© Columbia University Press
Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al Qaeda Strategist Abu Mus'ab al-Suri
Paper, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-70028-3
$22.50
January, 2008
Cloth, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-70030-6
$28.95
"Brynjar Lia's book is an innovative, well-sourced, and thorough account of the life and work of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri. Lia's book digs behind the myths and public speculation around al-Suri and gives a comprehensive picture of the man and his works. It is crucial to an understanding of international jihadi ideology and needs to be widely studied." — Jeevan Deol, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
"Brynjar Lia's masterfully-researched work remains the only known contribution to the terrorism studies field that parses the history and thought of al-Suri, a formidable ideologue by virtue of his pragmatism, rational approach to history, and realistic, 'egalitarian' view of the future of jihad. Far beyond its utility as an historical analysis, Lia's work is extraordinarily timely as he extracts the finer points of al-Suri's now widely-circulated theories that may have informed the conduct of the London and Madrid attacks." — Jeffrey Cozzens, Intelligence and Terrorism Analysis Group at Applied Marine Technology, Inc.
"A genuinely important and path-breaking book." — Peter Hart, Globe & Mail
"An authoritative volume on a man who is possibly the most important jihadi theoretician alive." — Steven Brooke, The American Interest
"Illuminating." — Ahmed Rashid, New York Review of Books
"A fascinating study." — Malise Ruthven, New York Review of Books
"Brynjar Lia has written an impressively authoritative biography of one of contemporary jihad's most important and influential thinkers. In Architect of Global Jihad, Lia charts the rise and consequences of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri's prominence in al-Qaeda and how his worldview continues to shape and define the movement's strategy and tactics. This work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand al-Qaeda's violent struggle and its likely future trajectory." — Bruce Hoffman, professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and senior fellow, Combating Terrorism Center, U.S. Military Academy
"Architect of the Global Jihad is a compelling and meticulously researched biography of one of the most influential strategists and thinkers in Islamist circles. Abu Mus’ab al-Suri may not be a household name in the West, but his importance as a theorist, organizer, and ideologue is difficult to overstate. For those seeking to understand al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Brynjar Lia's work is critical reading and highly illuminating." — Craig Whitlock, Berlin Bureau Chief, The Washington Post
"Brynjar Lia's study is a groundbreaking analysis of the militant trajectory of one of the most important—albeit little known-jihadist ideologues of the post 9/11 era. It provides essential reading for anyone eager to penetrate in-depth the intellectual environment and logics of radical Islamist terrorist doctrine, thanks to Lia's remarkable mastery of Arabic language and Islamic culture. The book is also a testimony to the quality of the Norwegian school of contemporary Islamic studies, one of the best in the world today." — Gilles Kepel, professor and chair of Middle East Studies, Sciences-Po, Paris