Ever wonder why militant groups behave as they do? For instance, why did Al Qaeda attack the World Trade Center whereas the African National Congress tried to avoid civilian bloodshed? Why does Islamic State brag over social media about its gory attacks, while Hezbollah denies responsibility or even apologizes for its carnage? This book shows that militant group behaviour depends on the tactical intelligence of the leaders. The author has extensively studied the political plights of hundreds of militant groups throughout world history and reveals that successful militant leaders have followed three rules. These rules are based on original insights from the fields of political science, psychology, criminology, economics, management, marketing, communication, and sociology. It turns out thereâs a science to victory in militant history. But even rebels must follow rules.

"Rules for Rebels gives us much valuable information about the mindsets and inner workings of specific rebel groups, but its value goes far beyond this. It should help a wide group of international policymakers and analysts, and its conclusions should be compulsory reading for Western governments and their security agencies." - Diana Darke, Times Literary Supplement

"Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative analyses, Abrahms shows that the deliberate killing of civilians significantly reduces a rebellion's chances of success, for at least three main reasons...There is an urgent need to shatter the mystique of civilian targeting, and this book does that very well." - Alex J. Bellamy, The University of Queensland, International Affairs

"Rules for Rebels is not something that terrorism scholars and policy makers can ignore." - Stanzin Lhaskyabs, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Global Policy Journal