When Elliot Ackerman set out to write a novel about the Syrian civil war, the former U.S. Marine captain drew inspiration from a five-hour lunch with a former al Qaeda jihadist. Mr. Ackerman’s 2013 encounter with Abu Hassar provided the model for Athid, the haughty Islamic State soldier in his second book, “Dark at the Crossing,” out in the U.S. from Knopf on Jan. 24. Getting to know one’s enemy is an important part of the creative process for Mr. Ackerman, who turned to writing after eight years in the Marines and five...

Source: Wall Street Journal January 15, 2017 12:01 UTC