The new Islamic State : ideology, religion and violent extremism in the 21st century / edited by Jack Covarrubias, Tom Lansford and Robert J. Pauly, Jr. (The University of Southern Mississippi, USA).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The Geography of the Islamic State / Tom Lansford, David Holt -- Part 1. Origins of the Islamic State. The rise of the Islamic State (IS) / Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr. -- Ideology and theology / R. Alan King, Robert J. Pauly, Jr. -- The use of propaganda and social media / Rachel Yon -- IS and al-Qaeda / Peter R. Dean -- Part 2. IS and the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Islamic State : redefining the world stage / R. Alan King -- IS in Syria / Mark Sedgwick -- Those who face death : an examination of the relationship between Kurdistan and the Islamic State / Charlie Carlee -- Regional powers and the Islamic State / Jorge Brown -- IS and the West. The Obama administration and IS / Richard Yon, James L. Long, Jr. -- The European response to IS / Robert J. Pauly, Jr., Kelly Roberts -- Islamic State recruitment strategies and tactics / Brian Carriere -- Canada, Australia and New Zealand and the Islamic State / Dara Conduit, David Malet. Levi West.

"The book examines the rise of the religious extremist organization from the ashes of al-Qaeda in Iraq to its current efforts in Syria and Iraq and is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the Islamic State, its effects on the Persian Gulf and Greater Middle East, and the response of both regional and great powers."--Page 4 of cover.

The rise of the Islamic State has dramatically forced a recalculation of political order and security in the Persian Gulf and broader Greater Middle East by the United States and its allies and adversaries, including, most notably, Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Since the Arab Spring of 2011, the Islamic State has altered the military balance in the Syrian intra-state conflict and captured significant territory in Iraq. Its military successes has attracted foreign fighters from more than 100 countries, drawn in some cases by a sophisticated recruitment strategy that effectively combines a jihadist message with a social media outreach program targeting vulnerable Muslim populations in the region and the West. The Islamic State has prompted renewed American and allied military intervention in Iraq and Syria, and complicated the US relationship with its Iranian adversaries. The New Islamic State examines the rise of the religious extremist organization from the ashes of al-Qaeda in Iraq to its current efforts in Syria and Iraq and is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the Islamic State, its effects on the Persian Gulf and Greater Middle East, and the response of both regional and great powers. The book is suitable for academics, policymakers and the general public. -- Provided by publisher.