'The chief strength of this book lies in its exploration of the radical subculture in parts of west London…The web of influences is complex but Verkaik skilfully unpicks it, while losing none of the atmosphere that makes his book so readable and engaging'.

– New Statesman

'Verkaik gives a fascinating if frightening picture of the jihadists in our mist'.

– Mail on Sunday

‘No detail is too small in Verkaik's quest to work out how a "misfit schoolboy" turned into a "psychopathic mass murderer".’

– Independent

‘An exemplary account… The book’s most important contribution is to highlight the difficulties faced by the intelligence services… a first-class primer on Muslim extremism in Britain.’

– Max Hastings, Sunday Times

‘An outstanding pulling together of the fractured career of one of the most notorious terrorist psychopathic killers of this or any other age. The book is exceptional because its author makes no false claims for what he doesn’t know and never confuses explanation with explaining away... [an] excellent and thought-provoking book.’

– Evening Standard

‘A riveting and compelling portrait of Mohammed Emwazi on his journey to the heart of darkness.’

– Andrew Hosken, author of Empire of Fear: Inside the Islamic State

‘Detailed and absorbing... Drawing on a wealth of primary conversations with security officials and targets alike, Verkaik explores the difficult balance that has to be struck between freedom and liberty and those who find themselves in its crosshairs.’

– Raffaello Pantucci, author of ‘We Love Death as You Love Life’: Britain's Suburban Mujahedeen

‘This book is more than just the story of Mohammed Emwazi. Verkaik delves into the broader issues of marginality and the fluid identity of young people such as Emwazi to provide an enthralling account of the rootlessness of many second-generation European immigrants.’

– Library Journal