Review #4 "Under the Black Flag" by Sami Moubayed

Hey Everyone,
     I am going to review "Under the Black Flag" by Sami Moubayed. First I want to thank Netgalley, I.B. Tauris (the publisher), and Sami Moubayed (the author) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I chose this book to read because being that ISIS is all over the place, I wanted to learn more about it, then what is being portrayed on U.S. media. I in particular chose this book because the author Sami Moubayed is a native of Syria and is specialized in Syrian History. I chose this book because I wanted to read this subject coming from the middle east region and specifically not from the U.S. I guess I assumed that I wouldn't get straightforward honest information if it came from elsewhere. I appreciated the risks that this author took in writing this book. Overall I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5.
     For anyone who wants to know more about ISIS about its full history, how it formed, how it grew, what forces enabled ISIS to form and grow, what ISIS's goals, beliefs, and vision are, then you need to read this book. If you are interested in buying this book click HERE. I think it is important and essential for people to be informed about ISIS in its true form, not just what you hear on the news. It is important to understand the nature of ISIS. Without being informed, it is too easy to make false assumptions, judgements and jump to the wrong conclusions. This book did an excellent job on educating its readers. It told a full straight forward story of ISIS. The book was well organized, it was clear, concise and to the point. The author told the story how it was. And some parts of the book were quite chilling to read. This book was able to answer a lot of questions I had about ISIS. It allowed me to put ISIS in perspective in a way that it was not like the sensationalized, fear-mongering media sources you hear everyday on the news. It surprised me that ISIS is not just a group of bad guys, it is a fully functioning government and society that is run by bad guys. I can understand the lure of ISIS of what draws people to it, how some join willingly and others are forced to submit to it. The fear and panic that ISIS creates in getting people to do what they want.  I am not sympathizing with ISIS I am merely saying I can understand why ISIS is so big.
     The only thing I can say was a downside to this book, was that it did not really have any personalization to it, that I was wishing for. I wanted to hear the author's voice more, just wanted little touches here and there throughout the book. By this I mean this book was a more straightforward chronology and history of ISIS, I would have liked to hear a little about the author's personal thoughts, experiences and opinions on what he is writing. I can understand why he chose not to. It didn't take anything away from this book it just would have been an added perk.
     The most powerful statement of this book was right at the end. It summed everything up with a perfect well said statement. Basically the author states that the problem is not with the Islamic State but with its leaders. That if ISIS was lead with a fair, just, non-violent leaders, then this book would have been a totally different story than it is being played out today. I am glad I read this book, I gained a lot of information and helpful knowledge out of this book and I hope that you will too.

Until the next page,
     Jill