Defeating ISIS

Defeating ISIS argues that the group ISIS does not belong to the faith of Islam, and should instead be thought of as a separate destructive extremist group. The work is organized into four sections. The author provides historical context for the evolution of ISIS over time. The book emphasizes that the majority of ISIS's victims are Muslim. He argues that ISIS is attempting to annihilate Islam itself, and instead replace it with its own more inhumane practices.{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|author-link=Malcolm Nance|year=2016|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=978-1510711846|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe}}

Nance ties the history of ISIS back to changing developments within Al-Qaeda. Nance ascribes growth of influence by ISIS directly to problems within U.S. leadership related to combating Al-Qaeda in Iraq. He provides an overview of ISIS management, soldiers, and command format. Defeating ISIS provides geographic descriptions of ISIS centers of influence globally, including Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, and Jordan. Nance discusses cultural differences within each locality. He details the practices of Boko Haram. He describes the Western influence of ISIS into countries including France, the U.S., Australia, and Turkey. He recounts the November 2015 Paris attacks and response to the incident. He provides the reader with a basis of ISIS operations within countries in Asia, states in the region of the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, and Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The book describes the terrorist group's attempts to remake the world through jihad. Nance grounds the reader within the context of Islamic history, including the Battle of Nahrawan, controversy regarding Shia–Sunni relations, evolution of the Qarmatians, and the Mahdist War. Defeating ISIS details tactics of ISIS manipulation including psychological manipulation, behavior modification, and brainwashing. Nance writes that these strategies lead to gross violations of human rights, including sexual assault and child soldiers. Defeating ISIS describes ISIS combat tactics, with analysis of their armaments. Nance writes that ISIS usually engages in the military tactics of mountain warfare and frontal assault, later encouraging each other through social media discussing their combat operations.

Defeating ISIS concludes with a strategy proposed by the author to weaken the organization both their combat operations and their ability to garner new followers. Nance lays forth a four-point plan, including: combat strategy with increased incorporation of airpower and special forces units, tactics to combat ISIS over the Internet, revitalization of the Syrian Armed Forces, and enlisting increased support from Arab world countries.{{citation|url=https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/266123-pentagon-takes-aim-at-isis-hackers/|access-date=June 8, 2017|work=The Hill|title=Pentagon takes aim at ISIS hackers|first=Cory|last=Bennett|date=January 17, 2016}}

File:Malcolm Nance.jpg

Malcolm Nance is a retired cryptology analyst.{{citation|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/02/twitter-feeds-for-keeping-up-with-trump-and-russia|work=Vanity Fair|access-date=June 7, 2017|title=5 essential Twitter feeds for keeping up with Trump and Russia|first=James|last=Wolcott|date=March 21, 2017}}{{citation|url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Barbara-Lee-brings-John-Dean-Malcolm-Nance-to-11162924.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=June 7, 2017|title=Barbara Lee brings John Dean, Malcolm Nance to town hall meeting|date=May 21, 2017|first=Michael|last= Cabanatuan}}{{citation|access-date=June 7, 2017|work=The Hill|title=Maher: Russian election influence is worst political scandal in US history|first=Joe|last=Concha|date=February 18, 2017|url=https://thehill.com/media/320224-maher-russian-election-influence-is-worst-political-scandal-in-us-history/}} He garnered expertise within the field of intelligence analysis.{{citation|quote=Malcolm Nance is a globally recognized counterterrorism expert and Intelligence Community member who has been deployed to intelligence operations in the Balkans, Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. He is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Defeating ISIS|first=Joe|last=Donahue|work=WAMC|access-date=June 7, 2017|url=http://wamc.org/post/counterterrorism-expert-malcolm-nance|title=Counterterrorism Expert Malcolm Nance|date=January 5, 2017|archive-date=May 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529100921/http://wamc.org/post/counterterrorism-expert-malcolm-nance|url-status=dead}}{{citation|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/03/14/intelligence-expert-malcolm-nance-on-trump-scandal-as-close-to-benedict-arnold-as-were-ever-going-to-get/|access-date=June 7, 2017|work=Salon|title=Intelligence expert Malcolm Nance on Trump scandal: 'As close to Benedict Arnold as we're ever going to get'|date=March 14, 2017|first=Chauncey|last=Devega}}{{citation|url=http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/10/12/how-hackable-election|work=Here and Now|agency=WBUR|first=Jeremy|last=Hobson|access-date=June 7, 2017|title=How Hackable Is The Election?|date=October 12, 2016}} Nance served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, from 1981 to 2001.{{citation|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?427699-1/qa-malcolm-nance|title=Q&A with Malcolm Nance|work=C-SPAN|date=April 28, 2017|first=Brian|last=Lamb|author-link=Brian Lamb|type=video|access-date=June 7, 2017}}{{citation|access-date=June 7, 2017|work=The Philadelphia Tribune|date=March 10, 2017|title=Philly native is media expert on intelligence|first=Layla A.|last=Jones|url=http://www.phillytrib.com/news/philly-native-is-media-expert-on-intelligence/article_437d30fa-2cc7-5c09-88f7-0785da1dbab2.html}} He devoted years researching Middle East terrorism.{{citation|url=http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/plot-hack-america|access-date=June 7, 2017|first=Michael|last=Lipkin|work=New York Journal of Books|title=The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election|date=October 10, 2016}} Nance founded a company providing advice to U.S. Special Operations, and created a survival tactics training center. He manages a think tank consisting of CIA and counterterrorism officers. His books on intelligence include An End to al-Qaeda,{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|title=An End to al-Qaeda: Destroying Bin Laden's Jihad and Restoring America's Honor|year=2010|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0312592493|title-link=An End to al-Qaeda}} Terrorist Recognition Handbook,{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|title=Terrorist Recognition Handbook: A Practitioner's Manual for Predicting and Identifying Terrorist Activities|year=2013|isbn=978-1466554573|publisher=CRC Press|title-link=Terrorist Recognition Handbook}} The Terrorists of Iraq,{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|title=The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003–2014|year=2014|isbn=978-1498706896|publisher=CRC Press|title-link=The Terrorists of Iraq}} The Plot to Hack America,{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|author-link=Malcolm Nance|title=The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|date=October 10, 2016|isbn=978-1510723320|pages=216|title-link=The Plot to Hack America}} and Hacking ISIS.{{citation|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|title=Hacking ISIS: How to Destroy the Cyber Jihad|year=2017|isbn=978-1510718920|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing}}

Prior to his work on Defeating ISIS, Nance had already extensively researched the topic, while writing a treatise specifically geared for the intelligence community to educate them in textbook format on the growth over time of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.{{citation|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?405971-4/washington-journal-malcolm-nance-defeating-isis|agency=C-SPAN|work=Washington Journal|date=March 13, 2016|title=U.S. Strategy Against ISIS|first=Steve|last=Scully|author-link=Steve Scully}} Defeating ISIS was contracted for publication with Skyhorse Publishing in November 2015, originally slated for a January 2017 release date.{{citation|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/68765-partnerships-new-hires-boost-skyhorse-publishing.html|work=Publishers Weekly|access-date=June 8, 2017|title=Partnerships, New Hires Boost Skyhorse Publishing|date=November 20, 2015|first=Jim |last=Milliot}}

Defeating ISIS was published in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing in print format.{{citation|oclc=952056725|date=2016|author=Online Computer Library Center|work=WorldCat|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print edition|author-link=Online Computer Library Center}} An e-book was published the same year.{{citation|oclc=944244390|date=2016|author=Online Computer Library Center|work=WorldCat|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 e-book edition|author-link=Online Computer Library Center}} It went through two more editions in 2016.{{citation|oclc=956483659|date=2016|author=Online Computer Library Center|work=WorldCat|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print, 2nd edition|author-link=Online Computer Library Center}}{{citation|oclc=931642026|date=2016|author=Online Computer Library Center|work=WorldCat|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2016 print, 3rd edition|author-link=Online Computer Library Center}} W. W. Norton & Company published another edition in 2017.{{citation|oclc=980515128|date=2016|author=Online Computer Library Center|work=WorldCat|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe – 2017 print edition|author-link=Online Computer Library Center}}

Defeating ISIS made The New York Times Best Seller list at number nine for the week of July 3, 2016, in the section for "E-Book Nonfiction".{{citation|work=The New York Times Best Seller list|date=July 3, 2016|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/07/03/e-book-nonfiction/|title=The New York Times Best Seller list; E-Book Nonfiction; New this week; Defeating ISIS by Malcolm Nance|access-date=June 8, 2017}}{{citation|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Jonathan|last=Capehart|author-link=Jonathan Capehart|access-date=June 8, 2017|date=August 1, 2016|title=There's no stopping a thin-skinned President Trump from going nuclear|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/08/01/theres-no-stopping-a-thin-skinned-president-trump-from-going-nuclear/|quote=Malcolm Nance, a counterterrorism and intelligence consultant who runs the Terror Asymmetrics Project and is author of the New York Times bestseller 'Defeating ISIS: Who they are, how they fight, what they believe.'}} U.S. President Donald Trump told Time magazine he read Defeating ISIS while he was a candidate for president in July 2016.{{citation|title=Cover Story: Gut Check – Donald Trump – What a President Needs to Know|magazine=Time|date=July 25, 2016|url=https://backissues.time.com/storefront/2016/gut-check-donald-trump/prodTD20160725.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|page=42|issn=0040-781X|volume=188|issue=4|quote=When he reads books, he says, he reads quickly. He likes biographies of Lincoln, Nixon and Reagan and recently read Edward Klein's hostile books on the Clintons and Defeating ISIS by Malcolm Nance.|first=Jon|last=Meacham|author-link=Jon Meacham}}{{citation|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/08/12/nance-isis-is-being-torn-apart/|date=August 12, 2016|first=Alan|last=Colmes|author-link=Alan Colmes|title=Nance: ISIS Is Being Torn Apart|work=The Alan Colmes Show|quote=Nance told Alan Donald Trump is not seeing how his words are playing out beyond the rallies he shouts them. Nance also said that ISIS is being torn apart month by month, that even the Taliban wants to see ISIS destroyed, and if Donald Trump really read Nance's book as he claims, then he would know why President Obama uses 'ISIL' and not 'ISIS.'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012084938/http://radio.foxnews.com/2016/08/12/nance-isis-is-being-torn-apart/|archive-date=2017-10-12|url-status=dead}}

U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations retired Colonel Millard E. Moon reviewed the book for Journal of Strategic Security, and wrote, "Nance offers a compelling argument to support the concept of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a cult set apart from the Islamic religion."{{citation|first=Millard E.|last=Moon|journal=Journal of Strategic Security|url=http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1530&context=jss|access-date=June 8, 2017|title=Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe. By Malcolm Nance, Foreword by Richard Engel. New York, N.Y.: Skyhorse Publishing Company, 2016. |year=2016|volume=9|issue=2|doi=10.5038/1944-0472.9.2.1530|pages=125–128|doi-access=free}} Moon said that, "Nance has done a really good job of providing detailed information about the growth and activities of ISIS components". He praised the author's ability to structure the book as a reference resource, writing, "there is a wealth of factual information on ISIS". As for the religious nature of the organization, Moon acknowledged, "Malcolm Nance does an excellent job of outlining what ISIS believes". Moon concluded, "This book is a good reference source for anyone in the professional field and for individuals seeking to understand the enemy and what we and our allies face."

Current Affairs journalist Adam Patterson called the book "One of the more intelligent, incisive mass-market books on ISIS."{{citation|access-date=June 8, 2017|work=Current Affairs|editor1-first=Nathan J. |editor1-last=Robinson|url=https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2016/10/the-isis-hysteria-industry|date=October 23, 2016|title=The ISIS hysteria industry|first=Adam|last=Patterson}} Patterson emphasized, "The central value of Nance's work is ultimately written into its title. Defeating ISIS outlines that the jihadi group can, with intelligent application of diplomatic and counterinsurgency methods, be eventually defeated." Rachel Maddow referenced this book as a source she used to educate herself about ISIS.{{citation|quote=Malcolm Nance has this new book out about defeating ISIS. It's not like a prose book. It's like an encyclopedia.|work=Slate|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/interrogation/2016/04/rachel_maddow_always_believed_in_bernie_sanders.html|title=Rachel Maddow Always Believed in Bernie Sanders|first=Isaac|last= Chotiner|date=April 11, 2016}} The book received a negative review by Paul Monk in The Australian.{{citation|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/robert-mannes-mind-of-the-islamic-state-deserves-a-wide-audience/news-story/3c7632f9e74f6d44cf6d1e7b0011b579|work=The Australian|first=Paul|last=Monk|title=Review: Robert Manne's Mind of the Islamic State deserves a wide audience|date=November 5, 2016}} Monk criticized the writing style, and disputed Nance's view that ISIS wished "to destroy Islam". The Guardian national security reporter Spencer Ackerman praised the author's expertise, citing the caliber of his works The Terrorists of Iraq and Defeating ISIS.{{citation|url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/washington/qa-malcolm-nance-on-u-s-security-and-isis-a-future-ghost-caliphate/|access-date=June 8, 2017|work=Maclean's|title=Q&A: Malcolm Nance on U.S. security and ISIS, a future 'ghost caliphate'|first=Alexander|last=Bisley|date=April 27, 2017}}

{{Portal|Islam}}

{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Refuting ISIS
• List of books about al-Qaeda
• 2016 Brussels bombings
• Arab Spring
• Iraq War
• Islam and violence
• Islamic extremism
• Islamic fundamentalism
• Islamic terrorism
• Muslim attitudes toward terrorism
• Syrian Civil War
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{citation|first=Thomas E.|last=Ricks|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/08/nance-plan-now-for-a-new-syria/|date=March 8, 2016|title=Nance: Plan now for a New Syria|work=Foreign Policy|quote=This is excerpted from Defeating ISIS, by Malcolm Nance}}
• {{citation|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/five-ways-to-devastate-isil-213763|access-date=June 8, 2016|work=Politico|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|author-link=Malcolm Nance|title=Five Ways to Devastate ISIL|date=March 23, 2016}}

• {{official website|http://skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/10372-9781510711846-defeating-isis}}
• {{citation|url=https://majority.fm/2016/05/03/malcolm-nance-defeating-isis/|access-date=June 8, 2017|work=The Majority Report with Sam Seder|first=Sam|last=Seder|author-link=Sam Seder|title=Malcolm Nance: Defeating ISIS|date=May 3, 2016|type=audio}}
• {{citation|access-date=June 8, 2017|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?405971-4/washington-journal-malcolm-nance-defeating-isis|agency=C-SPAN|work=Washington Journal|date=March 13, 2016|title=U.S. Strategy Against ISIS|first=Steve|last=Scully|author-link=Steve Scully|type=video}}

{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}

{{Military intervention against ISIL}}

{{Militant Islamism in the Middle East}}

{{Syrian Civil War}}

{{Armed Iraqi groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Defeating ISIS}}

Category:2016 non-fiction books

Category:American non-fiction books

Category:Political science books

Category:Non-fiction books about war

Category:Non-fiction books about jihadism

Category:Books about counterterrorism

Category:Books about al-Qaeda

Category:Works about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Category:Books about Islamic fundamentalism

Category:Books by Malcolm Nance

Category:Skyhorse Publishing books