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BRINK: INSIDE THE RACE TO FREE THE OCTOBER 7TH HOSTAGES
The first major insider account of the high-stakes negotiations to free the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7—written in gripping detail by the American mediator who was in the room through it all Having served four American presidents on matters of war and peace, Brett McGurk was no stranger to high-stakes diplomacy, but this was different. With American citizens missing, the hostages’ release critical to ending the war in Gaza, and the desperate situation for civilians, McGurk and his team faced impossible tradeoffs at every turn. Caught between Hamas’s maximalist demands and Israel’s determination that Hamas could not maintain power in Gaza, McGurk and his colleagues worked relentlessly over fifteen months to get a deal that most increasingly thought impossible. Taking readers inside McGurk’s discussions and negotiations with President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and presidents, generals, spies, and diplomats in Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and more, Brink paints a portrait of a region one wrong choice away from tipping into total war, as Iran and its proxy militias seized upon the chaos to open fire on Israeli and American targets. With the 2024 election reshaping the political landscape and time running out on the hostages, McGurk found himself working hand in hand with an unlikely partner—Trump’s emissary from the New York real estate world, Steve Witkoff. They forged a bipartisan front when it mattered most—to secure a ceasefire and save lives. A gripping account of diplomacy under fire, Brink takes readers from the Oval Office to the seats of power in the Middle East and offers a remarkable look inside a crisis that reshaped the world, the consequences of which are still unfolding today.
Indigo / Amazon
Reviews
“Readers don’t expect an edge-of-your-seat thriller from a diplomat. But Brett McGurk delivers one with Brink. It is the brutal story of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that left over a thousand Israelis slaughtered and 250 taken into Gaza as hostages. What follows is an account of McGurk’s unrelenting effort to rescue as many of those hostages as possible. It is a tale of promise and frustration, of hope and despair, of sadness and pain and, ultimately, of the persistence and resolve of an extraordinary diplomat.”—Robert M. Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense 2006-2011 “The massacre in Israel by Hamas gunmen in the fall of 2023 kicked off the most tumultuous and far-reaching changes in the region’s history. Brett McGurk takes us inside the White House to give us a dramatic and intimate account of those epochal days, from the moment Israel’s fences were breached to his agonizing final efforts to free Hamas’ hostages. Brink is as riveting as a suspense novel—except it’s true.”—Dexter Filkins, Pulitzer Prize–winning foreign correspondent and author of The Forever War “I have known Brett McGurk through years when the United States faced some of its hardest tests in modern foreign policy. Across administrations of both parties, he earned the confidence of presidents, diplomats, military commanders, and allies through his strategic discipline, mastery of detail, and steady judgment under pressure. In Brink, McGurk brings readers inside the difficult reality of modern statecraft, where diplomacy unfolds in the shadow of war and every decision carries consequence. A serious book about a serious time.”—General Jim Mattis, USMC (Retired), U.S. Secretary of Defense 2017-2018 “A real life thriller, brilliantly written. McGurk takes you into the rooms where it happened, from the Oval Office to a tent in the Saudi desert, with the presidents, prime ministers and royalty who made it happen. Brink is the latest chapter in McGurk’s extraordinary career, spanning four presidencies and covering the war in Iraq, the rise and fall of ISIS and the elusive quest for Middle East peace.”—Ambassador Ryan Crocker, six-time U.S. ambassador, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom “An extraordinary and riveting insider account of diplomacy at the edge of war. Brett McGurk takes us inside the highest-stakes negotiations after October 7, revealing with remarkable immediacy how force, leverage, persistence, and personal relationships shaped the effort to free the Israeli hostages and contain a regional conflagration. Brink is statecraft rendered as a page-turner—authoritative, candid, deeply human, and masterfully told.”—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.); former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Commander, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan; former Director of the CIA; co-author of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare From 1945 to Gaza; Kissinger Fellow, Yale University “Brett McGurk is one of the finest public servants I have ever known, and no book I have read captures the inner working of high-stakes diplomacy better than Brink. The raw emotions, the twists and turns, the gut-wrenching losses and the inspiring and hopeful outcomes will keep the reader glued to the pages. Brink is the book we all need right now to restore our faith in those who serve the American people.”—Admiral William H. McRaven, US Navy (Retired) “This riveting account of a high-stakes bipartisan effort to free hostages is a case study of what diplomacy should be.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk
See also:
Brink as reviewed by Fintan O’Toole for New York Times – October 6, 2026
The Hostages of October 7, 2023 – Stand With Us
About the book: Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages
by Brett McGurk Crown – 318 pages $18.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: October 6, 2026
A
bout the Author: Brett McGurk Brett McGurk is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. McGurk served as deputy assistant to former US President Joe Biden and White House coordinator for the Middle East region. In this role, he spearheaded responses to some of the most complex diplomatic challenges of our time–from helping lead multi-month negotiations across the region to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, to coordinating Israel’s defense against the largest ballistic missile attacks in history, and to overseeing all aspects of US engagement throughout the Middle East and North Africa at moments of acute crisis and opportunity.
Throughout his career, McGurk has been at the forefront of modern diplomacy’s evolution—from championing new technology and energy corridors between India, the Gulf states, Israel, Jordan, and Europe, to witnessing firsthand how AI and computing infrastructure have become essential to maintaining strategic partnerships and global influence. He also has a first-hand understanding of how breakthrough defense technologies employed by US military forces can deter future conflicts, provided the United States maintains its leading technological edge.
As special presidential envoy for US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, McGurk built and then led a global coalition of more than eighty countries together with local forces on the ground to defeat ISIS and prevent future attacks into Europe as well as the US homeland. He also led secret negotiations with Iran to secure the release of American hostages, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, later receiving the James Foley Freedom Award for hostage diplomacy. As a senior White House official under George W. Bush, McGurk was an early advocate for a change in war policy and helped develop “the surge” to better align the ends and means of US strategy.
During a brief period out of government service in 2019 and 2020, McGurk taught graduate courses on strategy and presidential decision-making at Stanford and served on the board of a Lux company, Primer, which harnesses AI and natural language processing for real-time analysis in crisis and operational environments. Biography Credit: Atlantic Council
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
EDWOOD: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE COLD WAR'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY SPY
BY BEN MCINTYRE SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 PUBLISHER: SIGNAL
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Spy and the Traitor comes the ultimate true-life Cold War thriller: a “page-turning masterpiece” (The Guardian) about a Russian double agent with a desperate secret—and the key to stopping a nuclear apocalypse. “Ben Macintyre has a rare ability to turn history and espionage upside down and give us true, colorful stories that astound us as they draw us in. Redwood might be his best.”—John Grisham In 1981, KGB Major Vladimir Kuzichkin, codenamed “Redwood,” was the best Soviet officer in Iran, running spies in the wake of the Islamic revolution and working with a hidden network of Iranian communists to undermine the new regime. But Kuzichkin had a problem, a sexual secret that, if revealed, would humiliate him with his colleagues, cost him his job, and send him into exile. Desperate for a solution, he reached out to the only place he believed could help: Britain’s MI6. So begins one of the most astounding true spy stories of the Cold War, set against the terrifying prospect of nuclear armageddon. Taking readers through shadowy back alleys of Tehran, across bloody streets and into cloistered intelligence offices, Ben Macintyre unfolds a world in turmoil, where no one’s motive is what it seems, and exposure means death. As Kuzichkin helps the Soviet leadership plot an overthrow of the Ayatollah’s fledgling regime—and the American government secretly contemplates a nuclear response if they do—it falls on MI6’s resourceful young undercover officer Ian McCredie to spirit Kuzichkin’s vital information back to the West. But when both Iranian intelligence and the KGB close in on the Russian double-agent, McCredie must design an improbable high-stakes escape plan for Kuzichkin, in which failure is almost certain and the direction of the Cold War hangs in the balance. This is the gripping tale of one man’s courage, and its extraordinary unintended consequences that still shape our world today. It’s about a moving friendship between spies on opposite sides of the global conflict; about marriage, loyalty, and betrayal. Drawing on never-before-seen archival material and revealing interviews with the participants, Redwood plunges readers back into the world of The Spy and the Traitor, where the fate of millions turns on the split-second decisions of spies under pressure.
Indigo /. Amazon
Reviews: “"Macintyre writes with a director’s eye. . . . Redwood is a triumph." —The Spectator "Ben Macintyre has made an illustrious career of taking dusty government archives and transforming them into propulsive nonfiction thrillers. . . . With his latest, Redwood, he has done it again." —New York Times "Mesmerising. . . . [Redwood is] chiefly its author’s triumph. . . A masterclass in the ethics of espionage." —The Times "There’s much to like in Redwood. Macintyre. . . is incapable of writing a dull sentence." —The Telegraph "Superb. . . . The rest of Redwood lives up to the attention-grabbing opening scene; I devoured it in a single sitting." —The Guardian "Macintyre remains almost unrivalled in combining the skills of the journalist and of the historian. . . Redwood displays an exceptional array of on- and off-the-record sources alongside deep archival research, all told in economical prose that achieves both pace and clarity." —The Observer "Like the best of Macintyre’s books, Redwood is less concerned with the machinery of espionage than with the unruly people caught inside of it." —The Independent "If there’s a branch of history devoted to espionage, Macintyre is its unchallenged dean. . . . Macintyre’s latest is one of his best." —Kirkus difficult to believe. Redwood might be his best." —John Grisham "A crackerjack spy story that only Ben Macintyre could tell so well. He seems to have talked to everyone, and cracked every file, that might shed new light on this remarkable tale. But a word of advice: before starting to read, settle into a comfortable chair and have snacks close to hand, because you won't be going anywhere for a while." —Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation
See also: Redwood excerpt as reviewed by Oliver Bullough for The Guardian – September 16, 2026
Redwood excerpt as reviewed by Joseph Finder for New York Times – September 13, 2026
The K.G.B. agent Vladimir Kuzichkin with his wife, Galina, at the National Botanical Garden in Tehran in 1977.Credit...Galina Kokosova Archives
About the book: Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy
by Ben McIntyre Signal – 407 pages $18.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: September 15, 2026
About the Author: Ben McIntyre
Ben Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of fifteen non-fiction books including Colditz, Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes (adapted into a BBC drama, now in its third season), The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat (a major motion picture starring Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen), and A Spy Among Friends (adapted into a six-part ITV drama). His books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 30 languages.
A columnist and Associate Editor atThe Times, Macintyre has written a weekly column for the newspaper since 1998 covering history, espionage, politics, art, and foreign affairs. He joined The Times in 1992 as New York Correspondent, later serving as Paris Bureau Chief, US Editor in Washington, and editor of the Weekend Review, before taking up his current post as Writer at Large.
His last seven books have all been bestsellers in both the UK and the US, including The Spy and the Traitor which John le Carré called “the best true spy story I have ever read”. Ben’s latest book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama, was a Sunday Times Number 1 Bestseller and is being adapted for television by ‘Slow Horses’ showrunner, Will Smith.
Biography Credit: Medalma Clinic
HUMANITARIENNE: A DOCTOR'S STORIES FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE
BY KIRSTEN JOHNSON SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 PUBLISHER: DOUGLAS AND MCINTYRE
The inspiring memoir of a bold, brave global health expert—a pioneering woman working in some of the world’s most volatile places.
As a physician and public health specialist, Kirsten Johnson has led missions in conflict zones, disaster-stricken regions and underserved communities. In Humanitarienne, she traces how a strict childhood marked by trauma pushed her to seek independence early. Living in a punk flop house while trying to finish high school was the unlikely turning point in a life that would be shaped by curiosity, resilience and a commitment to others. Over the years, Dr. Johnson completed medical school, received her Masters in Public Health from Harvard, studied tropical medicine and eventually brought her skills into some of the world’s most precarious settings.
In vivid, unsentimental prose, Johnson recounts a career forged in war-torn and disaster-affected regions: building mental health programs in Liberia, documenting atrocities in Darfur, delivering care in Canada’s North, and training doctors in Beirut. Along the way, she confronts the inequities embedded in humanitarian systems—and sets out to fix them.
It is a story of hard-earned transformation and unwavering commitment: a girl who once felt she belonged nowhere becoming a woman who has built a life of purpose everywhere, defined not by where she came from but by changes she has helped create. Informed by courage and a touch of rebellious spirit, Humanitarienne is essential reading for anyone drawn to international work, social justice, or the ways in which people are shaped by—and in turn shape—the world around them.
Reviews: “Kirsten Johnson skillfully weaves harrowing stories from around the globe as she leaves her family to practise medicine―and a fair bit of politics―in some of the most heartbreaking locales, ravaged by war, poverty and environmental disasters. With astonishing vulnerability, she shows readers what it takes to be a woman in the high-stakes humanitarian field.”― Dr. Blair Bigham, physician, journalist, and author of Death Interrupted
“Dr. Johnson’s memoir paints a detailed picture of the triumphs and the horrors of conducting humanitarian work in developing parts of the world. It’s a fascinating read, and I’m glad that she, and others like her, are willing to do the hard work to actually make the world a better place… one mission, and sometimes one person, at a time.”― George Kourounis, Explorer in Residence, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
See also: Humanitarienne excerpt as written by Dr. Kirsten Johnson and published in the Toronto Star – August 30, 2026
About the book: Humanitarienne: A Doctor's Stories from the Conflict Zone
by Dr. Kirsten Johnson Douglas & McIntyre – 296 pages $14.57 (Kindle) Publication Date: September 1, 2026
About the Author: Dr. Kirsten Johnson
Dr. Kirsten Johnson is a board-certified family and emergency physician and menopause specialist, and an accomplished healthcare leader with over two decades of experience spanning clinical medicine, research, public health, global humanitarian work, and medical education.
Dr. Johnson completed her training in Family and Emergency Medicine at McGill University and holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. She is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Swiss Society of Emergency and Rescue Medicine and is Past President of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, where she played a national leadership role in shaping emergency care in Canada.
Dr. Johnson is a Menopause Society certified specialist, with expertise in midlife women’s health and hormone optimization. She completed over 100 hours of training and examinations and has been awarded certification in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy through The Worldlink Academy of Preventative and Innovative Medicine, and is currently completing her American Board Certification in Anti-Aging and Longevity Medicine—solidifying her place as a leader in the field of hormonal and longevity-focused care.
Internationally, Dr. Johnson has worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization, UK-Med’s Emergency Medical Response Team, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as Health Advisor for the Canadian Red Cross’s Health in Emergencies Program, contributing to national preparedness and crisis response. She is also the founder and Director of Humanitarian U, an internationally recognized NGO that has trained over 500,000 humanitarians and established the global standard for professional humanitarian certification. Dr. Johnson is the author of a recently published book, Humanitarienne: A Doctor’s Stories from the Conflict Zone, in which she shares her experiences and reflections from her career in the humanitarian sector.
She is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She has been awarded the Segal Centre’s Janusz Korczak Award for the protection of children in conflict, the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Award of Excellence in Global Health and was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
DOMANT FURY
BY MARC LA FERRIERE 2026
Marc La Ferrière served for thirty years as an Intelligence Officer where he worked on a variety of counterintelligence and counterterrorism investigations, as well as a myriad of other national security tasks including, training new officers, and internal security matters. Follow the continuing journey of Zack Power in Dormant Fury. What about the happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? The same elite skills are used, but in a different and more manner rigorous. How does one stay hidden when the best in the world are hunting you down? Can one survive indefinitely? You will find out in this riveting thriller, where psychological challenges and tragedy turn Power once again into a furious man on a mission. Marc La Ferrière is also author the author of ESCALATING FURY (2025) and the autobiography, D’ICI À LÀ, which was released in 2024.
Review:
Don’t judge a book by its cover!
This age-old saying has relevancy in a lot of spheres ranging from fashion, appearance to literature. There are variations of this phrase going back into the mid-1800s and it is still as relevant today as it was way back then.
I first was introduced to Marc La Ferriere’s first book, Escalating Fury, when I was asked to review his second novel, Dormant Fury, which was released in late August 2026. I chuckled as I saw the preview of the cover - hence the title of this review. Not sure I would have picked up the second book based on the cover alone.
I proceeded to read Escalating Fury first as Dormant Fury is a continuation of the first book. I could not put it down and waited impatiently for the launch of the Book 2. Marc uses his professional experience well by having a plot with twists and turns as real life intelligence work usually unfolds. Plans are made; ops are outlined but there usually is a twist when one least expects it. Marc keeps the reader interested by sticking to the story line, with very little “filler”. A lot of novels are filled with filler content, nice to read, but it adds nothing to the plot line.
Zack Power, the main character, is determined to survive, using his skills learned on-the-job as an intelligence operative, first for a British agency, then for a private organization, ZENITH, whose role is not clearly defined. This adds to the intrigue, who does he really work for, who is responsible for making operational decisions that determine which terrorists, criminals, intelligence agents ZENITH goes after.
In Dormant Fury, Zack Power has left ZENITH for personal reasons, is living on a remote island, trying to survive. By suddenly leaving the organization his life is now in danger. The love of his life, another ZENITH operative, who too has left the organization, finds him and they reconnect, but not for long.
Zack’s operational skills, knowledge of the intelligence community and his past contacts all come into play as he goes after those who made the decision to make his personal life a nightmare. As I was reading my mind was seeing a film evolving. It just needs book 3, Resurging Fury to complete the script.
In the preface to Dormant Fury Marc writes, “This is a story about choice and consequences, about what it means to step out of a system designed to be inescapable, and the cost of staying gone once you do.” One can equate this to retiring from a world of intelligence work and trying to assimilate into an environment of normalcy, if there is such an entity.
Dormant Fury is a fast read, an intriguing one as the twists and turns are not predictable. Just get past the cover!
Iwona Mooney
CSIS, Retired
Available at: https://librairielouisfrechette.ca/fr/Produit-41263-Dormant-Fury-Neuf-Format-Regulier-Anglais
THE JACKAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF CARLOS, THE WORLD'S FIRST SUPER-TERRORIST
BY JOBY WORRICK AUGUST 18, 2026 PUBLISHER: SCRIBNER
Book Review:
The spectacular rise and dramatic fall of super-assassin Carlos the Jackal—one of history’s most infamous terrorist masterminds and the inspiration for numerous celebrated works of pop culture—told with new revelations from the Jackal himself, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Black Flags. A black-bereted, gun-slinging avatar of one of the most turbulent eras in global politics, Carlos the Jackal burst onto the world stage in 1975 as the first true celebrity terrorist and the TV-ready face of a violent Palestinian resistance movement that was then just beginning to gain traction. In a bloody career that would ultimately span three decades, Carlos innovated a new kind of spectacular terrorism, one that embraced hijackings, hostage crises, airport bombings, and international assassinations. And he personally masterminded one of the era’s most shocking crimes: the kidnapping for ransom of an entire conference of world oil ministers in Vienna. The polar opposite of most modern terrorists, Carlos prized large paychecks over ideology and styled himself as a swashbuckling lady’s man who, despite his charm, murdered his victims with callous disregard, often with his own hand.
Today, even from behind bars, Carlos can see his influence continue to reverberate. Through newly declassified archives, secret police files, long-repressed eyewitness accounts, and a rare interview with the Jackal himself, acclaimed journalist Joby Warrick reveals Carlos’ far-reaching legacy as a pioneer of borderless terrorist attacks designed for television. During his twenty years on the run, the terrorist-for-hire would become a secret weapon used by autocrats to covertly attack their foes. In the process he helped transform how modern societies deal with a new kind of threat: a singular criminal mind that approaches terror with a professional’s devotion to craft.
Reviews:
“AUTHORITATIVE AND ACUTELY READABLE… [Warrick’s] new book functions as a pocket history of terrorism’s early modern period, and it details how Carlos’s exploits helped provide the template for later bad actors such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times “ENGROSSING…recounts the life of a flamboyant Marxist whose exploits riveted and terrified.” —Wall Street Journal “ASTONISHING. Joby Warrick has completely fleshed out this mysterious and lethal man, driven as much by vanity as any of the various causes he embraced, and succeeds like no one before in mapping the global underworld.” —Mark Bowden, bestselling author of Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah “JOBY WARRICK HAS DONE IT AGAIN. He taps his amazing intelligence sources to narrate the intimate details of Carlos's life as a killer, sexual predator, and diabolically clever ‘founding father’ of modern terrorism. When he finally tracks Carlos down in a Paris prison, the reader feels a sigh of relief that he's behind bars!” —David Ignatius, columnist at The Washington Post and author of Phantom Orbit “CAN’T-PUT-IT-DOWN THRILLER, ABSORBING PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY, METICULOUS DETECTIVE STORY, ILLUMINATING SAGA—Joby Warrick's brilliant Jackal does it all. Its final, haunting scene is one you’ll never forget.” —David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of When Pride Still Mattered and Path Lit by Lightning “THOROUGHLY IMMERSIVE—a page turner with just the right amount of historical context. As someone who was on the periphery of hunting Carlos, I can assure readers that there’s nary a false note. For those who wonder why terrorism ultimately fails, this is a must read.” —Robert Baer, former CIA case officer and bestselling author of See No Evil and The Devil We Know “PROPULSIVE. The biography of a ‘criminal narcissist’ who made terrorism into a lethal art while also living the life of a louche playboy, gallivanting around the globe. A rattling good yarn and a sobering one.” —Peter Bergen, bestselling author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad "EXTRAORDINARY. In a globe-spanning quest, Warrick appears to have tracked down nearly everyone involved in the hunt for the notorious Carlos. Fans of spy-thrillers will be in absolute heaven knowing this is all true." —Scott Anderson, bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East “PULSATING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING, The Jackal is a meticulously reported page-turner from one of our finest chroniclers of terrorists and their pursuers.” —Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ghost Wars, Directorate S, and The Achilles Trap
The Jackal as reviewed by Dwight Garner for New York Times – August 10, 2026
Carlos arrives at the Paris courthouse for his appeal against French anti-terrorist judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere. Carlos claims Bruguiere "violated the secrecy of the case" when he allegedly spoke to French journalist Philippe Berti of the Figaro-Magazine about the probe he conducted in Romania in 1998, concerning a 1982 bomb attack rue Marbeouf in Paris. He was seeking one symbolic franc (15 US cents) in damages.JACK GUEZ/AFP (2011)
About the book: The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super-Terrorist
by Joby Worrick
Scribner - 384 pages $20.99 (Kindle)
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
About the Author: Joby Worrick Joby Warrick is a best-selling author and a national security reporter for The Washington Post. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he served for 19 years with the Post’s national and investigative staffs, focusing primarily on intelligence, diplomacy and security in the Middle East and South Asia. His first book, “The Triple Agent” (Doubleday, 2011), is the best-selling true story of an al-Qaeda spy who led the CIA into a deadly trap at Khost, Afghanistan, in the agency’s bloodiest day in a quarter-century. Warrick’s second book, “Black Flags” (Knopf-Doubleday, September 2015), is a narrative account of the personalities and events that gave rise to the Islamic State, or ISIS. It was listed as one of the best books of 2015 by the New York Times, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and numerous other publications. The book was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction in April 2016.
As an investigative reporter at The Post, Warrick led the newspaper’s coverage of WMD proliferation and weapons trafficking after 2001, and was among the first American journalists to question pre-war claims about Iraq’s nuclear program. Later, his articles about international proliferation threats earned him the Overseas Press Club of America’s Bob Considine Award in 2004 for best newspaper interpretation of international affairs.
Before coming to The Post, Warrick was an enterprise reporter for The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., where he co-authored “Boss Hog,” a series of investigative stories that documented the political and environmental fallout caused by factory farming in the Southeast. The series won the 1996 “Gold Medal” Pulitzer Prize for public service and nine other national and regional awards, including citations by Investigative Reporters & Editors and the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Warrick worked for five years as a reporter for United Press International, and at age 29 was appointed UPI bureau chief in Vienna, Austria. While in Europe he covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the overthrow of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and the collapse of other communist regimes in the former East Bloc. He also previously worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Delaware County (Pa.) Daily Times.
Warrick graduated summa cum laude from Temple University in 1982 with a B.A. in journalism. A native of North Carolina, he lives in Centreville, Va., with his wife and two children.
Biography Credit: Chartwell Speakers
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.
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
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
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.
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