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American ISIS

By: Trevor Aaronson
Narrated by: Trevor Aaronson
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Publisher's summary

American ISIS tells the story of Russell Dennison, an American who converted to Islam and traveled to Syria to fight for the Islamic State. For more than six months, Russell secretly communicated with journalist Trevor Aaronson, sending more than 30 hours of recordings that detail his suburban upbringing, his pursuit by the FBI, his embrace of extremism, and his decision to live and die on distant battlefields. Russell’s recordings provide an unprecedented firsthand account of what it was like for an American to be part of one of the world’s most fearsome terrorist groups. A remarkable work of journalism and narrative storytelling, American ISIS brings listeners into a hidden world few Americans have witnessed - filled with jihadis, human smugglers, FBI agents, government informants, and nightly bombings. Trevor Aaronson, a journalist for The Intercept, tracks down the people who knew Russell in the United States and in the Middle East as he investigates and corroborates Russell’s incredible story, from his childhood in Pennsylvania to bombed-out Syrian villages thousands of miles from the life he’d once known. An Audible Original produced by The Intercept, Topic Studios, and Western Sound.
©2021 First Look Institute, Inc. (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC
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Episodes
  • American ISIS Trailer

    American ISIS Trailer
    Jul 1 2021
    American ISIS is an eight-episode podcast that tells the remarkable story of Russell Dennison, an American ex-convict and Muslim convert who joined the Islamic State in Syria. As US and coalition airstrikes rained down on ISIS fighters in 2018 and 2019, Dennison secretly recorded dozens of hours of audio about his past and his life with ISIS and sent them to journalist Trevor Aaronson with one condition: Nothing he said could be revealed until he was captured or - more likely - killed.
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    Less than 1 minute
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  • Episode 1: Death and Life

    Episode 1: Death and Life
    Jul 15 2021

    As the Islamic State collapses in Syria, Russell Dennison contacts journalist Trevor Aaronson and says he wants to talk.
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    35 mins
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  • Episode 2: Beginnings

    Episode 2: Beginnings
    Jul 15 2021
    Russell’s typical suburban childhood features Saturday-morning cartoons, action figures under the Christmas tree, and a basketball hoop in the driveway. But his life takes a turn in his 20s, when he’s arrested in Pennsylvania for selling marijuana.
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    27 mins
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About the Creator and Performer

Trevor Aaronson is a contributing writer for The Intercept and a 2020 Arizona State University Future Security Fellow at New America. He is also executive director of the nonprofit Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism. His 2015 TED Talk, "How this FBI strategy is actually creating U.S.-based terrorists," has been viewed more than 1 million times and translated into more than 20 languages. A two-time finalist for the Livingston Awards, Aaronson has won the MOLLY National Journalism Prize, the international Data Journalism Award, and the John Jay College/Harry Frank Guggenheim Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting Award. His work for The Intercept has won honors from the Online Journalism Awards for investigative data journalism and feature writing. Aaronson has been featured on CBS This Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, MSNBC, This American Life, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, WNYC’s On the Media and The Leonard Lopate Show, among others.

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What listeners say about American ISIS

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Profile Image for Patrick Mc

Hmmmmm

Crazy, it’s amazing how this story can suck you in.

I feel bad for this poor confused soul!

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Profile Image for GML

Another point of view

Trevor Aaronson done an amazing job humanizing Russell as he tells the story of a man wanting to live free to worship his god, to live his religion and protect his family.

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Profile Image for Sellers

Juxtaposition

It's a interesting look at the other side of the war effort. But why tf would you not work with someone to expose this terrorist. The journalist condemns the characters actions multiple times, but why would you honor a deal made with that scum. Should've exposed him and hopefully helped extract valuable Intel.

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Profile Image for Parker N.

Incredible Perspective

Trevor was a great narrator and provided needed context without trampling on the story. Really enjoyed this!

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Profile Image for Will

Unique story

You Won’t hear another story like this. But to say the least, I wasn’t impressed with Russel. He was completely delusional and selfish. No one is required to do anything in any respect, however, he took his jaded interpretation of islam - one of the ancient religions that now plague humanity with antiquated social dogma - and forced himself into a culture that despises his. Russel’s attempt to create a legacy in a world he believed to be beneath him speaks to his delusion. Bringing two innocent girls into the world and leaving them with nothing, filling the imagination of a poor Bedouin girl with dreams of more before he died easily, abandoning his mother, never facing the reality of the violent, amoral, relinquishment of reason that is ISIS; this is his legacy.

Trevor did great work tracing Russell’s demise and provides a one-of-a-kind insight into the mind of someone that would pursue such a goal. Russell was nothing to fear.

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6 people found this helpful

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American Hypocrite

It turned my stomach to hear Russel whine about the harm being done by Western bombs when he and ISIS were the instigators of the violence. Russel and his fellow terrorists gave the West perfect cover to bomb those villages. Sick man with zero insight or accountability. Good riddance to him.

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I enjoyed this

No nation, religion is perfect. He discovered Muslim nations were worse than America. Justified brutal violence to impose his beliefs on other people. But I love the honesty and glad he told his side of the story. Thank u for this podcast

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Profile Image for nathan monahan

Great story

I am only critical of one aspect, at the end Trevor says that he just wanted to be free and he couldn’t do that in America. I hate that I fought for our freedom and those that would practice jihad are allowed to be free and inevitably take away the freedoms of the infidel.
That is a balance I wouldn’t have brought in to this story.

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Profile Image for bennett

Rare look inside

Absolutely captivating. I finished the whole season in just two sittings. Russell’s story is unlike anyone else’s I’ve heard, and I really wanted to understand the steps that brought him from an upbringing in the states to complete assimilation with a fringe group in a culture he had little exposure to. His story is, somewhat surprisingly, not one that sounds unhinged or even impulsive. In fact, you can hear the authenticity of his belief in his words. By the end, I feel that I both understand better how he would have felt called to this yet am left with even more questions to contemplate. Definitely worth a listen.

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Profile Image for Matthew

TYPICAL

the story is awesome. the left leaning view is not. He chose his path as well as his wife. the victims are his children and parents oh yeah lets not forget about the victims of isis. the author risked nothing but gained a story and reputation.

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10 people found this helpful