Product Description

Terrorism covers a wide variety of causes, encompassing movements such as the IRA, the Baader Meinhoff gang, the Branch Dividians, national and separatist movements, left-wing and right-wing movements, religious movements such as Islamic groups or American white supremacists, and single-issue organizations such as radical anti-abortion or animal rights groups. In this wide-ranging survey, Bruce Hoffman analyzes the causes and future of terrorism, asking questions such as; why do people become terrorists and how do they get their message across? What is the psychology of the terrorist? How does a terrorists group's ideology affect its choice of targets, and of tactics? How is terrorism developing with the onrush of new technology? Is it possible ever to eliminate terrorism or will it remain a lethal fact of modern life? The book aims to offer an authoritative anatomy of one of the most difficult and dangerous areas of contemporary life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #534775 in Books
• Published on: 1998-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
Exceptionally authoritative, Bruce Hoffman's analysis of modern terrorism challenges our perception of terrorists and their motives. Our complacent knowledge of organizations such as the IRA and the PLO has been made irrelevant in the face of a new onslaught from groups about which little is known or understood. Hoffman explores the mindset of the modern terrorist - responsible for such atrocities as the Tokyo nerve-gas attack and the Oklahoma bomb - and examines the shift in tactics, targets and technology that has left governments flailing about with half-baked measures to give the appearance of security. (Kirkus UK)

Customer Reviews

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques, author of '1st Century Radical'.
The author's profile is impressive: Prof Bruce Hoffman has been studying terrorism and insurgency for over thirty years. He is a professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, Washington, DC and has previously held the Corporate Chair in Counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency at the RAND Corporation as well as having been the Acting Director of RAND's Centre for Middle East Public Policy.

Perhaps the most important contribution this unquestionably scholarly work makes to society in general is that it alerts us to the fragile balance under which most societies operate and the fine line betwixt an apparently 'normal' mindset and distinctly radical, extremist one. As a previous reviewer has pointed out, Hoffman, depicts terrorists as, largely, in many respects, being like 'the person in the street'. This is as worrying for many as it is unquestionably true for all.

The process of radicalisation is an altogether absorbing science in itself. Fortunately, it is something that has been around quite literally for millenia now and - for every dark cloud (and, let's face it, the clouds of terror are starker than most) has a silver lining - after each attack or terror act, we are able to improve our databases, enhance our understanding and, thus, our opportunities to profile more accurately and prevent the next attempted act.

This book is specialised but not too much so and this reviewer believes that it will be an interesting read for most. The precise causes underpinning a propensity or tendency towards radicalisation lie deep within the human psyche and its profound well of insecurities et al. This book will help to throw light on this and other related topics for many.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of 1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ)

Brilliant if you want to look beyond the hype and headlines
I found this book very interesting, as, unlike most books on terrorism it looks beyond the hype and the headlines and the propaganda and looks at terrorism from a neutral academic perspective, thus revealing details on this phenomenon which are rarely touched upon. Throughout the book you can tell that Bruce Hoffman is a professional who knows what he's talking about, who understands terrorism like very few people do and wants to share this with you. The very fact that he describes terrorists as "normal people rather than the crazed wild-eyed individuals we're conditioned to expect" shows that this is a book that really should be read by anyone who wants to know whats really behind the terror. Excellent.

An intriguing introduction.
This is an interesting and overdue introduction to the studt of terrorism that should grace the shelves of anyone with an interest of the subject. While not being the most comprehensive of tomes, Dr. Hoffman does make this book an excellent first text on the subject.

I personally found a few contradictions within this book, not to mention a number of points and arguments I strongly disagree with, but this does not diminish the fact that it is what I would consider to be the best first text on this subject. If you are interested in studying this phenomenon or just have a passing interest this is the book that I do recommend. Buy it, think about it and hopefully look into the area of terrorism more deeply.