• The Way of the Strangers

  • Encounters with the Islamic State
  • By: Graeme Wood
  • Narrated by: Graeme Wood
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (306 ratings)

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The Way of the Strangers  By  cover art

The Way of the Strangers

By: Graeme Wood
Narrated by: Graeme Wood
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Publisher's summary

What does ISIS really want? This is the definitive account of the strategy, psychology, and fundamentalism driving the Islamic State.

Named one of the best books of the year by Foreign Affairs

“Worthy of Joseph Conrad...gripping, sobering and revelatory.” (Tom Holland, New Statesman)

The Islamic State inspired a wave of true believers to travel to Syria from Europe, America, and the Middle East, in numbers not seen since the Crusades. What compelled tens of thousands of men and women to leave comfortable, privileged lives to join a death cult in the desert? Steven Pinker called Graeme Wood’s analysis of this phenomenon in The Atlantic “fascinating, terrifying, occasionally blackly humorous”. In The Way of the Strangers, Wood uses character study, analysis, and original reporting to take us further into the Islamic State’s apocalyptic vision.

Though the Islamic State has lost territory, it threatens to rise again, and its followers are plotting on every continent. From the streets of Cairo to the mosques of London, Wood meets with supporters, recruiters, and scholars and asks them why they believe that killing and dying for this cause is the only path to Paradise. With a new afterword, The Way of the Strangers uncovers the theology and emotional appeal of this resilient group and explores its idiosyncratic, coherent approach to Islam. Just as Lawrence Wright’s The Looming Tower explained the rise of Al Qaida, this work will shape our understanding of a new and deadlier generation of terrorists.

Praise for The Way of the Strangers:

The Way of the Strangers represents journalism at its best: vivid writing, indefatigable legwork, and fearless analysis.” (Robert D. Kaplan, author of The Return of Marco Polo’s World)

“Wood is a brilliant analyst and storyteller, and his firsthand reporting and language abilities make him the most reliable commentator on the Islamic State that I have read. His wit matches his intelligence (’Well-behaved Salafis seldom make history’) - you don't get through any two pages in his book without a good laugh.” (Peter Theroux, author of Sandstorms: Days and Nights in Arabia)

“Excruciatingly well observed and devastatingly honest.... This is the first and only book about the Islamic State to expose, explain, and ultimately undermine its ideology with the relentless irony that comes from blending deep knowledge with hands-on experience. Wood makes it impossible not to laugh, despite the horrors.” (Elisabeth Kendall, senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Oxford)

©2017 Graeme Wood (P)2016 Random House Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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A longer version of the Atlantic article

So Graeme Wood wrote an extraordinary and influential article in The Atlantic titled, "What ISIS really wants", basically arguing that ISIS is not a bunch of delusional nuts but are acting in the service of some pretty hardcore theology and mostly rational political philosophy, formed over a long period of time. It's grim to be sure, but it gives them ample justification for their actions and suggests they can't be defeated -- if they can be defeated -- by for example making sure that young people have good jobs and the proper education, or whatever. This is the book length version of the article. If you're in a rush, you could just read the article. The additions boil down to a lot of encounters with a bunch of radical Islamist types. Some are odd and some are unsettling but they don't really add a lot to the thesis in themselves, and they get a bit repetitious.

It's always a risk for authors to narrate their own books, and I've given up on a few because they really should not have. Happy to say, Wood does a good job, illuminating a lot of sticky bits with emphasis that a professional narrator might have missed.

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7 people found this helpful

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Mesmerizing Gut Wrenching

Of all the books I've read on ISIS and extremists on Audible (and in general), this was the most difficult to finish. This isn't because the content is unrelatable or filled with jargon; it was exactly the opposite.

Throughout this book, Graeme Wood gives us a heart-breaking and gut wrenching human perspective on ISIS for those who claim to support it. At times you can't help but feel pity for those who hold such reviled views and inhumane behavior. Yet at the core of this book, Wood exposes the naivetie and delusion of oddly logical individuals obsessed with making others live according to their terms. It is very hard to read, and I had to stop multiple times because it was so painful to imagine the reality of some of these stories.

It is for this exact reason that I give Wood's book the highest mark possible. Too often do we sanitize the horror of the human experience to a PG experience. This book goes in the opposite direction and looks at the details many would turn away from.

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Definitive Work on the Minds of Jihadists

After the 2023 Terrorist attack on Israel and the following response of destroying all of Gaza I needed to understand the purpose behind Muslims who call for Caliphate - Mr. Wood wrote a definitive work here work every second of my time.

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Time, Knowledge and Study In = High Quality Out

Wood is way more knowledgeable than I knew. His own understanding of the Arabic language and Islamic philosophy and religious schools, history and thinking is quite subtle and he is able to apply this where necessary to increase understanding where necessary, not to show how smart he is.

Wood takes people at their word (and actions) that they are motivated by their faith (and cites credible reasons for beleiving so.

Bottom line is that this is the most imformative, accurate and fair assessment of why and how otherwise good people believe evil, crazy and destructive things and act on those beliefs in horrific and often difficult to understand ways.

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Informative

This book offers a look into the minds and motivations of ISIS and other current Muslim causes around the world.

It also spawned many questions for me. This book does a great job of explaining the motivations of the "boots on the ground" soldiers of ISIS. Perhaps a future book would provide similar analysis of the financial backing of these movements. Missing from this book was some examination of Muslims not "in the battle". What are their thoughts of ISIS. Not the 30 second media version, but the imbedded, knowledgeable version.

Overall a great job. Thorough, and from close examination. Well done.



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Simply fascinating

Just so interesting to see into the minds of such an organization and its people.

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The Wat of Strangers

Excellent book, clear and very informative. Excellent performance which is just right Unbiased and well researched. I have learned so much and would recommend the book highly.

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Important book. Not a word wasted.

A must read. Extremely eye opening. Looking forward to the authors next project. Simply fascinating.

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First Rate

This is a fantastic, thorough, engaging and dynamic book. Excellent and interesting, an actual page-turner as well as an academically rigorous work.

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This is the single best book on Islam I have seen.

And I have seen and listened to dozens of them over decades. The most remarkable thing about this particular book is that it is appropriate for people like me who know all about these particulars, as well as people who do not know the particulars.

The tragedy of the entire thing is that nothing can be done about it. Specifically, Islam has two vulnerabilities. First and foremost it has nothing like a Pope. The Roman Catholic Church never had more then three contenders at any one time. Islam? Every damned Imam is his own Pope.

Worse, Islamic theology (Koran, Hadith etc) are irredeemably supremacist. The Christian's Jesus said: "Those of you who are without sin throw the first stones." Islamic theology is simply, more or less, kill them all. Christianity has the New Testament. Islam has a war manual. Just read the Koran. You need to do it three times in succession to get the whole effect.

Or Youtube" "David Wood" or Islam 201.

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