'This is a landmark book, a work of breadth and scope and scholarship, and genuine imaginative powers. It should be the standard work on political Islam.' - Fouad Ajami, author of Dream Palace of the Arabs: A Generation's Odyssey; 'simply excellent' - Malise Ruthven, Prospect; 'Kepel's work... spans the world of political Islam, from the assassination of Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, to the establishment of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Afghanistan. He has the knack of explaining how events in one part of the Islamic world have affected developments elsewhere.' -Anton La Guardia, Telegraph; 'a concentrated multidimensional study... indispensable to anyone serious about understanding a troubled political-religious movement' - Frank Shouldice, Irish Independent; 'No-one else has attempted so bold an overview of the Islamist phenomenon. Of all the books on this subject, this is the most challenging and the most illuminating.' - The Economist; 'deeply researched, deeply measured and deeply instructive - the best survey available and likely to remain so' - Justin Wintle, Sunday Times