WRITING A BOOK is more an art than a science, much like a sculptor struggling to create a polished statue from a roughly hewn marble block. From the beginning, the goal of Hunting in the Shadows was to outline broad trends in the struggle against al Qa’ida using newly released court records from terrorism trials, declassified government documents, my own experience working in the Department of Defense, and the insights of those involved on the ground from South Asia to the Horn of Africa. Though I was trained as a political scientist at the University of Chicago, where I received my Ph.D., the book is deliberately more a history of al Qa’ida than a work of political science. Whatever the weaknesses of this book, they would have been far greater without the help of a talented group of colleagues who helped support, mold, and refine it.
An army of colleagues was critical in shaping the book and correcting mistakes. Several read portions of the manuscript or were willing to discuss chapters in detail. They included Bruce Hoffman, Bruce Riedel, Brian Jenkins, Philip Mudd, Art Cummings, John Negroponte, Fernando Reinares, Jim Dobbins, Paul Smith, Peter Clarke, Jim Lechner, Ben Connable, Dave Phillips, Jimmie Youngblood, Dan Darling, Michael Freeman, and Jeremy Pressman. Others offered support from the beginning, including Frankie Shroyer, Brian Keeth, and Carlos Perez. I tested some of the early chapters for readability on several friends and colleagues, including Clark Johnson, Diane Johnson, Jack Newton, Alice Newton, and Suzanne Jones. Many other experts provided useful insights on al Qa’ida, including Peter Bergen, Steve Coll, Kim Cragin, Arturo Muñoz, and Robert Pape.
I would also like to thank U.S. government officials from the White House, Defense Department, State Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and intelligence community for their insights and tireless counterterrorism work. Government officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, among others, provided helpful information on the hunt for al Qa’ida and its affiliated groups. Most government officials did not want to be identified by name because of the sensitivity of their work, but the book could not have been written without their insights.
The team at W. W. Norton, led by Tom Mayer, was instrumental in all aspects of the book. Tom served as a friend and colleague during the conceptualization, writing, and editing stages and constantly encouraged me to shape the book into something readable yet substantive. I owe a heartfelt thanks to many others at Norton, including assistant editor Denise Scarfi, publicist Rachel Salzman, sales director Bill Rusin, and a host of talented individuals from the production and design departments, including Nancy Palmquist, Don Rifkin, Anna Oler, Ingsu Liu, and Chin-Yee Lai. Liz Duvall did a masterful job of copy editing and corrected errors in the manuscript. My agent, Eric Lupfer, was patiently willing to discuss ideas at every stage of the book and helped shape the direction of the book from the beginning. My assistant, Meagan Smith, was instrumental throughout the entire process, and I owe her an extraordinary debt of gratitude. Kathleen Cutsforth and Gina Frost helped get the manuscript across the finish line. Several individuals from RAND’s Office of External Affairs, especially Jeff Hiday, Joe Dougherty, and Monica Banken, were particularly helpful on the publicity side. I also thank RAND president Michael Rich and National Security Research Division vice president Jack Riley for their assistance over the years.
Finally, my parents and three brothers have always been staunch supporters. And my wife and two daughters have been a constant source of inspiration—and joy—during the research and writing process. I dedicate this book to them.