Black Flags
The Rise of ISIS
by Joby Warrick
Recommended by Bob Iger and Michael Smerconish
Check price on AmazonProof-backed recommendation
Amazon availability
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Reads like long-form investigative journalism: chapter openings drop you into tense scenes and the narrative ties individual actors to policy choices. Most useful when you want a readable, humanized chronology that makes complex events feel immediate and consequential. Main limitation is a tendency to linger on operational minutiae and a wide cast of characters, which can feel repetitive or overwhelming for readers seeking tight analysis or heavily footnoted academic prose.
Read this if...
- •a policy analyst preparing a briefing on recent militant movements who needs vivid anecdotes and a clear timeline to humanize dry policy points;
- •a foreign-affairs reporter new to the topic who wants narrative scenes and reported details to frame articles and follow up leads;
- •a graduate student assembling case studies in recent political violence who benefits from well-paced storytelling that links events to decisions.
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when chapters turn into long rosters of operations, dates, and names with few summary signposts — that mid-book slog is a common slowdown point;
- •annoying if you prefer heavily sourced, footnote-dense academic work; this favors narrative momentum over exhaustive scholarly apparatus;
- •not a fit if you want prescriptive policy solutions or a short primer — the book focuses on narrative history rather than offering practical how-to remedies.
WINNER OF THE 2016 PULITZER PRIZE FOR GENERAL NONFICTION A Best Book of 2015 "The New York Times," "The Washington Post," "People" Magazine, "San Francisco Chronicle," "Kansas City Star," and "Kirkus Reviews" ""In a thrilling dramatic narrative, awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Joby Warrick"traces how the strain of militant I...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:medium
Audience Fit
- a policy analyst preparing a briefing on recent militant movements who needs vivid anecdotes and a clear timeline to humanize dry policy points;
- a foreign-affairs reporter new to the topic who wants narrative scenes and reported details to frame articles and follow up leads;
- a graduate student assembling case studies in recent political violence who benefits from well-paced storytelling that links events to decisions.
- you'll likely put it down when chapters turn into long rosters of operations, dates, and names with few summary signposts — that mid-book slog is a common slowdown point;
- annoying if you prefer heavily sourced, footnote-dense academic work; this favors narrative momentum over exhaustive scholarly apparatus;
- not a fit if you want prescriptive policy solutions or a short primer — the book focuses on narrative history rather than offering practical how-to remedies.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 4 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Politics, and History.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Bob Iger
“I hope presidential candidates are reading this book @JobyWarrick bio of Abu Musab Zarqawiwish it were fiction”
View sources (2) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.