Brian Glyn Williams

Brian Glyn Williams is a Professor of Islamic History in the Department of History at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he has served since Fall 2001. He previously held academic positions at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (1999-2001) and the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1996-1998).

Williams earned his PhD in Middle Eastern and Islamic Central Asian History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999, following two master's degrees from Indiana University (Russian and East European History, 1992; Central Eurasian Studies with focus on Ottoman Language and Turkic History, 1990) and a BA in History from Stetson University (1988).

His research focuses on Islamic history with particular expertise in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Crimean Tatars. Williams has conducted extensive field research in Eurasia, including Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kosovo, and Kazakhstan. His scholarly work examines America's post-9/11 wars, CIA drone warfare, transnational jihadist movements, and the historical dynamics of Islamic civilizations in Eurasia.

Williams has authored seven major scholarly books that have received significant attention from military and academic communities. His publications explore themes ranging from the Crimean Tatar diaspora experience to America's military engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. His works have been reviewed by prestigious institutions including the CIA, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and major academic journals.

• Counter Jihad: America's Military Experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria
• The Last Warlord: The Life and Legend of Dostum
• Predators: The CIA's Drone War on Al Qaeda
• Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War
• Inferno in Chechnya: The Russian-Chechen Wars
• The Crimean Tatars: From Soviet Genocide to Putin's Conquest
• The Crimean Tatars: The Diaspora Experience and the Forging of a Nation

Williams has received commendations from the military for his expertise and has served as a consultant for the film 12 Strong, which depicts US Special Forces operations in Afghanistan. He maintains the MappingISIS.com project to track the territorial evolution of the Islamic State. His teaching includes courses on World Civilizations, History of Terror in the Middle East, and World History seminars.