Radicalized - by Peter R Neumann (Paperback)

About the Book

Translation of: Die neuen Dschihadisten.

Book Synopsis

As ISIS seeks to expand its reach in the Middle East, its territory serves as a base for training and operations for a new generation of jihadis. Thousands of young people from the West, primarily from Europe, have travelled to join ISIS, re-emerging as hardened fighters with military training and a network of international contacts. Many of these have now returned to their homelands, where it is feared they are planning a new series of brutal attacks. Peter R. Neumann here explains the phenomenon of the 'new jihadis', and shows why the threat of terrorism in the West is greater than ever before. Based on interviews and previously-unseen material, Neumann provides an essential introduction to one of the greatest crises of our time."

Review Quotes

Donald Trump needs to read this book: what he doesn't understand about jihadists and counterterrorism will make America less safe. [...] Peter R. Neumann's Radicalized is a nuanced and necessary examination of Islamic terrorism's roots and direction.

-- (02/12/2017)

This useful analysis of global terrorism warns that jihadist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq are incubating a generation of trained terrorists from Western countries whose survivors will return to Europe, sowing the seeds of "the beginning of a new wave of terrorism that will occupy us for a generation." It's a dire forecast. In his account of the "fifth wave" of jihad-inspired terrorism, Neumann, a German journalist turned academic, estimates that as many as 4,120 European citizens have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, many for ISIS. While there is no simple, quick solution to the rise of the Islamic State, and "certainly no purely military one," Neumann, basing his work on research by his International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College, London, suggests that under "aggressive containment," ISIS will collapse under its own contradictions. He traces the group's rise in a concise, informative summary, and looks at both overall ideology and the personal narratives of individual fighters. Striking a readable balance between academic prose and anecdotal journalism, this book provides a start in "realistically evaluating a phenomenon that will define the new wave of terrorism."

-- (12/08/2016)

'A vital contribution from one of Europe's leading thinkers on jihadist terrorism. Policy makers should heed his central warning: we will overcome this threat only when we tackle the sense of social marginalisation which plagues Muslim communities across Europe.'-- (08/03/2016)

About the Author

Peter R. Neumann is Professor of Security Studies at King's College London and Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR). He is a leading expert on terrorism and radicalization, and has advised governments and international institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. He frequently appears in the media.