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RUINING REVOLUTION: HOW INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIST AND SALAFI FORCES HAVE HELD LIBYA HOSTAGE SINCE 2011
BY INGA K. TRAUTHIG NOVEMBER 25, 2025 PUBLISHER: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
The political turmoil in Libya—which has claimed more than 20,000 lives and frustrated international partners since 2011—is an immensely complex struggle for power with a dizzying array of participants. How did Libya’s “Arab Spring” devolve into civil war after the removal of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi? Ruining Revolution examines Libya’s descent into chaos, pinpointing the roles of Islamist and Salafi forces. Focusing on two key but underestimated movements, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood and Libyan Salafi-Madkhalis, Inga K. Trauthig argues that ideological groups have been of greater importance than previously assumed. She maps out crucial junctions in Libya’s recent history, tying in these movements’ pasts, to show how Islamist and Salafi forces have stoked instability. Although the 2011 Libyan revolution was not religious, these groups proved surprisingly well-equipped to capitalize on social and political fissures and to attract international support. Featuring deep research and rigorous analysis, this book draws on a range of sources, including in-depth interviews and propaganda shared on social media. Ruining Revolution illuminates the dynamics that have shaped contemporary Libya—with significant policy implications for regional engagement—and offers broader insight into the underlying workings of a range of radical groups.
Indigo / Amazon
Reviews
This important and well-written work offers timely insights into Libya’s political development since the Arab Spring. Drawing on a range of painstakingly collected sources, it offers a rich analysis of how Salafist Islamist groups have adapted to the instability and insecurity in Libya over this period. In so doing, it charts and explains the important and complex roles that they have played. A must-read for anyone interested in Islamism and political instability in the Middle East. — Jonathan Hill, director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies, King’s College London Uniquely focusing on the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood and Libyan Salafi-Madkhalis, this book helps readers understand the current state of Libya, as the promise of the Arab Spring led to what would better be described as an Arab Winter. — Joana Cook, author of The Rule Is for None but Allah: Islamist Approaches to Governance In Ruining Revolution, Inga Trauthig has produced an important work of scholarship with policy relevance. I worked on Libya as a British diplomat and United Nations coordinator, and wish I had had this book to consult. — Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project ...Subtle and provocative... — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs
See also:
Ruining Revolution as reviewed by Lisa Anderson for Foreign Affairs – May / June 2026
Ruining Revolution as reviewed by Idriss Mounir Lallali for JSTOR – June 2026
Ghouta residents commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 2013 chemical attack on Aug. 21, 2025, in Zamalka, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
About the book: Ruining Revolution: How International Islamist and Salafi Forces Have Held Libya Hostage Since 2011
by Inga K. Trauthig Columbia University Press – 279 pages $44.74 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 25, 2025
About the Author: Inga Trauthig Inga Trauthig is a research professor at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University (FIU). She is a security studies scholar and received her Ph.D. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London (KCL).
Dr. Trauthig’s research interests cover the political and security impacts of emerging technologies (AI, decentralized technologies, encryption, virtual reality). As a social science researcher, she works to understand the effects of emerging technologies–particularly regarding democratic backsliding, shifting power dynamics, extremism and related security implications–and what can be done from a regulatory perspective to counter harmful consequences.
She has authored over 80 publications. The majority of those are peer-reviewed while others are op-eds or shorter, policy-focused pieces such as “Self-Regulation won’t Prevent Problematic Uses of Generative AI” for Lawfare. She has published in peer-reviewed journals like Big Data & Society, Conflict, Security & Development, Journal of Online Trust & Safety, Journal of Public Diplomacy, New Media & Society, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Political Communication and Political Research Quarterly. Dr. Trauthig has co-edited a special journal issue on conspiracy theories for the Journal of Information Technology & Politics, the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Political Science Association (APSA) Organized Section on Information Technology & Politics.
Dr. Trauthig lectured or presented at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Yale’s Law School. Her regional expertise is strongest on the Middle East, but she has also led research projects and authored publications on China, Germany, India, Russia, or the US.
Biography Credit: Florida International University
Book Review / Revue de livres Disclaimer: Articles are chosen for relevance and circulated for information only. Views expressed are those of the respective journalists / authors. Republication does not infer endorsement. Book Review Editor: Ralph Mahar - Suggestions for Book Reviews will be gratefully received at thepillarsociety.bulletins@gmail.com
ON MY WATCH: LEADING NATO IN A TIME OF WAR
BY JENS STOLTENBERG NOVEMBER 11, 2025 PUBLISHER: W.W. NORTON & COMPANY
From the former secretary general of NATO, an honest and candid account of a dramatic decade as the leader of the world’s most important military alliance.
When Jens Stoltenberg took office as secretary general of NATO in 2014, the world was already changing. What followed was a decade marked by war, diplomatic crises, and decisions that helped shape the West’s shared security.
On My Watch takes readers behind closed doors and offers rare insight into how the world’s most powerful military alliance handles crises. Stoltenberg describes the effort to keep NATO united and addresses key issues, such as the war in Ukraine, NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, relations with Russia and China, and cooperation with world leaders including Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This is not a book about division. It is a story of unity, of friendship—and of why NATO still matters. Through his reflections on disagreements and dilemmas, he offers a unique view into the art of diplomacy and the hard choices that must be made when global peace is at stake. He ultimately shows why openness is essential to preserve cohesion—and to face the challenges of tomorrow.
On My Watch as reviewed by Andrew Moravcsik for Foreign Affairs – March / April 2026
On My Watch as reviewed by Robert Wihtol for Australian Strategic Policy Institute – November 20, 2025
Jens Stoltenberg with Donald Trump in 2019. Photograph: Shealah Craighead/The White House
About the book: On My Watch: Leading NATO in a Time of War
by Jens Stoltenberg W.W. Norton & Company – 476 pages $31.60 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 11, 2025
About the Author: Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg was born in Oslo on 16 March 1959. He spent his childhood years abroad, with his diplomat father, mother and two sisters.
Mr Stoltenberg holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from the University of Oslo. After graduating in 1987, he started work in Statistics Norway.
While Mr Stoltenberg was Prime Minister, Norway’s defence spending increased steadily, with the result that Norway is today one of the Allies with the highest per capita defence expenditure. Mr Stoltenberg has also been instrumental in transforming the Norwegian armed forces, through a strong focus on deployable high-end capabilities. Under his leadership, the Norwegian Government has contributed Norwegian forces to various NATO operations.
Mr Stoltenberg is a strong supporter of enhanced transatlantic cooperation, including better burden-sharing across the Atlantic. He sees NATO and the EU as complementary organisations in terms of securing peace and development in Europe and beyond.
Mr Stoltenberg has had a number of international assignments. These include chairing the UN High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence and the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. He was also UN Special Envoy on Climate Change.
Mr Stoltenberg is married to Ingrid Schulerud. Together they have two grown-up children.
MOSCOW’S MERCENARIES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE WAGNER GROUP
BY CHRISTOPHER M. FAULKNER, RAPHAEL PARENS AND COLIN P. CLARKE JUNE 23, 2026 PUBLISHER: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Wagner Group emerged from Russia’s shadowy criminal underworld in 2014 and soon became one of the world’s most infamous private military companies. Led by the provocative oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner developed into a key instrument of Russian power projection, with deep and direct ties to the Kremlin. Its mercenaries fought on the front lines in Ukraine, propped up regimes in the Middle East and Africa, and exploited chaos to secure lucrative resource contracts before Prigozhin’s mutiny against Moscow in 2023 brought him down. This book traces the Wagner Group’s violent ascent and descent, exposing how a shadow army built an empire that seemed to have no end in sight until it turned on its masters. Drawing on a wide range of sources and interviews, Moscow’s Mercenaries offers a comprehensive examination of Wagner’s inner workings: its hybrid structure, battlefield tactics, propaganda campaigns, and connections to the Russian military. From Ukraine to brutal counterinsurgency campaigns in Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali, and beyond, the book shows how Wagner evolved into a global criminal syndicate and reveals why its ambitions led to a fatal collision with the Russian state. Moscow’s Mercenaries explores what Wagner’s rise tells us about the future of modern warfare, the erosion of international norms, and how authoritarian regimes outsource violence. Anyone interested in the evolution of mercenary warfare, great power competition, and the dark underbelly of global security stands to learn important lessons from this well-timed and insightful book.
The Wagner mercenary company may be all but defunct, but as this important and interesting study shows, we can expect not only Russia but also other countries to adapt its model of outsourced authoritarian violence and influence to their own ends. — Mark Galeotti, coauthor of Downfall: Putin, Prigozhin and the Fight for the Future of Russia This book provides an in-depth analysis of the rise and transformation of the Wagner Group—the world’s most influential mercenary group—and its complex relationship with Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. Tracking the Wagner Group from its prominent roles in the Russia-Ukraine and Syrian wars to its influential position in the politics of multiple African countries, Moscow’s Mercenaries offers important insight into Russian foreign and defense policy. — Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology In a liminal world order where pseudopowerful states increasingly seek global influence on a shoestring budget, what does the Wagner Group’s dynamic rise and precipitous fall reveal about the nature of state-sanctioned violence in the twenty-first century? Authored by some of the world’s foremost observers, this timely book reveals how Moscow’s premier mercenary force became an uncontrollable political and criminal blueprint for others. Moscow’s Mercenaries is a chilling and necessary account of how irregular warfare serves as a primary and expanding instrument of authoritarian power. — Jason Warner, coauthor of The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront
See also: Moscow’s Mercenaries as reviewed by Jean-Thomas Nicole for The Cipher Brief – July 31, 2026
Wagner mercenaries reportedly operating in Klynove, Donetsk oblast. (Source: Telegram/archive)
About the book: Moscow’s Mercenaries: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group
by Christopher M. Faulkner, Raphael Parens and Colin P. Clarke Columbia University Press – 356 pages $44.74 (Kindle) Publication Date: June 23, 2026
About the Authors:
Christopher M. Faulkner is an assistant professor of national security affairs in the College of Distance Education at the U.S. Naval War College. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow with the National Security Affairs Department at NWC. Before joining NWC, he served as a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Central Florida and as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College. He earned his Ph.D. in security studies from the University of Central Florida and was a Minerva-Jennings Randolph Peace and Security Scholar with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). His research focuses on irregular warfare, militant recruitment, private military companies, and civil-military relations.
Biography Credit: U.S. Navy War College
Raphael Parens is a Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. He is an international security researcher focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Parens specializes in small armed groups and NATO modernization processes. He received his MA in international security studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and he is currently based in Tirana, Albania.
Biography Credit: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Colin P. Clarke is a Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center and Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. Formerly a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, he is the author of Terrorism, Inc.: The Financing of Terrorism, Insurgency, and Irregular Warfare and After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora..
Biography Credit: Foreign Affairs
THERE WILL BE FIRE: MARGARET THATCHER, THE IRA, AND TWO MINUTES THAT CHANGED HISTORY
BY RORY CARROLL APRIL 4, 2023 PUBLISHER: G.P. PUTNAM & SONS
A race-against-the-clock narrative that finally illuminates a history-changing event: the IRA’s attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and the epic manhunt that followed. A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at 2:54 a.m. on October 12, 1984. It was the last day of the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in the coastal town of Brighton, England. Rooms were obliterated, dozens of people wounded, five killed. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her suite when the explosion occurred; had she been just a few feet in another direction, flying tiles and masonry would have sliced her to ribbons. As it was, she survived—and history changed.
There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward.
In There Will Be Fire, Carroll draws on his own interviews and original reporting, reveals new information, and weaves together previously unconnected threads. There Will Be Fire is journalistic nonfiction that reads like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation..
“There was no book harder to put down this year than this one… Carroll wrote this book after exhaustive interviews with those directly involved, and he makes it clear how much history would have changed if those two minutes had a different outcome” —NPR “[T]he Brighton case, seen as a police procedural, is quite something.” —The New Yorker “Thoroughly reported and thrilling” —New York Times Book Review “Intelligent, fast-paced, and compelling, There Will Be Fire propels us into a pivotal moment in the tangled history of England and Ireland, and, with unusual intimacy, reveals its lasting impacts. Combining superb investigative journalism with the hair-raising action of a thriller, Carroll unearths the unexpected legacy of the deadly 1984 Brighton bombing, while exploring deeper themes of warfare, vengeance, and the enduring dream of a united Ireland.” —Nathalia Holt, author of Rise of the Rocket Girls “The Brighton bombing of 1984 was arguably the most potent attempt to decapitate the British state since the Gunpowder Plot. Rory Carroll’s brilliant reconstruction combines the heart-stopping intensity of a great thriller with an acute exploration of the political context. This was a moment on which history turned, and Carroll brings it alive for us in all its horror, drama, and humanity.” —Fintan O’Toole, author of We Don’t Know Ourselves “In There Will Be Fire, Rory Carroll brilliantly presents a terrifying, violent assassination attempt on British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in excruciating, vivid detail. It was a meticulous plot that shifted history, stunned a country, and forced investigators into a cat-and-mouse game with terrorists determined to send a message. Carroll is gifted at keeping readers on edge as he turns back the clock and forces us to ask so many questions. It’s a true crime story that had an incredible impact.” —Kate Winkler Dawson, author of All That Is Wicked and American Sherlock and host of the hit podcasts Buried Bones and Tenfold More Wicked “A must-read! It’s a rare thing indeed when a big, important book penned by an author with an assured literary voice is also a roller coaster of a page-turner—but There Will Be Fire manages to be just that. I can think of no writing that so thoroughly, and so lucidly, examines not only the politics but the human face of the Irish Troubles. Scrupulously researched and perfectly realized, this book stands as a stellar example of what reportage should be.” —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game and Hunting Timerelevant today, it’s a page-turner.”―Adam Zamoyski, author of Poland
See also: There Will Be Fire as reviewed by Kirkus Reviews – February 15, 2023
Margaret Thatcher, husband Denis and aide Cynthia Crawford leave the Grand Hotel in Brighton having survived the IRA bomb attack. Photograph: John Downing/Getty Images
About the book: There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History
by Rory Carroll G.P.Putnam & Sons – 461 pages $13.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: April 4, 2023
About the Author: Rory Carroll
Rory Carroll is an Irish journalist and author known for his work as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, where he has covered major international stories across multiple continents since the late 1990s.
During his career, Carroll served as The Guardian's Baghdad bureau chief during the Iraq War and later became the newspaper's Latin America bureau chief based in Caracas, Venezuela. His extensive reporting from Venezuela led to his 2013 book "Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela," which provided an in-depth examination of Chávez's rule and legacy. As The Guardian's Africa correspondent based in Johannesburg, Carroll reported on significant events across the continent including the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and political developments in Zimbabwe. He later served as the newspaper's Los Angeles correspondent, covering US politics, culture and technology.
His reporting has garnered recognition within journalism circles, with coverage spanning political upheaval, social movements, and cultural transformation across different regions. Carroll's work is characterized by detailed observation and analysis of complex political situations and their impact on local populations.
Biography Credit: Forage
Book Review Disclaimer: Articles are chosen for relevance and circulated for information only. Views expressed are those of the respective journalists / authors. Republication does not infer endorsement. Book Review Editor: Ralph Mahar - Suggestions for Book Reviews will be gratefully received at thepillarsociety.bulletins@gmail.com
THE FOURTH INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION: THE FUTURE OF ESPIONAGE AND THE BATTLE TO SAVE AMERICA
BY ANTHONY VINCI OCTOBER 28, 2025 PUBLISHER: HENRY HOLT AND CO.
The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America
by Anthony Vinci
A former senior intelligence officer reveals how espionage is being transformed by a new global intelligence race, driven by AI and competition with China, and how this impacts all of our lives. The new global intelligence competition has brought espionage into our workplaces and our living rooms. Adversaries like China, Iran, and Russia have realized that the human element is the weakest link in our industrial and political infrastructure. As a result, they target all of us―stealing our financial data and medical records, eavesdropping on our conversations, and using platforms like TikTok and Hollywood movies to influence our opinions. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution reveals how the undercover adventures of World War II, the spy-versus-spy confrontations of the Cold War, and the “find-fix-and-finish” counterterrorism missions after 9/11 have given way to the most dangerous period of espionage yet. This eye-opening account exposes how intelligence now permeates every corner of society, from economic espionage and genetic data gathering to information operations targeting children through AI chatbots―even extending to reconnaissance on the far side of the moon. Both a warning and a call to action, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution suggests that we are all, in essence, becoming intelligence officers and that citizens have both the power and responsibility to reclaim intelligence to safeguard and strengthen our democracy.
"From spy satellites to social media, technology is transforming spycraft--and empowering our adversaries. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution shows that America's intelligence agencies risk falling behind this wave of technological change. With a career spanning tech companies and the intelligence community, Anthony Vinci knows the peril we face as adversaries use AI to sift and analyze enormous quantities of our data. Our only hope is to be faster and smarter. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution explains how we can compete." ―Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology "In this compelling book, Anthony Vinci explains the evolution of intelligence as a pillar of U.S. national security, describes an increasingly dangerous future, and identifies what we all must do to protect our nation and our way of life. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution should be read, discussed, and, most importantly, heeded." ―H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty, Battlegrounds, and At War with Ourselves "Anthony Vinci takes us into the new world of espionage, where satellites and drones and ubiquitous surveillance devices form the eerie background―but where the abiding rule of the spy game remains simply: 'Ye shall know the truth.' Vinci has been on the front lines of this new intelligence war, and he gives readers a rare inside look." ―David Ignatius, columnist for The Washington Post and author of Phantom Orbit
The Fourth Intelligence Revolution as reviewed by Glenn Gerstell for The Cipher Brief – November 13, 2025
New Frontiers in Intelligence: The Changing Nature of Espionage; a discussion with Anthony Vinci, Robert Cardillo (former Director National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) and Rebecca Weiner (Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence & Counterterrorism, New York Police Department) as reviewed by William Dalrymple for Council on Foreign Relations – November 7, 2025
North Korea has reportedly stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017 through cyberattacks like phishing and malware to fund its nuclear program.EKATERINA SHTUKINA/SPUTNIK/GOVERNMENT PRESS SERVICE/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
About the book: The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America by Anthony Vinci Henry Holt and Co. – 352 pages $21.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: October 28, 2025
About the Author: Anthony Vinci Dr. Anthony Vinci served as the first Chief Technology Officer and Associate Director for Capabilities at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Earlier in his career he served in Iraq, Africa and Asia. After leaving the world of intelligence, Anthony became an executive at a private equity firm and CEO of a technology company. Dr. Vinci is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and received his PhD in International Relations from The London School of Economics.
THE FINEST HOTEL IN KABUL: A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN BY LYSE DOUCET NOVEMBER 4, 2025 PUBLISHER: ALLEN LANE
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan
by Lyse DoucetA NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE 2026 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION WINNER OF THE 2026 RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan’s first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. History lives within its scarred windows and walls. Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, has been checking into the Inter-Continental since 1988. And here, she uses its story to craft a richly immersive history of modern Afghanistan. It is the story of Hazrat, the septuagenarian housekeeper who still holds fast to his Inter-Continental training from the hotel’s 1970s glory days—an era of haute cuisine and high fashion, when Afghanistan was a kingdom and Kabul was the ‘Paris of Asia’. It is the story of Abida, who became the first female chef to cook in the Inter-Con’s famous kitchen after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And it is the story of Malalai and Sadeq, the twenty-something staff who seized every opportunity offered by two decades of fragile democracy—only to witness the Taliban roaring back in 2021. The result is a remarkably vivid history of how Afghans have survived a half century of destruction and disruption. It is the story of a hotel but also the story of a people.
“The Finest Hotel in Kabul plays to all Lyse Doucet’s strengths. Clarity, empathy, depth of knowledge and innate grasp of fine detail. Her subject is not just a hotel, but a hotel that tells the story of four decades of Afghanistan's proud and sometimes unbelievably painful history. This is a most readable account of joy, despair and resilience in one of the world’s most fascinating countries.” —Michael Palin, actor, comedian, and bestselling author of Erebus
“Lyse Doucet has turned bricks and mortar into flesh and blood and in so doing lifted this biography of a glittering hotel into a lyrical, devastating, powerful homage to the powerless. In The Finest Hotel in Kabul we follow the fortunes and misfortunes not of those making decisions, but of the cooks, the receptionists, the wedding guests, the servers. It is intimate, aching, tragic and inspiring. When I began this book I had Afghanistan in my head. By the time I finished it was in my heart. Doucet’s descriptions are glorious, her use of language evocative. Her people are fully formed, alive and breathing. This is a thrilling achievement, a beautiful book. I’m off to re-read it. To revisit the finest hotel in Kabul!” —Louise Penny, bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series “An incredible book—vivid and beautifully written, it captures the soul of Afghanistan through an age of hopes and heartbreak, as well as one of constant change. A tender, wise and quietly devastating book.” —Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads “A book brimming with deep insight, courage and conscience. Everyone should read this. Astonishingly beautiful, subtle and simply unforgettable.” —Elif Shafak, author of There Are Rivers in the Sky
“A story of a country and a people, told with knowledge, insight and tenderness. I’ve been waiting for a Lyse Doucet book for a long time and what she has produced here is testament to her humanity as well as her journalistic eye.” —Mishal Hussein, Sunday Times bestselling author of Broken Threads
“Doucet is a must-watch, always alive to the personal stories and tribulations of the people she encounters. But is she a must-read? On the evidence of The Finest Hotel in Kabul . . . the answer must be a resounding yes . . . Doucet is a consummate storyteller who can recognise a great yarn when she sees one and the real strength of this book is her ability to get under the skin of a country through its people. . . . Haunting, hopeful and occasionally harrowing, The Finest Hotel in Kabul is much more than a history. It is a love letter to Afghanistan and its people.” —The Sunday Times “Full of warmth, wit, and a lovely eye for the human stories that make the hotel not just a monument to tragedy, but also love and resilience. . . . What Doucet achieves is both powerful and charming at the same time. The Finest Hotel in Kabul is a meditation on memory, resilience, and the strange intimacy of public spaces. In an age when most hotels blur into the anonymous comfort of global chains, the Inter-Con reminds us that some buildings are so much more.” —The Financial Times
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by Amy Waldman for The New York Times – November 26,2025
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by William Dalrymple for The Guardian – October 2, 2025
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by William Dalrymple for The Guardian – October 2, 2025f
A manager and a Taliban government official in the dining room of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. Photo by Elise Blanchard for NZZ.
Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Interview of Lyse Doucet on her book, “The Finest Hotel in Kabul” by author Eric Wiener at the Poetry and Prose Bookstore, in Washington, D.C., on November 21, 2025.
About the book: The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet Allen Lane – 436 pages $16.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 4, 2025
About the Author: Lyse Doucet LYSE DOUCET is a Canadian journalist and the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. In the course of a career spanning four decades, she has reported from countries around the world and was based as a correspondent in Jerusalem, Amman, Islamabad, Kabul, and Abidjan. She has played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of major events including the recent Iran-Israel war, the Gaza war, the Arab Spring, and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
She received an OBE in the Queen's Honours list in 2014, and was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2019. She has received many awards, including most recently the 2024 Zenger Award for Press Freedom from the University of Arizona and the 2019 Trailblazer Award from Georgetown University. She was a recipient of the Colombia School of Journalism Award in 2016, an Emmy in 2014 for her team’s reporting from Syria, Peabody and David Bloom Awards for her work from Syria and Afghanistan, and an Edward R. Murrow award for her team’s reporting from Tunisia. In 2021, she was nominated for a Peabody for her work as a writer and reporter on the BBC podcast Afghanistan: Documenting A Crucial Year.
Doucet has eighteen honorary doctorates from leading British and Canadian Universities. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto, and a BA Hons. from Queen’s University in Kingston. She is also a senior fellow of Massey College of the University of Toronto. Doucet has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1988. She visits the Inter-Continental whenever she is in Kabul.
THE FENIANS: BROTHERHOOD OF FOOLS OR CANADA'S FIRST TERRORIST THREAT?
BY PHIL GURSKI PUBLISHED MARCH 6, 2026 DOUBLE DAGGER BOOKS
REVIEWED BY PHIL GRATTON
When Phil Gurski told me he was writing a book about the Fenians, I was intrigued. Phil is best known for his books on terrorism and national security, yet I had never thought of the Fenians in those terms. I probably hadn’t given them any serious thought since high school, to be honest. A shadowy group known for a few skirmishes. Somehow linked to Louis Riel, and to the assassination of D’Arcy McGee. A vague threat to the young Dominion of Canada. But nothing more.
Growing up in a Franco-Ontarian community, the major historical dramas that shaped my worldview were the French versus English language disputes, our love-hate relationship with Americans, and our participation in the World Wars. The Irish nationalist struggle that gave rise to the Fenian movement barely figured in these stories.
Gurski’s book definitely changed this for me as I found myself going down a rabbit hole of angsty Fenian malaise. But what makes this book particularly engaging is the author’s decision not to write a comprehensive history of the Fenians—as Phil noted, others have already done that—and instead to narrow his focus to Eastern Ontario and the St. Lawrence frontier, examining how local communities experienced and responded to what they perceived as a genuine threat.
After years spent thinking about national and international issues, I find myself increasingly drawn to local history and to understanding the people, communities, and events that unfolded much closer to home. Gurski transforms what had always seemed a distant historical episode into a relatable story. Well done, Phil Gurski. Well done.
I grew up near Russell, Ontario, formerly known as Duncanville, a community featured in the book as an example of local participation in the armed response to the Fenian threat. It helped me appreciate that the threat was experienced directly by ordinary people living in communities not far from where I grew up. It wasn’t just something to be debated in capitals like Ottawa or Toronto.
The death hand of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, taken after he was assassinated on April 7, 1868. It was created because his face was too disfigured from the gunshot to make a traditional Victorian death mask. On display at the Bytown Museum in Ottawa. Photograph by Phil Gratton.
I’m also a product of both French-Catholic and Canadian constitutional traditions, and, frankly, the Fenians fit neatly into neither. While my sympathies naturally rested with the builders of Confederation, Gurski’s book encouraged me to look beyond the familiar heroes and villains of the history I’d been taught and to better understand the nationalist grievances that animated the movement.
Understanding those grievances—however Quixotic they may seem today—gives us a fuller appreciation of the competing loyalties and tensions that shaped British North America in the years following Confederation. And then there is the question of terrorism.
It’s a term that’s been stretched, politicized, and redefined so often that it often becomes meaningless (though not nearly as meaningless as the dreadful “IMVE”—but I digress). Definitions and frameworks change. Whether a group is considered terrorist often depends as much on where one sits as on what the group actually did.
I have long taken the view that terrorism is best understood as a methodology, but this is still debated by others smarter than me. The academic study of terrorism often suffers from reductionism—a tendency to reduce a complex human phenomenon to ever-smaller analytical components in the hope that categorization will yield understanding. Good luck with that.
Terrorism, whatever it may be, resists easy categorization and has always been more than the sum of its parts.
So, were the Fenians Canada’s first terrorist threat? Gurski provides a thoughtful and well-reasoned “it depends” answer. To find out where he lands, you’ll have to buy the book*, available at these fine locations:
• Amazon.ca – The Fenians: Brotherhood of Fools or Canada’s First Terrorist Threat?
• While you’re at Amazon, you can also pre-order Phil’s next book: 9/11 The Unfinished Battle: Why Jihadi Terrorism Is Stronger, Wider, and Far From Over.
*Seriously, the answer is on pages 94–95. Go buy a copy.
About the Author: Phil Gurski
Phil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. (www.borealisthreatandrisk.com). He worked as a senior strategic analyst at CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) from 2001-2015, specializing in violent Islamist-inspired homegrown terrorism and radicalisation. From 1983 to 2001 he was employed as a senior multilingual analyst at Communications Security Establishment (CSE – Canada’s signals intelligence agency), specialising in the Middle East. He also served as senior special advisor in the National Security Directorate at Public Safety Canada from 2013, focusing on community outreach and training on radicalisation to violence, until his retirement from the civil service in May 2015, and as consultant for the Ontario Provincial Police’s Anti-Terrorism Section (PATS) from May to October 2015. He was the Director of Security and Intelligence at the SecDev Group from June 2018 to July 2019. Mr. Gurski has presented on violent Islamist-inspired and other forms of terrorism and radicalisation across Canada and around the world. He is the author of “The Threat from Within: Recognizing Al Qaeda-inspired Radicalization and Terrorism in the West” (Rowman and Littlefield 2015) “Western Foreign Fighters: the threat to homeland and international security” (Rowman and Littlefield 2017), The Lesser Jihads: taking the Islamist fight to the world (Rowman and Littlefield 2017), An end to the ‘war on terrorism ’ (Rowman and Littlefield 2018), When religion kills: how extremist justify violence through faith (Lynne Rienner 2019), The Peaceable Kingdom: A history of terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the present (Double Dagger Books: 2022), and From village to Vimy to victory: Russell soldiers in the Great War (self-published: 2023) He regularly blogs, podcasts (Canadian Intelligence Eh! – available on his Web site), and tweets (@borealissaves) on terrorism. He is a digital fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies at Concordia University. Mr. Gurski is a regular commentator on terrorism and radicalisation for a wide variety of Canadian and international media. He is fluently trilingual in English, French and Spanish.
THE NORD STREAM CONSPIRACY: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE EXPLOSIONS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD
The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World
by Bojan Pancevski
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE A riveting exposé of the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, the largest act of sabotage in modern history, told through unprecedented access and deep investigative reporting—part geopolitical thriller, part true-crime detective story, part gritty war chronicle In September 2022, Scandinavian seismologists detected what seemed to be an undersea earthquake near the Danish island of Bornholm. Instead, several powerful explosions had destroyed Nord Stream, the $20 billion pipeline system that transported cheap Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The mysterious blasts shifted global geopolitics, disrupted European economies, and triggered a manhunt that strained relations within the NATO alliance. Drawing on years of firsthand reporting, award-winning Wall Street Journal correspondent Bojan Pancevski presents the definitive, behind-the-scenes account of this audacious operation. Authorized at the highest levels of Ukraine’s leadership, the mission was ostensibly unofficial and conducted with the utmost secrecy. Pancevski secured exclusive access to the German investigators and their political overseers as well as the Ukrainian agents who executed the attack—a team of intelligence officers, military personnel, and civilian divers. The saboteurs operated on a shoestring budget, using a small rented yacht with a seven-member crew to conduct the strike at great risk in extremely turbulent waters. The Nord Stream Conspiracy addresses the two leading theories about who was responsible, Russia or the US, and explains how these narratives developed, including the popular US theory involving the CIA, which knew about the plot. This gripping account exposes the human stories and moral complexities behind one of the most remarkable geopolitical mysteries of our time, one that redefined modern warfare.
"A remarkable book... Bojan Pancevski tells a high-stakes international war story in blockbuster prose... a spectacular feat of investigative journalism, built on his intimate access to the senior Ukrainian intelligence chiefs who say they hatched the idea and to the German police officials who eventually tracked them down." —The New York Times "A truly riveting account of the most notorious act of sabotage in modern history. Bojan Pancevski combines investigative flair with geopolitical insight to illuminate not only how the Nord Stream pipelines were destroyed, but why they matter so profoundly to Europe’s energy, security and political future. A real-life page turner." —Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads "An absolutely extraordinary book… Combining the skills of a detective with those of a novelist, Pancevski has not only uncovered the truth about one of the most daring acts of sabotage in modern history but done so with the page-turning propulsion of a first-rate fiction thriller. One of those rare books that informs even as it wholly entertains." —Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia "Bojan Pancevski has written a powerful detective story that finally and definitively answers the question of who blew up Nord Stream 2. Not only is it brilliant journalism, but it reads like a bestselling thriller." —Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and co-author of 2034 “The Nord Stream Conspiracy is a riveting exposé of the audacious sabotage that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines—the largest German-Russian energy project in history. With extraordinary access to the key players across nations, Bojan Pancevski delivers a gripping account and the closest look yet at an event whose geopolitical repercussions continue to reverberate." —Walter Russell Mead, author of Special Providence "A cinematic and compelling account of one of history's greatest acts of sabotage, Bojan Pancevski’s The Nord Stream Conspiracy—unlike so much of what's been said by politicians and commentators on the attack—has the added benefit of being true." —Ben Smith, founder of Semafor and author of Traffic “Bojan Pancevski’s investigation into the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines is as daring and mind-blowing as the sabotage itself. In its details the book is as precise as a brain surgery.” —Ivan Krastev, author of The Light that Failed: A Reckoning "Bojan Pancevski delivers one of the most significant and riveting journalistic scoops of the twenty-first century. Through exclusive interviews, he reveals the definitive account of a daring mission brimming with secrets, saboteurs, and spies. This is investigative storytelling at its finest—relentlessly fast-paced, meticulously reported, and an absolute page-turner." —Richard Kerbaj, author of The Secret History of the Five Eyes
The Nord Stream Conspiracy as reviewed by Jean-Thomas Nicole for The Cipher Brief – July 3, 2026
The Nord Stream Conspiracy as reviewed by Kirkus Reviews – May 18, 2026
The Swedish investigation has been conducted in close cooperation with the German investigation, and the German investigation would not be affected by the conclusion of the Swedish investigation. [Shutterstock/Frame Stock Footage]
Solving the Nord Stream attack mystery – front burner
About the book: The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World by Bojan Pancevski Henry Holt and Co. – 324 pages $21.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: June 16, 2026
About the Author: Bojan Pancevski Bojan Pancevski, Bojan Pancevski is The Wall Street Journal’s chief European political correspondent, covering European and global affairs. He produces major investigations, agenda-setting scoops, analyses of politics and diplomacy, and deeply reported features about extraordinary people and events.
His recent writing has focused on the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Kremlin’s clandestine operations in Europe and the escalating shadow war of espionage and sabotage between Russia and the West.
He was previously the Journal’s Germany correspondent, covering many of the same issues while also writing about the politics, society and influence of Europe’s largest economy on the world.
In almost two decades of dispatches and reporting from across Europe and beyond, Bojan has covered every major story on the continent: the financial crisis that engulfed the Eurozone, the wars in Ukraine, multiple migration crises, Britain’s departure from the European Union, Russia’s use of assassination against the regime’s opponents, the rise of Islamist terror and the political upheaval across Europe.
He co-authored a bestselling book about the crimes of Josef Fritzl, an investigation into one of the most extraordinary criminal cases in contemporary European history.
His work has been nominated for a number of prestigious awards. He was part of the teams that won the William Worthy Award of the Overseas Press Club, the British Journalism Award for Breaking News, and the New York Press Club Award for Special Event Reporting. Bojan is the only foreign recipient of the Werner Holzer Award, an accolade honoring the body of work of German foreign correspondents. He was part of the WSJ team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for International Reporting in 2025.
He is fluent in several European languages, including German and Russian.
STALIN'S APOSTLES: THE CAMBRIDGE FIVE AND THE MAKING OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE
BY ANTONIA SENIOR MAY 26, 2026 PUBLISHER: PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The riveting story of the ring of spies known as the Cambridge Five, who infiltrated the highest levels of the British establishment and helped Stalin cement a half century of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe. The Cambridge Five was the most infamous spy ring in history. Its members—Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, and John Cairncross—met at university, amid the left-wing ferment overtaking British campuses between the World Wars. The Five were soon recruited by Soviet agents and pledged allegiance to Stalin, and each quickly took up a place in the British government. From the 1930s, they funneled top-secret intelligence to the USSR, some so sensitive that their Soviet handlers feared a double cross. Their unmasking in 1951 rocked Britain, helping to end a chummy, boys’ club stranglehold on the country’s institutions of power. But, as Antonia Senior shows, the Five’s treachery had much graver and more devastating consequences across the world. Their work invaluably aided Stalin as he sought to build a Red Empire, condemning millions across Eastern Europe to decades of repression, violence, and death. Rife with code names, smuggled documents, clandestine rendezvous, and copious amounts of gin, Stalin’s Apostles wields impeccable research and storytelling and all the thrilling details and high tragedy of a classic spy thriller.
“A definitive and important account of the most infamous spy ring ever, the Cambridge Five, who betrayed their country with devastating consequences, told with the propulsive force of a spy novel.”―Joseph Finder, New York Times-bestselling author of The Oligarch’s Daughter “A brilliant book. Deep research and dazzling writing make Stalin’s Apostles an appallingly entertaining read. A definitive work on one of the 20th century’s most treacherous conspiracies.”―Tim Weiner, author of The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century “A tour de force. As elegantly written as it is perspicacious and impeccably researched, Stalin’s Apostles provides a penetrating and timely reassessment of one of the 20th century’s greatest spying scandals, revealing the dark reality behind the Cambridge Five.”―Roger Moorhouse, author of Poland 1939 “Antonia Senior delivers a gripping, beautifully written account of the Cambridge Five, whose betrayal reshaped twentieth-century geopolitics and the course of the Cold War. Equal parts spy novel and sober history, Stalin’s Apostles is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how espionage and ideological zeal can alter the fate of nations.” ―David McCloskey, author of Damascus Station “Extraordinary. Beautifully written, it draws you in from the very first moment. A wonderfully forensic re-examination of the infamous Cambridge Spies and the extent of their betrayal.”―Michael Smith, author of Killer Elite “Antonia Senior has done that rare thing: written an account of the Cambridge Five with a historian’s fidelity to fact and a novelist’s eye for character. Her meticulous research and elegant writing bring to life the story of class-conscious Englishmen whose youthful embrace of Communism led to the twentieth century’s most audacious spy network. It’s a spellbinding tale of espionage, friendship, and betrayal. Brilliant.”―Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station “Shocking. Gripping. Unputdownable. You thought you knew the Cambridge Five? Think again! Their level of treachery beggars belief, yet the British establishment’s incompetence and cover-up is equally unbelievable.”―Damien Lewis, author of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare “Beautifully written and utterly compelling, Stalin’s Apostles is a brilliant reassessment of the Cambridge Five whose naive faith in communism is tellingly juxtaposed with the brutal reality of Stalin’s rule. Their betrayals had serious consequences for the West, as Senior makes clear, yet they lived out their days in Soviet exile with few regrets. A cautionary tale by a rising star of nonfiction.”―Saul David, author of Operation Thunderbolt “Understanding why the Cambridge spies really betrayed their country has eluded historians for decades. Senior’s new book is impressive in its scope of ground-breaking research and depth of historical context to unpack the motivations of these enigmatic men. A powerful narrative.”―Helen Fry, author of The White Lady “Meticulously researched, this is a fascinating analysis.”―Nigel West, author of A Matter of Trust “This brilliantly told story of treachery at the heart of the British establishment during World War Two and its aftermath reveals for the first time the tragic cost for millions of people and its impact on reshaping the world. Harrowing yet compulsively relevant today, it’s a page-turner.”―Adam Zamoyski, author of Poland
See also: Stalin’s Apostles as reviewed by John Ikenberry for Kirkus Reviews – March 1, 2026
Interview of Antonia Senior by Spy TV – Spybrary host xxxxxx xxxxxx on the Spybrary Podcast on April 23, 2026.
About the book: Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire
by Antonia Senior PublicAffairs – 480 pages $25.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: May 26, 2026
About the Author: Antonia Senior
Antonia Senior is a writer, columnist and journalist. She spent thirteen years working at The Times, in a variety of roles including Acting Business Editor. Now freelance, she writes columns, features and book reviews for the national press, including The Times, the Guardian and the Financial Times. Antonia studied history at Cambridge, and has always wanted to write fiction with historical themes.
Biography Credit: Atlantic Books
SEND IT: CANADA'S SNIPERS AT WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
BY GORDON CULLEN & BARRY NISBET WITH MIR BAHMANYAR JULY 15, 2025 PUBLISHER: DOUBLE DAGGER BOOKS
Send It: Canada's Snipers at War in Afghanistan
by Gordon Cullen, Barry Nisbet, Mir Bahmanyar See Through the Scope of Canadian Snipers
Send It is a raw, unfiltered account that takes readers deep into the shadowy world of the Canadian sniper—among the most revered and deadly warriors on the modern battlefield. Through the eyes and voices of a handful of elite soldiers, this book delivers an unparalleled look at what it takes to earn the coveted sniper badge, survive the crucible of combat, and walk the razor’s edge between life and death. From brutal training grounds to the unforgiving terrain of Afghanistan, Send It follows these silent professionals through multiple tours of duty alongside Canadian and U.S. Special Forces. Their missions—precise, lethal, and often shrouded in secrecy—place them at the tip of the spear in the war on terror. But beyond the confirmed kills and enemy engagements lies a more personal story: the fear, adrenaline, purpose, and quiet cost of modern warfare. Told in their own words, Send It is an emotional journey from the first trigger squeeze to the last. It is not just about the making of snipers, but how war remakes the men behind the scope.
“The gear, training, excruciating patience, and mental toughness typical of the profession are amply explored, then displayed in adrenaline-pumping scenes of actual combat.” - Jim DeFelice, co-author NY Times #1 best-seller, American Sniper. “A rare look inside the secretive and little understood world of Canada’s military sniper community.” - Jack Murphy, Former Army Ranger and Special Forces, Host of The Team House.
A Canadian sniper team scan the landscape during an Afghan-led operation to arrest suspected Taliban operating in southern Kandahar. (John D. McHugh/AFP/Getty Images)
Send It - Interview with Send It authors Barry Nisbet and Mir Bahmanyar
About the book: Send It: Canada's Snipers at War in Afghanistan by Gordon Cullen, Barry Nisbet and Mir Bahmanyar Double Dagger Books – 271 pages $9.59 (Kindle) Publication Date: July 15, 2025
About the Author: Gordon Cullen Gordon Cullen, a 28-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces began his career as a soldier with the 1st Battalion the Royal Canadian Regiment with postings to the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, 3rd Battalion the Royal Canadian Regiment and CANSOFCOM. His deployments include two tours to Bosnia, a tour in Kosovo, three tours in Afghanistan and a short deployment to Poland. Gord’s employment with Snipers started as a part of the Sniper Group deployed with 1 RCR in Kosovo but culminated as the Battle Group Master Sniper for Task Force 3-06 and Task Force 1-10 in Afghanistan.
Gord has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for action during combat in Kandahar the Commander CEFCOM Commendation for action during combat in Kandahar and the CIC Commendation as part of the 1 RCR Battle Group during Operation MEDUSA.
Following his retirement from the Canadian Forces, Gord continues to serve the Canadian Armed Forces from the private sector. Gord remains passionate about Canadian Snipers and supporting their continued success as a board member with the Canadian Sniper Association. He continues to reside in the Ottawa Valley with his family.
About the Author: Barry Nisbet Barry C. Nisbet, spent 15 years in the Canadian Army, serving on five overseas tours, three of them in Afghanistan. He held many qualifications within the military including, US Army Ranger, Reconnaissance Patrolmen, Parachutist, and Advanced Sniper. He draws on his training and operational experience to share an authentic perspective of combat.
About the Author: Mir Bahmanyar Mir Bahmanyar served in the Second Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as a machine gunner and Training NCO. He holds a BA in History from University of California at Berkeley and an MA in War Studies from King's College London.
His jobs have included that of a library clerk, janitor, retail merchant, military technical advisor, German language coach, producer and writer in Hollywood. He has written numerous books and articles from ancient history to modern war and his work has been translated into Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Arabic. His special interests are the Punic Wars, WWII Darby's Rangers and Future War. He grew up on three continents and four countries.
https://www.mirbahmanyar.com
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