The Way of the Strangers ─ Encounters With the Islamic State

From Graeme Wood, author of the explosive Atlantic cover story “What ISIS Really Wants,” comes the definitive book on the distinctive history, psychology, character, and aims of the Islamic State. Based on his extensive time reporting throughout the region, and his unprecedented access to ISIS recruiters and supporters, Wood explores how the Islamic State’s apocalyptic worldview informs their global media strategy, solidifies their authority, and dictates their geographically precise battle-plan. By accepting that ISIS is, at heart, an apocalyptic religious movement that truly believes the end is nigh, we can understand their strategy—and predict what they will do next.

Graeme Wood is a national correspondent for The Atlantic. He has written for The New Republic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, The American Scholar, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many other publications. He was the 2014–2015 Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and he teaches in the political science department at Yale University.