PAUL CRUICKSHANK

BOOKS

Co-Author - "Nine Lives: My Time as MI6's Top Spy Inside al-Qaeda"

Oneworld Publications, June 2018

As one of al-Qaeda's most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden himself.

As a double agent at the heart of al-Qaeda's chemical weapons programme, he foiled attacks on civilians and saved countless lives, brushing with death so often that his handlers began to call him their spy with nine lives.

This is the story of how a young Muslim, determined to defend his faith, found himself fighting on the wrong side - and his fateful decision to work undercover for his sworn enemy. From the killing fields of Bosnia to the training camps of Afghanistan, from running money and equipment in Britain to dodging barrel bombs in Syria, we discover what life is like inside the global jihad, and what it will take to stop it once and for all.

Reviews

‘A compelling and invaluable account of life inside al-Qaeda through the eyes of a first-rate spy. This unique narrative throws open the shutters of the secret world of terror.'
- Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower

‘Aimen Dean has been on most of the major jihadist battlefields of the past three decades and met many of the most significant figures… Not only a gripping page-turner, but also an extraordinary contemporary history of the global terror threat.'
- Raffaello Pantucci, author of “We Love Death As You Love Life”: Britain’s Suburban Terrorists

‘This captivating real-life spy-thriller is a must-read to understand the enduring threat of global terror. It provides a fascinating account of one of the most lethal terrorist groups, from the unique perspective of a courageous double agent - an excellent read all round.'
- Ali Soufan, former FBI Special Agent and author of Anatomy of Terror and The Black Banners

‘One of the most extraordinary, captivating and insightful accounts of involvement in the violent global jihad. For many years, Aimen Dean risked his life time and time again, penetrated the leadership of al-Qaeda and saved many lives. Britain owes him a debt of gratitude. A seminal book.'
- Richard Walton, Head of Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), New Scotland Yard, 2011–2016

‘An incisive history of the war on terrorism and a riveting true-life thriller… An important book that sheds new light on al-Qaeda's violent trajectory and its continued, stubborn resilience.'
- Professor Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, and author of Inside Terrorism‘

'A must-read for anyone interested in the inside story of the last two decades of the so-called War on Terror. This book defies easy classification. Is it an insightful book on intelligence tradecraft? Certainly so. Is it an important primer on the evolution of radical jihadism? Without question. Is it a key resource for our understanding of counter-terrorism policy and practice in the twenty-first century? Absolutely.'
- Dr Vince Houghton, Historian and Curator, International Spy Museum, Washington, DC

‘Nine Lives provides a stunning inside account of the making of a senior al-Qaeda operative, who trained with the organization's master bomb-maker and WMD-specialist, who turned into an MI6 spy, foiling terrorist plots and uncovering al-Qaeda networks. The story of Aimen Dean is as close as you'll ever get to the real thing. The book provides unique intelligence insights into the inner workings of al-Qaeda before and after 9/11. It also reveals how MI6 used him as one of its most valuable intelligence weapons in the global war on terrorism.'
- Dr Magnus Ranstorp, Research Director, Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies, Swedish Defence University, and Quality Manager, EU Radicalisation Awareness Network, Centre of Excellence.

‘This is the most fascinating book about al-Qaeda I've read in a long time. It is a realistic and down-to earth account of al-Qaeda's chemical weapons programme, told by one of its insiders. It's a must-read for everyone who wants to understand al-Qaeda and the evolution of international terrorism.'
- Anne Stenersen, author of Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Al-Qaida’s Quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction

Co-Author - "Agent Storm: My Life Inside al Qaeda & the CIA"

Penguin & Grove Atlantic, Summer, 2014

Morten Storm was an unlikely jihadi. A six-foot-one red-haired Dane, Storm spent his teens in and out of trouble. A book about the Prophet Mohammed prompted his conversion to Islam, and Storm sought purpose in a community of believers. He attended a militant madrasah in Yemen, named his son Osama, and became close friends with Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born terrorist cleric.

But after a decade of jihadi life, he not only repudiated extremism but, in a quest for atonement, became a secret agent for the CIA and British and Danish intelligence.

Agent Storm takes readers inside the jihadist world like never before, showing the daily life of zealous men set on mass murder, from dodging drones with al Qaeda leaders in the Arabian desert to training in extremist gyms in Britain and performing supply drops in Kenya.

The book also provides a tantalizing look at his dangerous life undercover, as Storm traveled the world for missions targeting its most dangerous terrorists, and into the most powerful spy agencies: their tradecraft, rivalries, and late-night carousing, as well as their ruthless use of a beautiful blonde in an ambitious honey trap.

Agent Storm is a captivating, utterly unique, real-life espionage tale. The original English edition has been translated into more than a dozen languages including French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Greek, Romanian, Japanese and Hebrew.

Reviews

"Highly credible. . . . Both a rollicking read and a rare insider’s account of Western spying in the age of al Qaeda, where the risk if exposed is not Cold War-style expulsion but gruesome execution. . . . A valuable window on both sides in a lethal underground war.” - Scott Shane, New York Times Book Review

“This book reads like a screenplay for a James Bond movie written by Joel and Ethan Coen. . . . Anyone interested in the saga of terrorist fanatics will find Agent Storm compelling.” -Washington Post

“Storm’s memoir is manna from heaven for counterterrorism experts.” - Christina Lamb, Sunday Times

“Fascinating. . . . Accounts of ‘My Time in al-Qaida’ are numerous enough for them to constitute a sub-genre, but there are no others in which the main protagonist has played such an extensive role for western security services, and, more crucially, is prepared to reveal so much. . . . A credible narrative that illuminates both violent Islamic extremism and the intelligence community’s efforts to fight it.” - Jason Burke, Guardian 

“An extraordinary story, well told and convincing.” - Foreign Affairs

“Morten Storm has done the Western world a great service. . . . And by the way, the CIA owes him 5 million dollars.” - Brian Kilmeade, Fox News

“Storm has been involved in many of the most critical terrorism cases since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This means if the revelations in his newly released memoir, Agent Storm, are true, he is not only this decade’s most intriguing informant: he could also be the most important.” - Michelle Shephard, Toronto Star

“[A] gripping firsthand account . . . . Storm’s work provides valuable and fascinating insight into the quiet battle being waged between clandestine national agencies and various terrorist organizations.” - Christian Science Monitor

“Agent Storm feels like a James Bond story or one of John Le Carre’s marvelous spy-thrillers. Yet, the story written by CNN’s Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister is a true account. . . . First-rate . . . a valuable window to both sides of a lethal underground war.” - War on the Rocks

“Picture Homeland’s Nicholas Brody getting jacked during his time as a POW and you’ll get an idea of Morten Storm, the 6’1”, red-haired Dane who went from unlikely jihadi to double agent. . . . Storm’s tale of dodging drones and navigating alliances may read like a great espionage thriller (complete with a blonde honey trap), but his deeply personal struggle with extremism and atonement is the real story." - Maxim

"Gripping" -- Publishers Weekly

“[A] timely autobiographical account.” - Anthony Lloyd, New Statesman

“[Storm’s] allegations have proved explosive.” - Independent

"An indispensable guide to how the West can counter the appeal of violent jihadism. Today, when so many young Western Muslims are flocking to Syria and Iraq to join the ranks of genocidal insurgents, this book’s insights could not be more important," - Joshua Sinai, Washington Times book review

“Morten Storm’s account of his nerve-wracking life spying on Al Qaeda for Western intelligence gives us the most detailed, compelling, and human look at modern espionage in the lethal world of jihadist terrorism that we are likely to get. This ground-level view of the shadowy struggle between these two clandestine groups is truly gripping.” - Mark Stout, former CIA officer and Director, MA in Global Security Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

“Agent Storm is the remarkable memoir of a Danish convert-turned-extremist who managed not only to infiltrate al Qaeda’s ranks but would later become one of West’s most valued human intelligence assets in the war on terrorism. As a true spy-story, this book brings you incredibly close to what it actually takes to be an extremist and get into a terrorist group while balancing loyalty and treachery in the world of intelligence. Essential reading for everyone interested in how the war on terrorism is actually fought in the shadows.” - Dr. Magnus Ranstorp, a leading expert on international terrorism and Research Director of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College

“Agent Storm opens a unique window onto bleak interlocking landscapes—the radicalization of European Muslims that has now been energized by the Syrian civil war, the leadership and organization of global jihad, and the twilight struggle waged by western intelligence agencies against an elusive and implacable enemy.” - Steven Simon, bestselling co-author of The Age of Sacred Terror and The Next Attack

“In Agent Storm, Morten Storm, Paul Cruickshank, and Tim Lister tell an astonishing and unknown tale of the exploits, change of allegiances, double crosses and inner workings of both al Qaeda terrorist groups and the Western intelligence agencies charged with stopping them. Storm's unlikely path puts him at the center of much of the al Qaeda activity and affiliated plots in Western Europe as well as in Somalia and Yemen since 9/11. Grounded in the necessary broader geopolitical context, Agent Storm is hard to put down.” -Mitch Silber, former Director of Intelligence Analysis at the NYPD and author of The Al Qaeda Factor

Editor - "Al Qaeda"

Routledge, November 2012

A five volume collection of the best scholarly research and serious writings on the terrorist network. The collection includes a comprehensive introduction to each volume newly written by the editor placing the collected material in its historical and intellectual context --

"An essential work of reference destined to be valued a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource." -Routledge

"To date, the most comprehensive resource published on the terrorist organization and its worldwide affiliates." - Joshua Sinai, The Washington Times

Chapter Contributor: "The Evolution of the Global Terrorist Threat"

Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare,

October 2014

Cruickshank contributed the chapter on the 2006 transatlantic airline plot, the most serious al Qaeda conspiracy in the years after 9/11.

Author: "Al Qaeda: the Current Threat"

Pocket Issue, October 2008

An introductory guide to the threat posed by Al Qaeda