Dr. Max Abrahms is among the world’s leading experts on the subject of terrorism. Currently, he is a professor of political science at Northeastern University and a member at the Council on Foreign Relations. His terrorism research is among the most cited and assigned around the world. Abrahms is also a frequent analyst in the media, especially on the consequences of terrorism, its motives, and the implications for counterterrorism strategy. He fields weekly interviews with major media outlets such as Al Jazeera, Atlantic, Associated Press, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, CNN International, Newsweek, New York Times, Washington Post, and Voice of America. On Twitter, @MaxAbrahms is a verified user with 45K followers.

Previously, he has held research positions at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, the Empirical Studies of Conflict project at Princeton University and Stanford University, the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point Military Academy, the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University, the Center for the Study of Terrorism in Rome, the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, the economics department at Bar Ilan University, the political science department at Johns Hopkins University, and the Belfer Center at Harvard University.

Abrahms regularly briefs government agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council, National Counterterrorism Center, and Department of Homeland Security. He presents his terrorism research to academic audiences throughout the world like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and St. Andrews, as well as at venues such as MENSA and TED-X Hollywood. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA, an M.Phil. from Oxford, and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Abrahms is the author of Rules for Rebels: The Science of Victory in Militant History, to be published with Oxford University Press in September 2018. 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 is the first to show that the behavior of militant groups depends on the strategic IQ of their 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. Although surprisingly simple, these rules are based on original insights from the fields of political science, psychology, criminology, economics, management, marketing, communication, and sociology. It turns out there’s a science to victory in militant history. But even rebels must follow rules.