Praise for Journey of the Jihadist

"In America before 9/11, understanding violent Islamic radicalism was a prime concern mostly of Middle Eastern–studies academics. For that we can be grateful, at least when those academics write as unstuffily and accessibly as Gerges. A Greek Orthodox Lebanese Arab, Gerges has won the trust of some very prominent, formerly violent jihadists, whose personalities and words he uses to limn radical Islam with an intimacy other good explanatory works on violent Islam lack."

"Memorable, nondogmatic and full of fresh insights—none of them comforting for anyone who hopes for an end to the so-called Long War."

"For more than a decade, militant Islamists have confronted the United States and, yet, successive American administrations have failed to understand who—or what—their adversary is. Now, in Journey of the Jihadist, Fawaz Gerges provides an intimate look at three generations of jihadists—from the 1970s to the present day—allowing them to speak, in voices rarely hard, and revealing their role in a struggle that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the world of militant Islam—a subject that has never seemed more relevant, given that its protagonists have made it abundantly clear that they now have a far more dangerous agenda than previously seen."

"No armchair historian, Fawaz Gerges has been interviewing militant Islamists and jihadists since 1999. In this book he uses Kamal el-Said Habib, an Egyptian extremist who has turned to non-violent political struggle, as a touchstone for the changes in the Jihadist movement and the reactions within it to September 11, the American overthrow of the Taliban, and the war in Iraq. Prepare for surprises! Gerges offers new insights into the ideological divisions within the movement and a close look at some of the characters involved."

Previous Praise for America and Political Islam

"This book is the product of many years of research and reflection on the relations between the West and the Islamic world. It deals with a subject that is not just topical but really important. Fawaz Gerges is uniquely well qualified to write about this subject. He combines deep insight into Middle East politics with a subtle and sophisticated analysis of US policy towards political Islam. His book should be of great interest to students, policymakers, and general readers."

"Gerges' level-headed analysis superbly reveals the discrepancies between American words and American deeds. Though one might despair of our country ever having a coherent Middle East policy, dispassionate and thorough insight like this could be the beginning of wisdom."

"Fawaz Gerges has made a significant contribution to our understanding of U.S. policy toward the Islamic political currents sweeping across the Middle East. One of the many outstanding features of this book is its balanced and remarkably well-informed account of American policymakers at work, torn between democratic idealism and pragmatic security concerns, struggling to comprehend a complex ideological force which they find threatening yet which they dimly realize requires some kind of inclusion in the authoritarian politics of Middle Eastern regimes friendly to Washington. I found his treatment of the Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton policies to be both fair-minded and critical. His policy recommendations are cogent and deserve serious attention. This book is a valuable addition to the literature on American foreign policy in general and our Middle East policy in particular."

"Fawaz Gerges has written a major critical evaluation of American policy towards the Muslim world that will serve to define public debates on the subject. Based on a meticulous reading of official documents and statements and supplemented with interviews of key decision-makers, he provides a guide at once thought-provoking and instructive to both American rhetoric and policy. Drawing on a deep knowledge of events in the Islamic world as well as insights into the foreign policy making process, Gerges documents the continuities and discontinuities that have marked the US response to a politically mobilised Islam. In the process, he sounds a salutary cautionary note about the dangers of assuming, even implicitly, that 'Islam' constitutes a radical challenge to American interests."

"Gerges presents the first full-length account of perhaps the most ideological and exciting foreign policy debate of our time—how the US should respond to Islamism. He does so in a clear and well-informed way."