In "Black Flags," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joby Warrick delves deep into the dark corridors of radical Islamism that led to the rise of one of the most fearsome terrorist organizations in modern history: ISIS. With unparalleled access to CIA and Jordanian intelligence sources, Warrick traces the origins of this militant strain back to a Jordanian prison release in 1999, orchestrated by King Abdullah in a bid to ensure a smooth transition of power. Among those released was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a name that would soon become synonymous with terror. Warrick masterfully recounts how Zarqawi, initially dismissed by al-Qaeda for his extreme views, capitalized on the chaos following the American invasion of Iraq to establish a brutal insurgency, setting the stage for the emergence of ISIS. Through a riveting narrative, Warrick exposes the unintended consequences of American military intervention and the intricate web of events that facilitated the meteoric rise of the Islamic State. From the strategic mistakes that allowed Zarqawi to thrive to the relentless efforts that eventually led to his demise, "Black Flags" offers a compelling and comprehensive account of the geopolitical miscalculations and intelligence failures that gave birth to a terror behemoth. The book not only chronicles the bloody path tread by Zarqawi and his followers but also provides a sobering reflection on the cost of underestimating the potent mix of ideology and insurgency. "Black Flags" is a cautionary tale of how a series of missteps in a volatile region can unleash a monster that crosses borders, challenges states, and redraws the landscape of global security.