CATEGORY

Decades before al-Qaeda took shape, religious radicals in Southeast Asia were laying the groundwork for a struggle to achieve a backward-looking utopia. This is the story of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the secretive organization that spans no less than half a dozen nations and seeks the full implementation of their intolerant take on Islam.

In The Second Front: Inside Jemaah Islamiyah, Asia's Most Dangerous Terrorist Network, best-selling author Ken Conboy pieces together the planning and execution of JI's most deadly terrorist acts from exclusive interviews and classified reports. In details never before revealed, it delves into the minds of the group's leaders - from the professorial bomb expert Azahari to the al-Qaeda proxy Hambali. From the shadows of the Hindu Kush to battlefields on the Spice Islands, The Second Front peels back the veil of secrecy and chronicles the successes inbringing down this network, as well as exposes the missed opportunities by regional governments to prevent terrorist acts and sectarian violence that have taken the lives of thousands.