to be in step with today while anticipating the dark clouds that are further moving toward us n tomorrow. His hatred for America evolved in recent years and his ease in terms of televised and filmed beheadings is a reminder of his rules for engagement. Ms. Napoleoni writes well; her depth of research leaves no doubt about her and her astute reportorial genius. We need more writers like her to tell us who we are, where we are and where we are headed. The book is educational, polished, easy to read, and it merits five stars for excellence. History is our companion and we thank Ms. Napoleoni for recording this reality.