Inside Al-Shabaab

"For military enthusiasts, Inside al-Shabaab has vivid descriptions of street-by-street fighting in Mogadishu as the extremists pushed the fragile Somali government to the edge of the sea. For those wondering how Somalia has never been able to shake off the threat, the book has piercing details of what still goes wrong both among Somalis and in the international community."—AP News

"Featuring interviews with government officials, former al-Shabaab members, soldiers and numerous other sources, the authors leave no stone unturned in their quest to tell the story of just how al-Shabaab continues to operate and why it continues to attract young people. This is hugely informative painstakingly-researched book."—African Arguments

"The book by Maruf and Joseph is a very readable, very informative and in passages thrilling account that provides partly unknown details for Somalia-specialists and a basis for reflection and comparison for counter-terrorism experts. Due to the style of writing, it is even accessible for interested non-specialists. The book is recommended strongly for thinking about and beyond the Somali setting."—African Affairs

"Maruf and Josef, who are first-rate journalists, are to be congratulated on this work, which is tricky and somewhat dangerous."—Kenneth Christie, Royal Roads University, ID: International Dialogue

"A compelling and deeply researched history of Al-Shabaab that lifts the veil on one of the world's most dangerous and resilient terrorist groups. Harun Maruf and Dan Joseph have drawn on their extensive experience reporting on Somalia and on interviews with key former figures in Al-Shabaab to produce one of the most important books ever written on jihadi militancy in Africa. This book is essential reading for everybody interested in Somalia and the evolution of global jihad."—Paul Cruickshank, Editor-in-Chief, CTC Sentinel and coauthor Nine Lives: My Time as the West's Top Spy Inside al-Qaeda

"For years I studied and assessed Al-Shabaab in Somalia, and Harun Maruf was my go-to source on the terror group and the Horn of Africa. This book reveals insights I've never seen during my 15 years in counterterrorism—an excellent work."—Clinton Watts, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute

"Inside Al-Shabaab is the definitive history of the Somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the group's genesis and its ties to al-Qaeda. It's a great introduction for those new to the topic, but it's also a landmark work andabsolutely required reading for those who study and work to counter terrorism."—JM Berger, author of Extremism and coauthor of ISIS: The State of Terror