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HUMANITARIENNE: A DOCTOR'S STORIES FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE
BY KIRSTEN JOHNSON SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 PUBLISHER: DOUGLAS AND MCINTYRE
The inspiring memoir of a bold, brave global health expert—a pioneering woman working in some of the world’s most volatile places.
As a physician and public health specialist, Kirsten Johnson has led missions in conflict zones, disaster-stricken regions and underserved communities. In Humanitarienne, she traces how a strict childhood marked by trauma pushed her to seek independence early. Living in a punk flop house while trying to finish high school was the unlikely turning point in a life that would be shaped by curiosity, resilience and a commitment to others. Over the years, Dr. Johnson completed medical school, received her Masters in Public Health from Harvard, studied tropical medicine and eventually brought her skills into some of the world’s most precarious settings.
In vivid, unsentimental prose, Johnson recounts a career forged in war-torn and disaster-affected regions: building mental health programs in Liberia, documenting atrocities in Darfur, delivering care in Canada’s North, and training doctors in Beirut. Along the way, she confronts the inequities embedded in humanitarian systems—and sets out to fix them.
It is a story of hard-earned transformation and unwavering commitment: a girl who once felt she belonged nowhere becoming a woman who has built a life of purpose everywhere, defined not by where she came from but by changes she has helped create. Informed by courage and a touch of rebellious spirit, Humanitarienne is essential reading for anyone drawn to international work, social justice, or the ways in which people are shaped by—and in turn shape—the world around them.
Indigo /. Amazon
Reviews: “Kirsten Johnson skillfully weaves harrowing stories from around the globe as she leaves her family to practise medicine―and a fair bit of politics―in some of the most heartbreaking locales, ravaged by war, poverty and environmental disasters. With astonishing vulnerability, she shows readers what it takes to be a woman in the high-stakes humanitarian field.”― Dr. Blair Bigham, physician, journalist, and author of Death Interrupted
“Dr. Johnson’s memoir paints a detailed picture of the triumphs and the horrors of conducting humanitarian work in developing parts of the world. It’s a fascinating read, and I’m glad that she, and others like her, are willing to do the hard work to actually make the world a better place… one mission, and sometimes one person, at a time.”― George Kourounis, Explorer in Residence, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
See also: Humanitarienne excerpt as written by Dr. Kirsten Johnson and published in the Toronto Star – August 30, 2026
About the book: Humanitarienne: A Doctor's Stories from the Conflict Zone
by Dr. Kirsten Johnson Douglas & McIntyre – 296 pages $14.57 (Kindle) Publication Date: September 1, 2026
About the Author: Dr. Kirsten Johnson
Dr. Kirsten Johnson is a board-certified family and emergency physician and menopause specialist, and an accomplished healthcare leader with over two decades of experience spanning clinical medicine, research, public health, global humanitarian work, and medical education.
Dr. Johnson completed her training in Family and Emergency Medicine at McGill University and holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. She is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Swiss Society of Emergency and Rescue Medicine and is Past President of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, where she played a national leadership role in shaping emergency care in Canada.
Dr. Johnson is a Menopause Society certified specialist, with expertise in midlife women’s health and hormone optimization. She completed over 100 hours of training and examinations and has been awarded certification in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy through The Worldlink Academy of Preventative and Innovative Medicine, and is currently completing her American Board Certification in Anti-Aging and Longevity Medicine—solidifying her place as a leader in the field of hormonal and longevity-focused care.
Internationally, Dr. Johnson has worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization, UK-Med’s Emergency Medical Response Team, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as Health Advisor for the Canadian Red Cross’s Health in Emergencies Program, contributing to national preparedness and crisis response. She is also the founder and Director of Humanitarian U, an internationally recognized NGO that has trained over 500,000 humanitarians and established the global standard for professional humanitarian certification. Dr. Johnson is the author of a recently published book, Humanitarienne: A Doctor’s Stories from the Conflict Zone, in which she shares her experiences and reflections from her career in the humanitarian sector.
She is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She has been awarded the Segal Centre’s Janusz Korczak Award for the protection of children in conflict, the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Award of Excellence in Global Health and was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Biography Credit: Medalma Clinic
Book Review / Revue de livres Disclaimer: Articles are chosen for relevance and circulated for information only. Views expressed are those of the respective journalists / authors. Republication does not infer endorsement. Book Review Editor: Ralph Mahar - Suggestions for Book Reviews will be gratefully received at thepillarsociety.bulletins@gmail.com
DOMANT FURY
BY MARC LA FERRIERE 2026
Marc La Ferrière served for thirty years as an Intelligence Officer where he worked on a variety of counterintelligence and counterterrorism investigations, as well as a myriad of other national security tasks including, training new officers, and internal security matters. Follow the continuing journey of Zack Power in Dormant Fury. What about the happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? The same elite skills are used, but in a different and more manner rigorous. How does one stay hidden when the best in the world are hunting you down? Can one survive indefinitely? You will find out in this riveting thriller, where psychological challenges and tragedy turn Power once again into a furious man on a mission. Marc La Ferrière is also author the author of ESCALATING FURY (2025) and the autobiography, D’ICI À LÀ, which was released in 2024.
Review:
Don’t judge a book by its cover!
This age-old saying has relevancy in a lot of spheres ranging from fashion, appearance to literature. There are variations of this phrase going back into the mid-1800s and it is still as relevant today as it was way back then.
I first was introduced to Marc La Ferriere’s first book, Escalating Fury, when I was asked to review his second novel, Dormant Fury, which was released in late August 2026. I chuckled as I saw the preview of the cover - hence the title of this review. Not sure I would have picked up the second book based on the cover alone.
I proceeded to read Escalating Fury first as Dormant Fury is a continuation of the first book. I could not put it down and waited impatiently for the launch of the Book 2. Marc uses his professional experience well by having a plot with twists and turns as real life intelligence work usually unfolds. Plans are made; ops are outlined but there usually is a twist when one least expects it. Marc keeps the reader interested by sticking to the story line, with very little “filler”. A lot of novels are filled with filler content, nice to read, but it adds nothing to the plot line.
Zack Power, the main character, is determined to survive, using his skills learned on-the-job as an intelligence operative, first for a British agency, then for a private organization, ZENITH, whose role is not clearly defined. This adds to the intrigue, who does he really work for, who is responsible for making operational decisions that determine which terrorists, criminals, intelligence agents ZENITH goes after.
In Dormant Fury, Zack Power has left ZENITH for personal reasons, is living on a remote island, trying to survive. By suddenly leaving the organization his life is now in danger. The love of his life, another ZENITH operative, who too has left the organization, finds him and they reconnect, but not for long.
Zack’s operational skills, knowledge of the intelligence community and his past contacts all come into play as he goes after those who made the decision to make his personal life a nightmare. As I was reading my mind was seeing a film evolving. It just needs book 3, Resurging Fury to complete the script.
In the preface to Dormant Fury Marc writes, “This is a story about choice and consequences, about what it means to step out of a system designed to be inescapable, and the cost of staying gone once you do.” One can equate this to retiring from a world of intelligence work and trying to assimilate into an environment of normalcy, if there is such an entity.
Dormant Fury is a fast read, an intriguing one as the twists and turns are not predictable. Just get past the cover!
Iwona Mooney
CSIS, Retired
Available at: https://librairielouisfrechette.ca/fr/Produit-41263-Dormant-Fury-Neuf-Format-Regulier-Anglais
THE JACKAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF CARLOS, THE WORLD'S FIRST SUPER-TERRORIST
BY JOBY WORRICK AUGUST 18, 2026 PUBLISHER: SCRIBNER
Book Review:
The spectacular rise and dramatic fall of super-assassin Carlos the Jackal—one of history’s most infamous terrorist masterminds and the inspiration for numerous celebrated works of pop culture—told with new revelations from the Jackal himself, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Black Flags. A black-bereted, gun-slinging avatar of one of the most turbulent eras in global politics, Carlos the Jackal burst onto the world stage in 1975 as the first true celebrity terrorist and the TV-ready face of a violent Palestinian resistance movement that was then just beginning to gain traction. In a bloody career that would ultimately span three decades, Carlos innovated a new kind of spectacular terrorism, one that embraced hijackings, hostage crises, airport bombings, and international assassinations. And he personally masterminded one of the era’s most shocking crimes: the kidnapping for ransom of an entire conference of world oil ministers in Vienna. The polar opposite of most modern terrorists, Carlos prized large paychecks over ideology and styled himself as a swashbuckling lady’s man who, despite his charm, murdered his victims with callous disregard, often with his own hand.
Today, even from behind bars, Carlos can see his influence continue to reverberate. Through newly declassified archives, secret police files, long-repressed eyewitness accounts, and a rare interview with the Jackal himself, acclaimed journalist Joby Warrick reveals Carlos’ far-reaching legacy as a pioneer of borderless terrorist attacks designed for television. During his twenty years on the run, the terrorist-for-hire would become a secret weapon used by autocrats to covertly attack their foes. In the process he helped transform how modern societies deal with a new kind of threat: a singular criminal mind that approaches terror with a professional’s devotion to craft.
Indigo / Amazon
Reviews:
“AUTHORITATIVE AND ACUTELY READABLE… [Warrick’s] new book functions as a pocket history of terrorism’s early modern period, and it details how Carlos’s exploits helped provide the template for later bad actors such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times “ENGROSSING…recounts the life of a flamboyant Marxist whose exploits riveted and terrified.” —Wall Street Journal “ASTONISHING. Joby Warrick has completely fleshed out this mysterious and lethal man, driven as much by vanity as any of the various causes he embraced, and succeeds like no one before in mapping the global underworld.” —Mark Bowden, bestselling author of Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah “JOBY WARRICK HAS DONE IT AGAIN. He taps his amazing intelligence sources to narrate the intimate details of Carlos's life as a killer, sexual predator, and diabolically clever ‘founding father’ of modern terrorism. When he finally tracks Carlos down in a Paris prison, the reader feels a sigh of relief that he's behind bars!” —David Ignatius, columnist at The Washington Post and author of Phantom Orbit “CAN’T-PUT-IT-DOWN THRILLER, ABSORBING PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY, METICULOUS DETECTIVE STORY, ILLUMINATING SAGA—Joby Warrick's brilliant Jackal does it all. Its final, haunting scene is one you’ll never forget.” —David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of When Pride Still Mattered and Path Lit by Lightning “THOROUGHLY IMMERSIVE—a page turner with just the right amount of historical context. As someone who was on the periphery of hunting Carlos, I can assure readers that there’s nary a false note. For those who wonder why terrorism ultimately fails, this is a must read.” —Robert Baer, former CIA case officer and bestselling author of See No Evil and The Devil We Know “PROPULSIVE. The biography of a ‘criminal narcissist’ who made terrorism into a lethal art while also living the life of a louche playboy, gallivanting around the globe. A rattling good yarn and a sobering one.” —Peter Bergen, bestselling author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad "EXTRAORDINARY. In a globe-spanning quest, Warrick appears to have tracked down nearly everyone involved in the hunt for the notorious Carlos. Fans of spy-thrillers will be in absolute heaven knowing this is all true." —Scott Anderson, bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East “PULSATING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING, The Jackal is a meticulously reported page-turner from one of our finest chroniclers of terrorists and their pursuers.” —Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ghost Wars, Directorate S, and The Achilles Trap
See also:
The Jackal as reviewed by Dwight Garner for New York Times – August 10, 2026
Carlos arrives at the Paris courthouse for his appeal against French anti-terrorist judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere. Carlos claims Bruguiere "violated the secrecy of the case" when he allegedly spoke to French journalist Philippe Berti of the Figaro-Magazine about the probe he conducted in Romania in 1998, concerning a 1982 bomb attack rue Marbeouf in Paris. He was seeking one symbolic franc (15 US cents) in damages.JACK GUEZ/AFP (2011)
About the book: The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super-Terrorist
by Joby Worrick
Scribner - 384 pages $20.99 (Kindle)
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
About the Author: Joby Worrick Joby Warrick is a best-selling author and a national security reporter for The Washington Post. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he served for 19 years with the Post’s national and investigative staffs, focusing primarily on intelligence, diplomacy and security in the Middle East and South Asia. His first book, “The Triple Agent” (Doubleday, 2011), is the best-selling true story of an al-Qaeda spy who led the CIA into a deadly trap at Khost, Afghanistan, in the agency’s bloodiest day in a quarter-century. Warrick’s second book, “Black Flags” (Knopf-Doubleday, September 2015), is a narrative account of the personalities and events that gave rise to the Islamic State, or ISIS. It was listed as one of the best books of 2015 by the New York Times, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and numerous other publications. The book was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction in April 2016.
As an investigative reporter at The Post, Warrick led the newspaper’s coverage of WMD proliferation and weapons trafficking after 2001, and was among the first American journalists to question pre-war claims about Iraq’s nuclear program. Later, his articles about international proliferation threats earned him the Overseas Press Club of America’s Bob Considine Award in 2004 for best newspaper interpretation of international affairs.
Before coming to The Post, Warrick was an enterprise reporter for The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., where he co-authored “Boss Hog,” a series of investigative stories that documented the political and environmental fallout caused by factory farming in the Southeast. The series won the 1996 “Gold Medal” Pulitzer Prize for public service and nine other national and regional awards, including citations by Investigative Reporters & Editors and the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Warrick worked for five years as a reporter for United Press International, and at age 29 was appointed UPI bureau chief in Vienna, Austria. While in Europe he covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the overthrow of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and the collapse of other communist regimes in the former East Bloc. He also previously worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Delaware County (Pa.) Daily Times.
Warrick graduated summa cum laude from Temple University in 1982 with a B.A. in journalism. A native of North Carolina, he lives in Centreville, Va., with his wife and two children.
Biography Credit: Chartwell Speakers
RUINING REVOLUTION: HOW INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIST AND SALAFI FORCES HAVE HELD LIBYA HOSTAGE SINCE 2011
BY INGA K. TRAUTHIG NOVEMBER 25, 2025 PUBLISHER: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
The political turmoil in Libya—which has claimed more than 20,000 lives and frustrated international partners since 2011—is an immensely complex struggle for power with a dizzying array of participants. How did Libya’s “Arab Spring” devolve into civil war after the removal of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi? Ruining Revolution examines Libya’s descent into chaos, pinpointing the roles of Islamist and Salafi forces. Focusing on two key but underestimated movements, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood and Libyan Salafi-Madkhalis, Inga K. Trauthig argues that ideological groups have been of greater importance than previously assumed. She maps out crucial junctions in Libya’s recent history, tying in these movements’ pasts, to show how Islamist and Salafi forces have stoked instability. Although the 2011 Libyan revolution was not religious, these groups proved surprisingly well-equipped to capitalize on social and political fissures and to attract international support. Featuring deep research and rigorous analysis, this book draws on a range of sources, including in-depth interviews and propaganda shared on social media. Ruining Revolution illuminates the dynamics that have shaped contemporary Libya—with significant policy implications for regional engagement—and offers broader insight into the underlying workings of a range of radical groups.
Reviews
This important and well-written work offers timely insights into Libya’s political development since the Arab Spring. Drawing on a range of painstakingly collected sources, it offers a rich analysis of how Salafist Islamist groups have adapted to the instability and insecurity in Libya over this period. In so doing, it charts and explains the important and complex roles that they have played. A must-read for anyone interested in Islamism and political instability in the Middle East. — Jonathan Hill, director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies, King’s College London Uniquely focusing on the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood and Libyan Salafi-Madkhalis, this book helps readers understand the current state of Libya, as the promise of the Arab Spring led to what would better be described as an Arab Winter. — Joana Cook, author of The Rule Is for None but Allah: Islamist Approaches to Governance In Ruining Revolution, Inga Trauthig has produced an important work of scholarship with policy relevance. I worked on Libya as a British diplomat and United Nations coordinator, and wish I had had this book to consult. — Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project ...Subtle and provocative... — Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs
Ruining Revolution as reviewed by Lisa Anderson for Foreign Affairs – May / June 2026
Ruining Revolution as reviewed by Idriss Mounir Lallali for JSTOR – June 2026
Ghouta residents commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 2013 chemical attack on Aug. 21, 2025, in Zamalka, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
About the book: Ruining Revolution: How International Islamist and Salafi Forces Have Held Libya Hostage Since 2011
by Inga K. Trauthig Columbia University Press – 279 pages $44.74 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 25, 2025
About the Author: Inga Trauthig Inga Trauthig is a research professor at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University (FIU). She is a security studies scholar and received her Ph.D. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London (KCL).
Dr. Trauthig’s research interests cover the political and security impacts of emerging technologies (AI, decentralized technologies, encryption, virtual reality). As a social science researcher, she works to understand the effects of emerging technologies–particularly regarding democratic backsliding, shifting power dynamics, extremism and related security implications–and what can be done from a regulatory perspective to counter harmful consequences.
She has authored over 80 publications. The majority of those are peer-reviewed while others are op-eds or shorter, policy-focused pieces such as “Self-Regulation won’t Prevent Problematic Uses of Generative AI” for Lawfare. She has published in peer-reviewed journals like Big Data & Society, Conflict, Security & Development, Journal of Online Trust & Safety, Journal of Public Diplomacy, New Media & Society, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Political Communication and Political Research Quarterly. Dr. Trauthig has co-edited a special journal issue on conspiracy theories for the Journal of Information Technology & Politics, the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Political Science Association (APSA) Organized Section on Information Technology & Politics.
Dr. Trauthig lectured or presented at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Yale’s Law School. Her regional expertise is strongest on the Middle East, but she has also led research projects and authored publications on China, Germany, India, Russia, or the US.
Biography Credit: Florida International University
ON MY WATCH: LEADING NATO IN A TIME OF WAR
BY JENS STOLTENBERG NOVEMBER 11, 2025 PUBLISHER: W.W. NORTON & COMPANY
From the former secretary general of NATO, an honest and candid account of a dramatic decade as the leader of the world’s most important military alliance.
When Jens Stoltenberg took office as secretary general of NATO in 2014, the world was already changing. What followed was a decade marked by war, diplomatic crises, and decisions that helped shape the West’s shared security.
On My Watch takes readers behind closed doors and offers rare insight into how the world’s most powerful military alliance handles crises. Stoltenberg describes the effort to keep NATO united and addresses key issues, such as the war in Ukraine, NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, relations with Russia and China, and cooperation with world leaders including Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This is not a book about division. It is a story of unity, of friendship—and of why NATO still matters. Through his reflections on disagreements and dilemmas, he offers a unique view into the art of diplomacy and the hard choices that must be made when global peace is at stake. He ultimately shows why openness is essential to preserve cohesion—and to face the challenges of tomorrow.
On My Watch as reviewed by Andrew Moravcsik for Foreign Affairs – March / April 2026
On My Watch as reviewed by Robert Wihtol for Australian Strategic Policy Institute – November 20, 2025
Jens Stoltenberg with Donald Trump in 2019. Photograph: Shealah Craighead/The White House
About the book: On My Watch: Leading NATO in a Time of War
by Jens Stoltenberg W.W. Norton & Company – 476 pages $31.60 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 11, 2025
About the Author: Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg was born in Oslo on 16 March 1959. He spent his childhood years abroad, with his diplomat father, mother and two sisters.
Mr Stoltenberg holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from the University of Oslo. After graduating in 1987, he started work in Statistics Norway.
While Mr Stoltenberg was Prime Minister, Norway’s defence spending increased steadily, with the result that Norway is today one of the Allies with the highest per capita defence expenditure. Mr Stoltenberg has also been instrumental in transforming the Norwegian armed forces, through a strong focus on deployable high-end capabilities. Under his leadership, the Norwegian Government has contributed Norwegian forces to various NATO operations.
Mr Stoltenberg is a strong supporter of enhanced transatlantic cooperation, including better burden-sharing across the Atlantic. He sees NATO and the EU as complementary organisations in terms of securing peace and development in Europe and beyond.
Mr Stoltenberg has had a number of international assignments. These include chairing the UN High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence and the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. He was also UN Special Envoy on Climate Change.
Mr Stoltenberg is married to Ingrid Schulerud. Together they have two grown-up children.
MOSCOW’S MERCENARIES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE WAGNER GROUP
BY CHRISTOPHER M. FAULKNER, RAPHAEL PARENS AND COLIN P. CLARKE JUNE 23, 2026 PUBLISHER: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Wagner Group emerged from Russia’s shadowy criminal underworld in 2014 and soon became one of the world’s most infamous private military companies. Led by the provocative oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner developed into a key instrument of Russian power projection, with deep and direct ties to the Kremlin. Its mercenaries fought on the front lines in Ukraine, propped up regimes in the Middle East and Africa, and exploited chaos to secure lucrative resource contracts before Prigozhin’s mutiny against Moscow in 2023 brought him down. This book traces the Wagner Group’s violent ascent and descent, exposing how a shadow army built an empire that seemed to have no end in sight until it turned on its masters. Drawing on a wide range of sources and interviews, Moscow’s Mercenaries offers a comprehensive examination of Wagner’s inner workings: its hybrid structure, battlefield tactics, propaganda campaigns, and connections to the Russian military. From Ukraine to brutal counterinsurgency campaigns in Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali, and beyond, the book shows how Wagner evolved into a global criminal syndicate and reveals why its ambitions led to a fatal collision with the Russian state. Moscow’s Mercenaries explores what Wagner’s rise tells us about the future of modern warfare, the erosion of international norms, and how authoritarian regimes outsource violence. Anyone interested in the evolution of mercenary warfare, great power competition, and the dark underbelly of global security stands to learn important lessons from this well-timed and insightful book.
The Wagner mercenary company may be all but defunct, but as this important and interesting study shows, we can expect not only Russia but also other countries to adapt its model of outsourced authoritarian violence and influence to their own ends. — Mark Galeotti, coauthor of Downfall: Putin, Prigozhin and the Fight for the Future of Russia This book provides an in-depth analysis of the rise and transformation of the Wagner Group—the world’s most influential mercenary group—and its complex relationship with Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. Tracking the Wagner Group from its prominent roles in the Russia-Ukraine and Syrian wars to its influential position in the politics of multiple African countries, Moscow’s Mercenaries offers important insight into Russian foreign and defense policy. — Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology In a liminal world order where pseudopowerful states increasingly seek global influence on a shoestring budget, what does the Wagner Group’s dynamic rise and precipitous fall reveal about the nature of state-sanctioned violence in the twenty-first century? Authored by some of the world’s foremost observers, this timely book reveals how Moscow’s premier mercenary force became an uncontrollable political and criminal blueprint for others. Moscow’s Mercenaries is a chilling and necessary account of how irregular warfare serves as a primary and expanding instrument of authoritarian power. — Jason Warner, coauthor of The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront
See also: Moscow’s Mercenaries as reviewed by Jean-Thomas Nicole for The Cipher Brief – July 31, 2026
Wagner mercenaries reportedly operating in Klynove, Donetsk oblast. (Source: Telegram/archive)
About the book: Moscow’s Mercenaries: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group
by Christopher M. Faulkner, Raphael Parens and Colin P. Clarke Columbia University Press – 356 pages $44.74 (Kindle) Publication Date: June 23, 2026
About the Authors:
Christopher M. Faulkner is an assistant professor of national security affairs in the College of Distance Education at the U.S. Naval War College. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow with the National Security Affairs Department at NWC. Before joining NWC, he served as a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Central Florida and as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College. He earned his Ph.D. in security studies from the University of Central Florida and was a Minerva-Jennings Randolph Peace and Security Scholar with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). His research focuses on irregular warfare, militant recruitment, private military companies, and civil-military relations.
Biography Credit: U.S. Navy War College
Raphael Parens is a Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. He is an international security researcher focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Parens specializes in small armed groups and NATO modernization processes. He received his MA in international security studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and he is currently based in Tirana, Albania.
Biography Credit: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Colin P. Clarke is a Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center and Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. Formerly a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, he is the author of Terrorism, Inc.: The Financing of Terrorism, Insurgency, and Irregular Warfare and After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora..
Biography Credit: Foreign Affairs
THERE WILL BE FIRE: MARGARET THATCHER, THE IRA, AND TWO MINUTES THAT CHANGED HISTORY
BY RORY CARROLL APRIL 4, 2023 PUBLISHER: G.P. PUTNAM & SONS
A race-against-the-clock narrative that finally illuminates a history-changing event: the IRA’s attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and the epic manhunt that followed. A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at 2:54 a.m. on October 12, 1984. It was the last day of the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in the coastal town of Brighton, England. Rooms were obliterated, dozens of people wounded, five killed. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her suite when the explosion occurred; had she been just a few feet in another direction, flying tiles and masonry would have sliced her to ribbons. As it was, she survived—and history changed.
There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward.
In There Will Be Fire, Carroll draws on his own interviews and original reporting, reveals new information, and weaves together previously unconnected threads. There Will Be Fire is journalistic nonfiction that reads like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation..
“There was no book harder to put down this year than this one… Carroll wrote this book after exhaustive interviews with those directly involved, and he makes it clear how much history would have changed if those two minutes had a different outcome” —NPR “[T]he Brighton case, seen as a police procedural, is quite something.” —The New Yorker “Thoroughly reported and thrilling” —New York Times Book Review “Intelligent, fast-paced, and compelling, There Will Be Fire propels us into a pivotal moment in the tangled history of England and Ireland, and, with unusual intimacy, reveals its lasting impacts. Combining superb investigative journalism with the hair-raising action of a thriller, Carroll unearths the unexpected legacy of the deadly 1984 Brighton bombing, while exploring deeper themes of warfare, vengeance, and the enduring dream of a united Ireland.” —Nathalia Holt, author of Rise of the Rocket Girls “The Brighton bombing of 1984 was arguably the most potent attempt to decapitate the British state since the Gunpowder Plot. Rory Carroll’s brilliant reconstruction combines the heart-stopping intensity of a great thriller with an acute exploration of the political context. This was a moment on which history turned, and Carroll brings it alive for us in all its horror, drama, and humanity.” —Fintan O’Toole, author of We Don’t Know Ourselves “In There Will Be Fire, Rory Carroll brilliantly presents a terrifying, violent assassination attempt on British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in excruciating, vivid detail. It was a meticulous plot that shifted history, stunned a country, and forced investigators into a cat-and-mouse game with terrorists determined to send a message. Carroll is gifted at keeping readers on edge as he turns back the clock and forces us to ask so many questions. It’s a true crime story that had an incredible impact.” —Kate Winkler Dawson, author of All That Is Wicked and American Sherlock and host of the hit podcasts Buried Bones and Tenfold More Wicked “A must-read! It’s a rare thing indeed when a big, important book penned by an author with an assured literary voice is also a roller coaster of a page-turner—but There Will Be Fire manages to be just that. I can think of no writing that so thoroughly, and so lucidly, examines not only the politics but the human face of the Irish Troubles. Scrupulously researched and perfectly realized, this book stands as a stellar example of what reportage should be.” —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game and Hunting Timerelevant today, it’s a page-turner.”―Adam Zamoyski, author of Poland
See also: There Will Be Fire as reviewed by Kirkus Reviews – February 15, 2023
Margaret Thatcher, husband Denis and aide Cynthia Crawford leave the Grand Hotel in Brighton having survived the IRA bomb attack. Photograph: John Downing/Getty Images
About the book: There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History
by Rory Carroll G.P.Putnam & Sons – 461 pages $13.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: April 4, 2023
About the Author: Rory Carroll
Rory Carroll is an Irish journalist and author known for his work as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, where he has covered major international stories across multiple continents since the late 1990s.
During his career, Carroll served as The Guardian's Baghdad bureau chief during the Iraq War and later became the newspaper's Latin America bureau chief based in Caracas, Venezuela. His extensive reporting from Venezuela led to his 2013 book "Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela," which provided an in-depth examination of Chávez's rule and legacy. As The Guardian's Africa correspondent based in Johannesburg, Carroll reported on significant events across the continent including the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and political developments in Zimbabwe. He later served as the newspaper's Los Angeles correspondent, covering US politics, culture and technology.
His reporting has garnered recognition within journalism circles, with coverage spanning political upheaval, social movements, and cultural transformation across different regions. Carroll's work is characterized by detailed observation and analysis of complex political situations and their impact on local populations.
Biography Credit: Forage
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THE FOURTH INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION: THE FUTURE OF ESPIONAGE AND THE BATTLE TO SAVE AMERICA
BY ANTHONY VINCI OCTOBER 28, 2025 PUBLISHER: HENRY HOLT AND CO.
The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America
by Anthony Vinci
A former senior intelligence officer reveals how espionage is being transformed by a new global intelligence race, driven by AI and competition with China, and how this impacts all of our lives. The new global intelligence competition has brought espionage into our workplaces and our living rooms. Adversaries like China, Iran, and Russia have realized that the human element is the weakest link in our industrial and political infrastructure. As a result, they target all of us―stealing our financial data and medical records, eavesdropping on our conversations, and using platforms like TikTok and Hollywood movies to influence our opinions. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution reveals how the undercover adventures of World War II, the spy-versus-spy confrontations of the Cold War, and the “find-fix-and-finish” counterterrorism missions after 9/11 have given way to the most dangerous period of espionage yet. This eye-opening account exposes how intelligence now permeates every corner of society, from economic espionage and genetic data gathering to information operations targeting children through AI chatbots―even extending to reconnaissance on the far side of the moon. Both a warning and a call to action, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution suggests that we are all, in essence, becoming intelligence officers and that citizens have both the power and responsibility to reclaim intelligence to safeguard and strengthen our democracy.
"From spy satellites to social media, technology is transforming spycraft--and empowering our adversaries. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution shows that America's intelligence agencies risk falling behind this wave of technological change. With a career spanning tech companies and the intelligence community, Anthony Vinci knows the peril we face as adversaries use AI to sift and analyze enormous quantities of our data. Our only hope is to be faster and smarter. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution explains how we can compete." ―Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology "In this compelling book, Anthony Vinci explains the evolution of intelligence as a pillar of U.S. national security, describes an increasingly dangerous future, and identifies what we all must do to protect our nation and our way of life. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution should be read, discussed, and, most importantly, heeded." ―H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty, Battlegrounds, and At War with Ourselves "Anthony Vinci takes us into the new world of espionage, where satellites and drones and ubiquitous surveillance devices form the eerie background―but where the abiding rule of the spy game remains simply: 'Ye shall know the truth.' Vinci has been on the front lines of this new intelligence war, and he gives readers a rare inside look." ―David Ignatius, columnist for The Washington Post and author of Phantom Orbit
The Fourth Intelligence Revolution as reviewed by Glenn Gerstell for The Cipher Brief – November 13, 2025
New Frontiers in Intelligence: The Changing Nature of Espionage; a discussion with Anthony Vinci, Robert Cardillo (former Director National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) and Rebecca Weiner (Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence & Counterterrorism, New York Police Department) as reviewed by William Dalrymple for Council on Foreign Relations – November 7, 2025
North Korea has reportedly stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017 through cyberattacks like phishing and malware to fund its nuclear program.EKATERINA SHTUKINA/SPUTNIK/GOVERNMENT PRESS SERVICE/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
About the book: The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America by Anthony Vinci Henry Holt and Co. – 352 pages $21.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: October 28, 2025
About the Author: Anthony Vinci Dr. Anthony Vinci served as the first Chief Technology Officer and Associate Director for Capabilities at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Earlier in his career he served in Iraq, Africa and Asia. After leaving the world of intelligence, Anthony became an executive at a private equity firm and CEO of a technology company. Dr. Vinci is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and received his PhD in International Relations from The London School of Economics.
THE FINEST HOTEL IN KABUL: A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN BY LYSE DOUCET NOVEMBER 4, 2025 PUBLISHER: ALLEN LANE
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan
by Lyse DoucetA NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE 2026 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION WINNER OF THE 2026 RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan’s first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. History lives within its scarred windows and walls. Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, has been checking into the Inter-Continental since 1988. And here, she uses its story to craft a richly immersive history of modern Afghanistan. It is the story of Hazrat, the septuagenarian housekeeper who still holds fast to his Inter-Continental training from the hotel’s 1970s glory days—an era of haute cuisine and high fashion, when Afghanistan was a kingdom and Kabul was the ‘Paris of Asia’. It is the story of Abida, who became the first female chef to cook in the Inter-Con’s famous kitchen after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And it is the story of Malalai and Sadeq, the twenty-something staff who seized every opportunity offered by two decades of fragile democracy—only to witness the Taliban roaring back in 2021. The result is a remarkably vivid history of how Afghans have survived a half century of destruction and disruption. It is the story of a hotel but also the story of a people.
“The Finest Hotel in Kabul plays to all Lyse Doucet’s strengths. Clarity, empathy, depth of knowledge and innate grasp of fine detail. Her subject is not just a hotel, but a hotel that tells the story of four decades of Afghanistan's proud and sometimes unbelievably painful history. This is a most readable account of joy, despair and resilience in one of the world’s most fascinating countries.” —Michael Palin, actor, comedian, and bestselling author of Erebus
“Lyse Doucet has turned bricks and mortar into flesh and blood and in so doing lifted this biography of a glittering hotel into a lyrical, devastating, powerful homage to the powerless. In The Finest Hotel in Kabul we follow the fortunes and misfortunes not of those making decisions, but of the cooks, the receptionists, the wedding guests, the servers. It is intimate, aching, tragic and inspiring. When I began this book I had Afghanistan in my head. By the time I finished it was in my heart. Doucet’s descriptions are glorious, her use of language evocative. Her people are fully formed, alive and breathing. This is a thrilling achievement, a beautiful book. I’m off to re-read it. To revisit the finest hotel in Kabul!” —Louise Penny, bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series “An incredible book—vivid and beautifully written, it captures the soul of Afghanistan through an age of hopes and heartbreak, as well as one of constant change. A tender, wise and quietly devastating book.” —Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads “A book brimming with deep insight, courage and conscience. Everyone should read this. Astonishingly beautiful, subtle and simply unforgettable.” —Elif Shafak, author of There Are Rivers in the Sky
“A story of a country and a people, told with knowledge, insight and tenderness. I’ve been waiting for a Lyse Doucet book for a long time and what she has produced here is testament to her humanity as well as her journalistic eye.” —Mishal Hussein, Sunday Times bestselling author of Broken Threads
“Doucet is a must-watch, always alive to the personal stories and tribulations of the people she encounters. But is she a must-read? On the evidence of The Finest Hotel in Kabul . . . the answer must be a resounding yes . . . Doucet is a consummate storyteller who can recognise a great yarn when she sees one and the real strength of this book is her ability to get under the skin of a country through its people. . . . Haunting, hopeful and occasionally harrowing, The Finest Hotel in Kabul is much more than a history. It is a love letter to Afghanistan and its people.” —The Sunday Times “Full of warmth, wit, and a lovely eye for the human stories that make the hotel not just a monument to tragedy, but also love and resilience. . . . What Doucet achieves is both powerful and charming at the same time. The Finest Hotel in Kabul is a meditation on memory, resilience, and the strange intimacy of public spaces. In an age when most hotels blur into the anonymous comfort of global chains, the Inter-Con reminds us that some buildings are so much more.” —The Financial Times
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by Amy Waldman for The New York Times – November 26,2025
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by William Dalrymple for The Guardian – October 2, 2025
The Finest Hotel in Kabul as reviewed by William Dalrymple for The Guardian – October 2, 2025f
A manager and a Taliban government official in the dining room of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. Photo by Elise Blanchard for NZZ.
Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Interview of Lyse Doucet on her book, “The Finest Hotel in Kabul” by author Eric Wiener at the Poetry and Prose Bookstore, in Washington, D.C., on November 21, 2025.
About the book: The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet Allen Lane – 436 pages $16.99 (Kindle) Publication Date: November 4, 2025
About the Author: Lyse Doucet LYSE DOUCET is a Canadian journalist and the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. In the course of a career spanning four decades, she has reported from countries around the world and was based as a correspondent in Jerusalem, Amman, Islamabad, Kabul, and Abidjan. She has played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of major events including the recent Iran-Israel war, the Gaza war, the Arab Spring, and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
She received an OBE in the Queen's Honours list in 2014, and was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2019. She has received many awards, including most recently the 2024 Zenger Award for Press Freedom from the University of Arizona and the 2019 Trailblazer Award from Georgetown University. She was a recipient of the Colombia School of Journalism Award in 2016, an Emmy in 2014 for her team’s reporting from Syria, Peabody and David Bloom Awards for her work from Syria and Afghanistan, and an Edward R. Murrow award for her team’s reporting from Tunisia. In 2021, she was nominated for a Peabody for her work as a writer and reporter on the BBC podcast Afghanistan: Documenting A Crucial Year.
Doucet has eighteen honorary doctorates from leading British and Canadian Universities. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto, and a BA Hons. from Queen’s University in Kingston. She is also a senior fellow of Massey College of the University of Toronto. Doucet has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1988. She visits the Inter-Continental whenever she is in Kabul.
THE FENIANS: BROTHERHOOD OF FOOLS OR CANADA'S FIRST TERRORIST THREAT?
BY PHIL GURSKI PUBLISHED MARCH 6, 2026 DOUBLE DAGGER BOOKS
REVIEWED BY PHIL GRATTON
When Phil Gurski told me he was writing a book about the Fenians, I was intrigued. Phil is best known for his books on terrorism and national security, yet I had never thought of the Fenians in those terms. I probably hadn’t given them any serious thought since high school, to be honest. A shadowy group known for a few skirmishes. Somehow linked to Louis Riel, and to the assassination of D’Arcy McGee. A vague threat to the young Dominion of Canada. But nothing more.
Growing up in a Franco-Ontarian community, the major historical dramas that shaped my worldview were the French versus English language disputes, our love-hate relationship with Americans, and our participation in the World Wars. The Irish nationalist struggle that gave rise to the Fenian movement barely figured in these stories.
Gurski’s book definitely changed this for me as I found myself going down a rabbit hole of angsty Fenian malaise. But what makes this book particularly engaging is the author’s decision not to write a comprehensive history of the Fenians—as Phil noted, others have already done that—and instead to narrow his focus to Eastern Ontario and the St. Lawrence frontier, examining how local communities experienced and responded to what they perceived as a genuine threat.
After years spent thinking about national and international issues, I find myself increasingly drawn to local history and to understanding the people, communities, and events that unfolded much closer to home. Gurski transforms what had always seemed a distant historical episode into a relatable story. Well done, Phil Gurski. Well done.
I grew up near Russell, Ontario, formerly known as Duncanville, a community featured in the book as an example of local participation in the armed response to the Fenian threat. It helped me appreciate that the threat was experienced directly by ordinary people living in communities not far from where I grew up. It wasn’t just something to be debated in capitals like Ottawa or Toronto.
The death hand of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, taken after he was assassinated on April 7, 1868. It was created because his face was too disfigured from the gunshot to make a traditional Victorian death mask. On display at the Bytown Museum in Ottawa. Photograph by Phil Gratton.
I’m also a product of both French-Catholic and Canadian constitutional traditions, and, frankly, the Fenians fit neatly into neither. While my sympathies naturally rested with the builders of Confederation, Gurski’s book encouraged me to look beyond the familiar heroes and villains of the history I’d been taught and to better understand the nationalist grievances that animated the movement.
Understanding those grievances—however Quixotic they may seem today—gives us a fuller appreciation of the competing loyalties and tensions that shaped British North America in the years following Confederation. And then there is the question of terrorism.
It’s a term that’s been stretched, politicized, and redefined so often that it often becomes meaningless (though not nearly as meaningless as the dreadful “IMVE”—but I digress). Definitions and frameworks change. Whether a group is considered terrorist often depends as much on where one sits as on what the group actually did.
I have long taken the view that terrorism is best understood as a methodology, but this is still debated by others smarter than me. The academic study of terrorism often suffers from reductionism—a tendency to reduce a complex human phenomenon to ever-smaller analytical components in the hope that categorization will yield understanding. Good luck with that.
Terrorism, whatever it may be, resists easy categorization and has always been more than the sum of its parts.
So, were the Fenians Canada’s first terrorist threat? Gurski provides a thoughtful and well-reasoned “it depends” answer. To find out where he lands, you’ll have to buy the book*, available at these fine locations:
• Amazon.ca – The Fenians: Brotherhood of Fools or Canada’s First Terrorist Threat?
• While you’re at Amazon, you can also pre-order Phil’s next book: 9/11 The Unfinished Battle: Why Jihadi Terrorism Is Stronger, Wider, and Far From Over.
*Seriously, the answer is on pages 94–95. Go buy a copy.
About the Author: Phil Gurski
Phil Gurski is the President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Ltd. (www.borealisthreatandrisk.com). He worked as a senior strategic analyst at CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) from 2001-2015, specializing in violent Islamist-inspired homegrown terrorism and radicalisation. From 1983 to 2001 he was employed as a senior multilingual analyst at Communications Security Establishment (CSE – Canada’s signals intelligence agency), specialising in the Middle East. He also served as senior special advisor in the National Security Directorate at Public Safety Canada from 2013, focusing on community outreach and training on radicalisation to violence, until his retirement from the civil service in May 2015, and as consultant for the Ontario Provincial Police’s Anti-Terrorism Section (PATS) from May to October 2015. He was the Director of Security and Intelligence at the SecDev Group from June 2018 to July 2019. Mr. Gurski has presented on violent Islamist-inspired and other forms of terrorism and radicalisation across Canada and around the world. He is the author of “The Threat from Within: Recognizing Al Qaeda-inspired Radicalization and Terrorism in the West” (Rowman and Littlefield 2015) “Western Foreign Fighters: the threat to homeland and international security” (Rowman and Littlefield 2017), The Lesser Jihads: taking the Islamist fight to the world (Rowman and Littlefield 2017), An end to the ‘war on terrorism ’ (Rowman and Littlefield 2018), When religion kills: how extremist justify violence through faith (Lynne Rienner 2019), The Peaceable Kingdom: A history of terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the present (Double Dagger Books: 2022), and From village to Vimy to victory: Russell soldiers in the Great War (self-published: 2023) He regularly blogs, podcasts (Canadian Intelligence Eh! – available on his Web site), and tweets (@borealissaves) on terrorism. He is a digital fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies at Concordia University. Mr. Gurski is a regular commentator on terrorism and radicalisation for a wide variety of Canadian and international media. He is fluently trilingual in English, French and Spanish.
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