10 Must-Read Books on the Evolution of Terrorism in the Middle East

In the wake of Friday night’s violent attacks in Paris, The Wall Street Journal asked several experts for book recommendations on the evolution of terrorism in the Middle East. Here are their top picks:

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“ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror” by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan (Regan Arts, 2015)

U.S. journalist Michael Weiss and Syrian analyst Hassan Hassan’s work, “ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror,” provides an overview of the group’s history and tactics. Tony Badran, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C., recommends the book. “It traces the history of the group, properly placing it in the context of Iraq and the post-2003 insurgency,” he wrote in an email.

“The Levant: A Fractured Mosaic” by William Harris (Markus Wiener Publishers, Updated edition 2015)

William Harris’s comprehensive work is the best survey of the Levant region of the Middle East, a broad geographical area that today includes Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and parts of Jordan and Iraq, among other countries, says Mr. Badran. “The book is a sweeping history of the region, explaining structural and geographic determinant factors that explain its role and characteristics throughout the ages,” he says. “It’s the single most useful book for understanding the Levant out there.”

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Read the full article here.