Antonio Giustozzi has a PhD from the London School of Economics and is currently Visiting Professor at King's College, London and fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He has written or edited ten books, among which are Koran, Kalashnikov and Laptop: The Neo-Taliban Insurgency, 2002-7 and The Army of Afghanistan: A Political History of A Fragile Institution.
'An important and extensively detailed account.' Excellent . . . the book brings clarity to the subject of terrorism and its nature in Afghanistan and Khorasan. It is a brilliant mix of journalistic account and academic research.' 'The book has a number of vital implications for peace in the region ... Giustozzi is an astute observer of the conflict in Afghanistan and its many participants.' -- Texas National Security Review 'Drawing on incredible field research, and full of unique insight, this book explains how the Islamic State unexpectedly took root in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It reveals in detail the complex and mostly troubled relations between IS-K and the Taliban in both countries. This is yet another must-read study by Giustozzi, the great chronicler of the ongoing Afghan conflict.' -- Theo Farrell, Executive Dean of Law, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Wollongong, Australia, author of 'Unwinnable: Britain's War in Afghanistan, 2001-2014' 'This is the first book on the Islamic State's Khorasan branch and will be a go-to-guide for many years to come. Giustozzi has pulled together primary sources, original materials and first hand journalistic accounts to describe the emergence, composition and structure of the Islamic State group in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. A highly important scholarly contribution, it is essential reading for all those who want to understand the complexities of violent extremism in South and Central Asia.' -- Dawood Azami, PhD, Multi-Media Editor, BBC World Service