United States of Jihad, Changing Hands Books, Tempe, AZ

The bestselling author and CNN National Security Analyst presents his new book, a look at the 300 Americans who have been indicted for or convicted of terrorism since 9/11.

Dozens of American citizens have sought to join overseas terrorist groups including al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, and more recently ISIS—and among those who have succeeded, some have risen to positions of deadly influence. Who are these individuals? What motivates them? And what can be done to stem the tide of extremism? Based on a wealth of sources including a meticulously compiled database, counterterrorism theory, and interviews with the families of militants–and even militants themselves—Bergen exposes the forces that have led Anwar al-Awlaki, Samir Kahn, the Tsarnaev brothers, and so many others down the path to terrorism. The United States of Terrorism also investigates the efficacy of counter-terrorism strategies, taking us inside the FBI’s counterterrorism Behavioral Analysis Unit and introducing us to Imam Magid, who is spearheading an effort to reach fundamentalist youths before it is too late. Drawing on his extensive network of intelligence contacts, Bergen also shows how the U.S. government’s approach to counterterrorism has transformed since 9/11, as well as the often controversial tactics employed to track potential terrorists.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PETER L. BERGEN is a print, television, and web journalist; documentary producer; think tank director; and the author of four books about al-Qaeda, three of which were New York Times best sellers and three of which were named among the nonfiction books of the year by the Washington Post. He is the director of the national security program at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC; a Fellow at Fordham University’s Center on National Security; and CNN’s national security analyst.