So much learned

Before listening to this book I knew very little about Isis or the situations it spawned from. I was nervous before starting the book that I would have issues with characters names and remembering who was who in the same way I struggled remembering who was who in the Russian classics like war and peace and crime and punishment. However the author did a good job reminding the reader who was who and at the same time didn't do it so much that someone who wouldn't have that problem wouldn't be annoyed by it. I learned so much about the situations that Isis evolved from and what countries in the area the key players came from. Although the book covers a large period of time and doesn't do it in a linear manor the history is digestible and the nonlinear nature of the book is setup in a way that keeps things interesting but not confusing. My only complaint about this book is how the reader over emphases words or phrases. At times it felt melodramatic to me. At the same time I understand that he didn't want to sound boring or dry and it's possible it's just me being weird and nothing to do with how the book was read. Overall I strongly recommend this book for anyone that wants to start to learn about Isis on a richer way.

22 people found this helpful

Good storytelling.

A quick recap: The first 6 hours address faults at the Bush administration, there's 20 minutes addressing faults at the Obama administration and the rest is great listening as it discusses specifics about King Abdulla II and al-Zarqawi.

16 people found this helpful

What a Disappointment . . .

This book was beyond a disappointment. It took ten hours to get to ISIS. The book failed to adequately explain why and how ISIS rose to power and instead is a biography of the men who came to lead ISIS. There's essentially no guidance on how to deal with ISIS going forward.

The narrator is also horrendous. He changes the cadence of voice at random as though to be dramatic. It's distracting and unnecessary.

This book is everything that the Looming Tower is not.

8 people found this helpful

Where We Are Today - Where We Were Before

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, by Joby Warrick is highly recommended for those who want to understand how and why ISIS came into existence, and what if anything it has/had to do with Al Qaida.

This is how history should be told. What do I mean by that? I believe history is the study of what/where we are today by assessment of what/where we were before. As such Warrick, provides for us an understanding of our present dilemma with ISIS as a result of what we, the West, and It, a claimant on behalf of Islam, did to get us where we are today. It is a story of antagonism between modern and pre-medieval values.

It is not a psychological study as to why the progenitors of vicious retribution on behalf of Islam are nihilists but rather just a story as to how ISIS’ leaders fell into their opportunistic but destructive circumstance.

The history tells how ISIS came into being and what foolery allowed its cruelty to flourish. The tale has its true heroes, and its requisite buffoons, evil doers and misguided forces. Actually, Warrick lists two distinct sets of champions and two distinct sets of satanic forces. There are the heads of state and the secrete service men and woman whose job it is to track threats to our equanimity and destroy those forces before they act and those demonic leaders and their blind faith followers who seek treachery and murder. An example of those on the hero side would be Abdullah II of Jordan and his Mukhabarat, Jordan’s secrete police or FBI/CIA. Yes, the Mukhabarat, can you imagine that? The controlling bad guys are Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the alleged progenitor of ISIS and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, its present leader/strongman. The buffoons being President George W. Busch, Vice President Dick Chaney and President Barack Obama. For example, Busch and Chaney had opportunity to take out Zarqawi and his then embryonic forces but past on the opportunity as it might have revealed their tenuous argument that Iraq was a threat to the West and in league with Al Qaida. That’s just a hint as to what the book revealed/claimed. Warrick is not very kind to Obama either. A worthwhile read, but beware as the stories of evil are difficult to hear and they do echo in one’s memories.

4 people found this helpful

Frightening

Good info, well laid out , evenhanded and informative. Makes the point that all Muslims are not the same. It lays some of the blame for the existence of ISIS on the failed US military adventure (particularity the botched post invasion period) in Iraq and our dithering in Syria. Anyone interested in the region should give this a listen.

9 people found this helpful

Very informative, detect a political bias

A great deal of information and was a good listen. Was slightly disappointed that there was some political bias. Bush was portrayed as incompetent but Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration was treated like they were just trying to do the right thing.

13 people found this helpful

Thrilling nonfiction bloodthirsty extremists

This was one of those books that I had trouble putting down and whenever I did I caught myself thinking about it.

ISIS has become a major presence in our world, especially in the media. In modern times they are unique in their bloodlust and their non-compromising effort to conquer the world and make their subjects live according to the strictest of Sharia. Though their cause and their actions are, in the opinion of any sane person, despicable - it is hard not to be a bit curious about them. Who are the people that created ISIS? Do they really believe all the things they say or is it a Machiavellian strategy similar to what exists in North Korea? And how do they manage to attract people to come and fight for their cause despite the fact that there is a good chance they will die?

These questions and many others, receive at least partial answers in this book. Thankfully, the author avoids the pitfall of writing a strictly chronological encyclopedic account of how ISIS developed and grew. Rather the book is focused on the stories of people who have somehow been involved with ISIS. This includes the story of an American soldier in Iraq, an American intelligence officer, Prince Abdullah of Jordan, the cynic Bashar Al Assad of Syria, and of course the Jordanian crook who became a religious extremist in prison and later, when Bin Laden did not want to partner with him because he was in favor of killing innocent Shia Muslims, founded ISIS i.e., Abu Musab az-Zarqawi.

In short, this book was an expected masterpiece. There are few books that are as thrilling and educational at same time as this book. If you are curious about ISIS, this should be your number one choice.

3 people found this helpful

want to really understand the rise of ISIS ?

this well written and wonderfully read book will help you understand the lead up to ISIS, the failures of US policy, particularly Bush et al, and the role if Iraq, Syria, and Jordan in where we have ended up...so far. Highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

Couldn't have been done better

Informative. Compelling. Disturbing. Joby is a phenomenal writer who (in the best of his ability) objectifies a terrorist group by breaking it down to its hellish beginnings, strategic growth, and expansive damages.

3 people found this helpful

Misleading title and partisan history

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This book subtitled "The rise of ISIS" spends less than a 1/3 of the text actually describing ISIS. Instead, the book details the rise and death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in 2006, long before the Syrian crisis and the true rise of ISIS. Unfortunately, even given this attention, I gained little insight into Zarqawi's character from the text.

What was most disappointing about Joby Warrick’s story?

By focusing in on the rise of Zarqawi, who was killed in 2006, Warrick is able to blame the Bush administration for the rise of ISIS. The Bush policy shortsightedness and failures are well known and better documented elsewhere. However, the Obama administration, oppressive Arabic regimes, the Jordanian government and even Islamic radicalism are all let off the hook by Mr. Warrick. Why? The Jordanians foolishly released Zarqawi from prison, yet Warrick plays the role of Jordanian apologist. Why? The Obama administration failure to respect self imposed "red lines," abandonment of a leadership role in the Middle East and complete failure to see the oncoming extremist threat, despite real time warnings, is not even discussed by Mr. Warrick. Why not? Arab countries willingness and even active participation in anti-American and anti-semitic rhetoric is not discussed as a radicalizing force. Nor, is the oppressive Arabic regimes discussed as possible destabilizing threat. Why not?
The only reason is that Mr. Warrick eschewed a complex etiology for the ISIS rise in favor of a partisan, everything-is-Bush's-fault, ideology. As such, this book fails in explaining anything other than the author's very own prejudices.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Sunil Malhotra?

Anyone who could properly pronounce Arabic names.

10 people found this helpful