Booklist Review
ISIS is a relatively recent phenomenon. Even an expert's understanding of it will have gaps, as much of the material is either classified or too widely scattered. Despite these difficulties, Steed's latest reference work on ISIS provides readers with as complete a view as reasonably possible. This book starts with an excellent introductory essay that outlines the various political events that lead to forming ISIS, to shaping it into what it is today. The longer alphabetized entries, making up the bulk of the book, are relevant entries which are clear, cogent, and well-written. However, there are some (generally shorter) entries whose relevance to ISIS is peripheral. Most of the primary documents are excerpts, and complete versions are easily web accessible. Some of the introductory notes preceding the extract could be more useful if allowed greater analytical depth. An extensive bibliography is divided into articles and books, which would be useful for any serious study. The work is a well-suited reference which provides a 360-degree view of ISIS.--Muhammed Hassanali Copyright 2020 Booklist
Choice Review
This book, which supplements military historian Steed's ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State (2016), is intended as a primer "for readers seeking to understand who and what ISIS is, where it came from, what motivates its members, and how they think and operate." Cognizant of the limitations of compiling such a text and eschewing any pretense of comprehensiveness, Steed (US Army and General Staff College) here seeks to create an "emphatic" understanding of the organization. Apart from the inclusion of new entries (and the removal of a few old ones), the book is essentially an updated version of his 2016 work with some noteworthy differences: the addition of three introductory essays providing an overview of the war with ISIS (covering its causes and consequences), an extensive compilation of primary documents, an updated chronology through April 2019, and a revamped bibliography including a section entitled "The Best Articles and Books," which the author recommends reading in the order shown. Serving both as a reference and introductory text, and given the lack of comparable works, this book certainly fills a void. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. --David Ettinger, George Washington University
