There is no shortage of books on al-Qaeda, but Mike Ryan's work is in a class by itself. He skillfully (part of his edge comes from his ability to access and read the original Arabic sources) peels back the onion for us, revealing the core of al-Qaeda's strategic thinking. His focus is less on the actions of al-Qaeda, but more on the ideas that animate those actions. This approach is a powerful lens into understanding the organization itself, but also into why its ideas have so much power in the region. He skillfully anchors al-Qaeda's strategic views to some of the earlier political Islamic thinkers, like Sayyid Qutb of Egypt, and then connects the dots between the earlier thinkers and the terrorist group's current strategic thinking.
One of the most powerful ways to understand an opponent's strategy is to discover its world view. Ryan gives the reader a marvelous (albeit at times terrifying) glimpse into how al-Qaeda perceives the world, the role of the United States in it, and how current political structures can potentially be upended by a combination of powerful Islamic ideas and violent action. Drawing from original sources discovered after 9/11, he gives us the full array of al-Qaeda's strategic ideas, teasing out many of the subtleties in the thinking that both unify and divide the organization.
One central thesis of the book is that while the symbols and ideas used by al-Qaeda are Islamic in content, much of the organization's strategic thought comes from secular strategic thinkers like Mao. This portrayal of al-Qaeda's duality gives us an understanding of how the organization's actions are informed by dogma and doctrine, but also by very practical notions of strategy and revolution. The book is fascinating, illuminating, but also frightening, because it shows the sophistication of the organization's thinking.
Also, Ryan's book is balanced in that it clearly shows the strength and agility of al-Qaeda, but also its vulnerabilities. Now that al-Qaeda is being challenged by other groups, like The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Ryan helps us better understand, not just how al-Qaeda might respond to these threats through its actions, but also through its messages and propagation of ideas.
While I wouldn't characterize the book as a quick read, it is very much accessible to the area specialists, policy makers and informed citizen alike. For anyone who seeks to better understand an organization that almost defies understanding, Mike Ryan's book is an absolute must-read.
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Top reviews from other countries
Ross Harrison
A must read for anyone (policymaker or informed citizen) interested in understanding al-Qaeda's strategic thinking
Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2014Verified Purchase
welmoet
Decoding Al-Qaeda Strategy
Reviewed in the United States on 25 November 2013Verified Purchase
