Help Support the NBN on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!

New Books Network

About Jeffrey Bristol

I began my adult life as a Persian linguist in the US Army. Later, I earned a commission in the US Navy Reserves where I continue to serve. In between, I worked with the US government as a geo-political analyst. I then entered the academy, earning my M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago and my Ph.D. in Anthropology from Boston University. My primary academic interests are Islamic law, the history and culture of the Islamicate world as well as political and legal theory. I am also a practicing attorney. I received my J.D. from the University of Michigan and have practiced as a litigator, focusing on criminal defense, admiralty, insurance coverage, defense contracts and general litigation.

Jeffrey Bristol holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Boston University, a J.D. from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. He practices law, works as an independent scholar and serves as an officer in the US Navy Reserve. He lives with his wife and two children in Tampa, Fl.

Jeffrey's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Jeffrey:

National Security January 31, 2022

How Isis Fights

Military Tactics in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt

Omar Ashour

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
In How ISIS Fights: Military Tactics in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt (Edinburgh UP, 2021), Omar Ashour has written a detailed and data-rich analysis of ISIS's way of war. He analyzes …
Military History April 9, 2021

The Last Platoon

A Novel of the Afghanistan War

Bing West

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
The Last Platoon: A Novel of the Afghanistan War (Bombardier Books, 2020) is a riveting book of infantry ground combat. As a work of fiction it is superb, showing the …
National Security March 3, 2021

A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy

James R. Holmes

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy (US Naval Institute Press, 2019), is a readable introduction to the world of maritime strategy. While Prof Holmes bases his narrative on the writings …
Law November 9, 2020

Natural Law in Court

A History of Legal Theory in Practice

R. H. Helmholz

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
R. H. Helmholz's book Natural Law in Court (Harvard UP, 2015) serves as a guide to the uses of natural law in the past. It shows how lawyers, judges and …
Anthropology October 27, 2020

Crafting Masculine Selves

Culture, War, and Psychodynamics in Afghanistan

Andrea Chiovenda

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Against the backdrop of four decades of continuous conflict in Afghanistan, the Pashtun male protagonists of this book carry out their daily effort to internally negotiate, adjust (if at all) …
Anthropology April 1, 2020

Captured at Sea

Piracy and Protection in the Indian Ocean

Jatin Dua

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Captured at Sea: Piracy and Protection in the Indian Ocean (University of California Press, 2019) is a pirate story of a different kind. Based on years of ethnographic fieldwork in …
Anthropology January 24, 2019

Under Contract

The Invisible Workers of America's Global War

Noah Coburn

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Noah Coburn's Under Contract: The Invisible Workers of America's Global War (Stanford University Press, 2018) is about the hidden workers of American’s foreign wars: third country nationals who while not …
Law January 15, 2019

The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy

John Witte, Jr.

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
John Witte, Jr.'s The Western Case for Monogamy over Polygamy (Cambridge University Press, 2018) is an extensively researched book showcasing the author's deep knowledge and experience in the field of …
Anthropology November 8, 2018

Sacred Rice

An Ethnography of Identity, Environment, and Development in Rural West Africa

Joanna Davidson

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Sacred Rice: An Ethnography of Identity, Environment, and Development in Rural West Africa (Oxford University Press, 2015) is a book about change. The Jola, a people living in Guinea-Bissau, have …
Anthropology October 5, 2018

Rojava

Revolution, War and the Future of Syria’s Kurds

Thomas Schmidinger

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Thomas Schmidinger's Rojava: Revolution, War and the Future of Syria’s Kurds (Pluto Press, 2018) is an exploration of the history and present of Syrian Kurdistan. It is an excellent introduction …
Law July 10, 2018

Lawsuits in a Market Economy

The Evolution of Civil Litigation

Stephen C. Yeazell

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Stephen C. Yeazell's Lawsuits in a Market Economy: The Evolution of Civil Litigation (University of Chicago Press, 2018) is an in-depth look at the development and current situation of civil …
Anthropology June 20, 2018

Anthropology and Anthropologists

The British School in the Twentieth-Century (Fourth Edition)

Adam Kuper

Hosted by Jeffrey Bristol
Adam Kuper's Anthropology and Anthropologists: The British School in the Twentieth-Century (Fourth Edition; Routledge, 2014) is an excellent, comprehensive tour through one of the most important and influential schools of …