A timely, piercing study of the Islamic State, as its rise to prominence and domination of Middle Eastern politics, is explained in revealing detail by economist and bestselling author Loretta Napoleoni. Napoleoni illuminates the singularity of IS and how it differs from other jihadist organisations, particularly in terms of its economic structure and focus on consensus instead of pure violence. Napoleoni traces the beginnings of IS, its dynamic with al-Qaeda, and its current status as the first official Caliphate in over a century.