Thurston, Alexander. 2020. Jihadists of North Africa and the Sahel: Local Politics and Rebel Groups. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 349 pp. ISBN 9781108771160.

Since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., carried out by al-Qaeda on 11 September 2001, jihadism has been perceived by the international community as a major threat to global security and stability.Subsequent wars in Afghanistan (2001-2021), Iraq (2003-2011), and the ongoing confl ict in Syria (since 2011) have heightened Western engagement with certain jihadist groups, some of which even have targeted Western territories.Numerous analyses, scientifi c articles, and books have been published on these topics, and courses on Islamic terrorism have become integral components of university curricula, not only in security studies but also in international relations, political science, area studies, and related disciplines.However, much of the attention from Western politicians, media, and academia remains focused on the ideologies, agendas, and activities of major jihadist organisations such as al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and Boko Haram. 1 Even though the attention of the international community was, at least for a while, focused on Mali, especially due to French involvement in the civil war in Mali in 2013 and the subsequent United Nations mission, an academic examination of not only the international response to the Mali civil war but also a comprehensive analysis of the entire troubled region would be highly benefi cial.Th us far, few books have been published in English on jihadism in North Africa and the Sahel, which underscores the signifi cance of Alexander Th urston's contribution.Th urston, an assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati, addresses this gap with his book divided into seven chapters that delve into the territorial and political aspects of jihadist groups operating in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Libya, and Mauritania.While this is a new project, it builds upon the author's previous research on Boko Haram (Th urston, 2018) and Salafi sm in Nigeria (Th urston, 2016).Similar to his prior academic endeavours, Th urston demonstrates a signifi cant commitment to fi eldwork and a deep understanding of local circumstances, which renders his work not only compelling but also uniquely insightful from both African and international perspectives.