How the United States uses economic embargoes and financial tools as weapons against murderous terrorist groups and "rogue states" such as North Korea, Iran and Syria. Zarate, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is a former federal prosecutor who joined the U.S. Treasury Department after the 9/11 attacks to figure out ways to constrict the financing of terrorist groups. Relying heavily on anecdotes, acronyms and actual case studies, he provides detailed explanations of secretive operations far less publicized than ground wars and drone strikes.

Prologue: "The hidden war" -- Introduction: The modern Megarian Decree -- Part I: Foundation. A new kind of war ; Financial footprints ; Nose under the tent ; Financial chokepoints -- Part II: A new paradigm. Blowfish ; Bad banks ; "The mother of all financial investigations" ; Resurrection -- Part III: Financial furies. "Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys" ; The awakening ; Putting the genie back in the bottle ; Revelation ; The constriction campaign -- Part IV. Adaptation. Dusting off the playbook ; Learning curve ; The coming financial wars -- Epilogue: Lessons from the use of financial power.