Shadow Wars: An Explosive New History Documents the Rise of ISIS

by | Feb 6, 2017

Shadow Wars: An Explosive New History Documents the Rise of ISIS

by | Feb 6, 2017

Christopher Davidson’s new book Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East (Oneworld Publications) is an absolute must read. It’s a mammoth of a tome at 528 pages with 119 pages of endnotes, but an addicting read as it thoroughly obliterates the standard narrative on Libya, Syria, Yemen, and other post ‘Arab Spring’ conflicts.

To use the language of the BBC’s Adam Curtis, it goes far deeper than the Hollywoodesque ‘goodies’ and ‘badies’ paradigm of foreign relations the American public is fed a steady diet of through cable news and pseudo-patriotic movies like Zero Dark Thirty.

Rather than upholding the usual assumption that the US and UK are mere benevolent and reluctant humanitarian-minded actors on the sidelines in places like Syria or Yemen, Shadow Wars rightly puts the reckless covert action of the West and its regional allies center stage.

More importantly, it is the first exhaustive work of history by a notable academic which accurately charts the rise of ISIS within the geopolitical chess board that is the Syrian proxy war, as well as assesses the longer history of the US/UK-Saudi alliance going back to the Afghan-Soviet conflict and beyond. Davidson is bold in his assertions, describing ISIS as a “strategic asset” initially utilized by the West as a tool of regime change in Syria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrG5QFibQcU

For those who have followed my own reporting on the 2012 Defense Intelligence Agency ‘salafist principality’ memo, this language might sound familiar. Davidson analyzes this and other recently declassified and leaked documents to unlock a dark history few other academics or media pundits dare to touch, preferring to play it safe within their establishment careers.

But this is what is perhaps most significant about Shadow Wars. Professor Davidson demolishes the mainstream narrative on ISIS, al-Qaeda, and contemporary Middle East conflict while speaking from within the establishment. Listed on Davidson’s bio are names like Cambridge, University of St. Andrews, Oxford, Royal United Services Institute, Bloomberg NewsNew York Times, Foreign Affairs, Durham University, and others.

Despite such insider credentials and as contributor to premier mainstream publications Davidson doesn’t hold anything back for fear of upsetting the status quo. His book has provocative chapter titles and headings like The Road to al Qaeda – The CIA’s Baby, Allied to Jihad – Useful Idiots, Follow the money – the Islamic State’s funders, and The business of evil – the arms industry bonanza.

Such a hard hitting and well-documented presentation chronicling the facts of the US/UK fueling jihad in Syria and elsewhere, written from within the heart of academia, should be on everyone’s bookshelf.

Read an excerpt from Shadow Wars below:

https://twitter.com/dr_davidson/status/796033337240457216

 

About Brad Hoff

Brad is a native Texan and US Marine veteran who after leaving the military began wandering around the Middle East, eventually making Syria his second home. He's authored multiple stories for his blog Levant Report which gained international attention. Find his writing at Antiwar.com, SOFREP, Foreign Policy Journal, The Canary (UK), and others.

Our Books

latest book lineup.

Related Articles

Related

Shifting Alliances and Building Tribes

Shifting Alliances and Building Tribes

Church leaders didn’t want me there. The minister had even called me into her office to ask me to stop passing out anti-war flyers and articles on the Iraq War. Why? Because I led a church peace group that was calling for the church to take a public stand against the...

read more
The CIA Admits Its Long-Time Presence in Ukraine

The CIA Admits Its Long-Time Presence in Ukraine

On February 25, The New York Times published an article titled “The Spy War: How the CIA Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin.” This report was not the result of any leak, but was clearly authorized from the highest level: the CIA brought reporters in to tell the story....

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This