A review of the book in the journal Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression recommended the work, writing The Terrorists of Iraq, "offers enormous precious experience and empirical data which make it attractive to policy-makers".
[4] Spencer Ackerman said Nance's books The Terrorists of Iraq and Defeating ISIS reflected the caliber of his expertise in the subject matter.
[12][13] Nance was an interpreter for Russian, and began working in the intelligence field through research into the history of the Soviet Union and its spying agency the KGB.
[15] Nance took part in combat operations which occurred after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, was involved with the 1986 United States bombing of Libya, served on the USS Wainwright during Operation Praying Mantis and participated in the sinking of Iranian missile boat Joshan, served on the USS Tripoli during the Gulf War, and assisted during a Banja Luka, Bosnia air strike.
[12] During the September 11 attacks, Nance personally witnessed American Airlines Flight 77 crash into The Pentagon and he assisted in rescue operations at the impact site.
He notes these events could have imparted valuable pointers to the Bush administration such as the notion that terrorism tactics used by insurgency operations including guerrilla warfare were difficult to defeat effectively, even in the face of overwhelming U.S. military forces.
Nance acknowledges Iran's significant contributions to terrorism around the world, but argues that a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue is a worthwhile endeavor.
[29] Christopher Hitchens wrote in an article for Vanity Fair, "The Terrorists of Iraq, is a highly potent analysis both of the jihadist threat in Mesopotamia and of the ways in which we have made its life easier.
"[3] The Guardian national security reporter Spencer Ackerman said, "If you've read books like The Terrorists of Iraq and Defeating ISIS, you know Malcolm's expertise.
[1] The review in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression concluded, "This book is easy to read, vivid, and offers enormous precious experience and empirical data which make it attractive to policy-makers, scholars, and students.