Radicalized

New Jihadists and the Threat to the West

By: Peter R. Neumann, Alexander Starritt - translator

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The 2015 Paris and San Bernardino terrorist attacks heralded the beginning of a new wave of terrorism - one rooted in the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq that shows the possibility of foreign attackers working with citizens of the country. As ISIS seeks to expand its reach in the Middle East, its territory serves as a training and operations base for a new generation of jihadis. Young people from the West, primarily from Europe, have traveled to join the terror organization, re-emerging as hardened fighters with military training and a network of international contacts. Many have returned to their homelands, where it is feared they are planning a new series of brutal attacks. When the War on Terror began, Western political leaders assured their citizens that they would be engaging terrorists "over there" in Iraq and Afghanistan and not at home.

In this guide to the latest developments in the War on Terror based on extensive interviews and previously unseen material, Peter R. Neumann explains the phenomenon of the "new jihadis" and why the threat of terrorism and ISIS in the West is greater than ever before.

©2016 Peter R. Neumann (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

educational

I found the material to be current, relevant and educational... I'm looking forward to hearing more from this author in future releases

Drink every time he says “milieu”

This book is clearly written by an expert on the subject of terrorism and jihadism in particular and contains a wealth of information ranging from general history of the waves of terror that have occurred in the past to the ongoing movement, along with individuals and motivations behind them. It presents a picture more complex than many realize and this is absolutely worthwhile in developing an understanding of the wider movement that motivates many modern extremists.

With that said, it shows evidence that the author is not quite as well versed in writing books. The sentences can be choppy and are often repetitive. The overuse (not always correctly) of the word “milieu” is a good example of this. Performance is mostly good and adds to the scholarly feel of the audiobook itself, though contains a number of mispronunciations that I could not un-notice each time they came up. Many of these are Arabic names and, as such, are relatively forgivable, others less so (such as the dreaded “milieu” which, as a French word, was not technically incorrect but was accented in a way that was unnecessary in this context).

Not a bad work by any means, full of content, and worth a read despite its flaws as a written/audio piece.

Good overall

I liked the book and found it informative, however by 2021 it seems a bit dated and could benefit from some updates through footnotes. I also feel there is a greater validity to the author’s opinions as he is a German academic and does not seem to be pushing a specific policy proposal that the nations most at risk of a terror attack need to seek