... an ambitious and commendable effort that falls a bit short of the subject matter’s tantalizing potential — a solid journalistic account that might have been elevated into an enduring work of narrative nonfiction ... It’s a story with endless narrative possibilities. Mufti ably assembles all the pieces and deftly covers the relevant history, but he leans only partway into the epic, messy sprawl before him. I kept wanting him to luxuriate in his wild saga and take a more novelistic approach to his rich material. He might, for instance, have expanded his brief biographical sketches of some of the book’s peripheral figures into fuller portraits, and dwelled more searchingly on the complicated, beguiling Khaalis. Mufti answers all the journalistic questions — no small job — but he might have pondered some other ones too in order to give American Caliph a deeper resonance. What drew him to the story to begin with? What does it have to tell us about race, religious fundamentalism and our country’s fraught relationship with Islam? Why is it more than just a forgotten chapter in modern American history? ... Mufti’s ticktock of the siege, the book’s climactic centerpiece, is a tour de force.

Extraordinary story ... Complex book ... Mufti does a terrific job of putting these stories in the context of the times, of events and tensions both national and international.

American Caliph isn’t your boring high-school history book ... It is a short, exciting account ... Immersive ... The trials of the Black Mafia and the Hanafis are covered to great effect in American Caliph. Mufti, a journalist, uses sound research to bring the details and emotions of the events vividly to life.

... fascinating and meticulously researched ... Mufti makes a convincing case for its broader significance ... provides a nuanced portrait of Khaalis, the Hanafi leader whose grand ambitions give the book its title ... in Mufti’s capable hands, it has made for a haunting book.

Skillfully explained ... Fascinating. The hostage siege is narrated in nail-biting detail from accounts of negotiators and hostages ... Those interested in fundamentalism, Islam in the United States, Middle East politics, and film will especially appreciate this book.

Crackling prose ... Mufti deftly weaves America’s cynical Middle East policy, the star quality of Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the tortured production of a biopic about the prophet Muhammad into this real-life thriller, extending praise for the police officers, politicians, journalists, Muslim scholars, and ambassadors who worked tirelessly to resolve the crisis peacefully. 

Gripping, meticulously researched history ... Mufti vividly captures the 39-hour crisis and the delicate in-person negotiations ... Expertly drawn from FBI files, wiretap transcripts, and interviews, this captivating history fascinates.

A tense, often grisly account ... Mufti places the event in the larger context of America’s involvement in the tumultuous history of the Middle East, South Asia, and northern Africa. A brisk, engrossing work of investigative journalism.