A Fénix Islâmica by Loretta Napoleoni

A concise analysis of the Islamic State’s emergence as a quasi-state born from the collapse of Iraq and Syria, explaining how it built governance structures, financed itself through oil, taxation, and criminal networks, and harnessed propaganda to recruit and rule. It argues that this phenomenon represents a new model of statehood rather than a conventional terrorist organization, and examines how geopolitical missteps and the aftermath of the Arab Spring enabled its rapid ascent and resilience.