 | |
| Author | Joby Warrick |
|---|---|
| Subject | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,Terrorism |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 2015 |
| Pages | xvii, 344 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates |
| Awards | 2016 Pulitzer Prize forGeneral Nonfiction |
| ISBN | 9780385538213 |
| LC Class | HV6433.I722 I8593 2015 |
Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS is a 2015nonfiction book by the American journalistJoby Warrick. The book traces the rise and spread of militantIslam behind theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It won the 2016Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.[1]
Black Flags has been praised by journalists.Michiko Kakutani ofThe New York Times called it a "gripping new book" and wrote, "Mr. Warrick [...] has a gift for constructing narratives with a novelistic energy and detail, and in this volume, he creates the most revealing portrait yet laid out in a book ofAbu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the founding father of the organization that would become the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL)." He added, "for readers interested in the roots of the Islamic State and the evil genius of its godfather [...] there is no better book to begin with thanBlack Flags."[2]Bob Drogin of theLos Angeles Times similarly described it as "invaluable for anyone struggling to understand the gruesome excesses and inexplicable appeal of ISIS," despite noting that it works better as a biography of al-Zarqawi than "explaining the subsequent 'rise of ISIS,' as the title promises."[3] P. D. Smith ofThe Guardian said the book "has the narrative drive of a thriller" and observed, "From the mistakes made before and after theinvasion of Iraq, to the continuing tragedy ofSyria's civil war, Warrick's account is both compelling and authoritative."[4]
The book received the2016Pulitzer Prize forGeneral Nonfiction.[1] The Pulitzer citation described the book as "a deeply reported book of remarkable clarity."[5]
In 2016, HBO was reported to have started work of adapting the book forTV mini series. It will be produced byBradley Cooper andTodd Phillips (via their joint production bannerJoint Effort), directed by Helmer Tim Van Patten (also directedGame of Thrones andBoardwalk Empire) and television adapted byGregg Hurwitz. The series is expected to be named "Black Flags".[6][7]
