Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface to the 2021 Edition ix
4. Acknowledgments xv
5. Introduction: Down the Rabbit Hole and into the History of ISIS 1
6. 1 The World According to ISIS 27
7. 2 Where ISIS Came From: Zarqawi to Baghdadi 54
8. 3 How Broken Iraqi Politics Fueled the Revival of ISIS 102
9. 4 Baghdadi’s Evolution: From Invisible to Infamous 133
10. 5 Baathists and ISIS Jihadists: Who Converted Whom? 148
11. 6 How the Syrian War Empowered ISIS 174
12. 7 Misappropriating the Arab Spring Uprisings 206
13. 8 The Islamic State versus Al Qaeda: Redefining Jihad and the Transition from the Global to the Local 227
14. Conclusion: The Future of the Islamic State 272
15. Notes 307
16. Index 371