How ISIS Fights: New Books in National Security

In this great interview from New Books in National Security, Omar Ashour, author of How ISIS Fights: Military Tactics in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, talks to host Jeffrey Bristol about his work. They discuss the origin of Ashour’s study…

Five Essentials of Friday Preaching in Modern Turkey

by Elisabeth Özdalga The core of her new book Pulpit, Mosque and Nation, author Elisabeth Özdalga explores five key aspects of Turkey’s Friday preaching. 1. A Secular State Housing Thousands of Mosques and Pulpits Every Friday, millions of Muslims all…

Japanese High School Films: My 4 Favourites!

By Peter C. Pugsley In Japanese High School Films: Iconography, Nostalgia and Discipline, I write about how high school-based films capture a steady market in Japanese cinema. From the 100 plus high school films released in just over five years (2014-2020),…

640px-Peter_Falk_Richard_Kiley_Columbo

Two More Things…Two videoessays on Columbo

by David Martin-Jones In a previous post, David Martin-Jones, author of Columbo: Paying Attention 24/7, explored the recent and enduring popularity of the cult detective show, fifty years after the first episode aired. In this follow-up, David discusses two videoessays…