By consulting the work of well-known and obscure al-Qaeda theoreticians, Michael W. S. Ryan finds jihadist terrorism strategy has more in common with the principles of Maoist guerrilla warfare than mainstream Islam. Encouraging strategists and researchers to devote greater attention to jihadi ideas rather than jihadist military operations, Ryan builds an effective framework for analyzing al-Qaeda's plans against America and constructs a compelling counternarrative to the West's supposed "war on Islam."

Introduction -- The historical roots of Al-Qaeda's ideology -- The leadership inspires a new strategy -- Jihad as revolution -- An action plan for savagery -- The jihadist legacy of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri -- Conclusion: what it all means.