Product Description

The wars against terror have begun, but it will take some time before the nature and composition of these wars is widely understood. The objective of these wars is not the conquest of territory, or the silencing of any particular ideology, but rather to secure the necessary environment for states to operate according to principles of consent and make it impossible for our enemies to impose or induce states of terror. Terror and Consent argues that, like so many states and civilizations in the past that suffered defeat, we are fighting the last war, with weapons and concepts that were useful to us then but have now been superseded. Philip Bobbitt argues that we need to reforge links that previous societies have made between law and strategy; to realize how the evolution of modern states has now produced a globally networked terrorism that will change as fast as we can identify it; to combine humanitarian interests with strategies of intervention; and, above all, to rethink what ‘victory’ in such a war, if it is a war, might look like — no occupied capitals, no treaties, no victory parades, but the preservation, protection and defence of states of consent. This is one of the most challenging and wide-ranging books of any kind about our modern world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215791 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 688 pages

Review
"Brilliant . . . This is quite simply the most profound book to have been written on the subject of American foreign policy since the attacks of 9/11--indeed, since the end of the cold war . . . It should be read, marked and inwardly digested by all three of the remaining candidates to succeed George W. Bush as president of the United States."
--Niall Ferguson, "The New York Times Book Review
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"Philip Bobbitt is perhaps the outstanding political philosopher of our time. Terror and Consent is simply indispensable for our understanding, yet it is as readable as it is profound."
--Henry Kissinger
"Philip Bobbitt has long been one of the most thoughtful and wise commentators on the state of the modern world and the challenge that it faces. But in this book, he sets out with clarity and courage the first really comprehensive analysis of the struggle against terror and what we can do to win it. Above all, he understands that this war is new in every aspect of its nature -- how it has come about, the profound threat that it poses, how it has to be fought and the revolution in traditional thinking necessary to achieve victory. It may be written by an academic but it is actually required reading for political leaders."
--Tony Blair
"In this thrilling book, Philip Bobbitt bravely confronts the myths that confound our understanding of terrorism and provides a new way of understanding this phenomenon. He does us the favor of not only describing the traps we've fallen into, but also the ways of escape."
--Lawrence Wright, author of "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11"
"Powerful . . . Brilliant . . . There is so much to think about in this book that thedisagreements it inspires are part of its value."--Edward Rothstein, "The New York Times
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"Brilliant, provocative and critically important . . . Terror and Consent should be mandatory reading for all residents of the United States."--Ian Graham, "New York Sun
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"In this original, provocative, and deeply researched book, a superb scholar addresses some of the most basic and vital issues of our time. Philip Bobbitt's Terror and Consent deserves to be widely read, debated and absorbed."
-- Michael Beschloss, author of "Presidential Courage
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"Philip Bobbitt has taken our understanding of terrorism -- and of how to defeat it -- to a deeper level. This brave book confronts us with the knowledge that the worst is yet to come, and it points the way for America and its allies to counter the new breed of shadowy, ultra-violent adversaries. More importantly, Terror and Consent" "wisely shows how governments can do this without sacrificing their legitimacy as guarantors of human rights. This is truly the book for our times."
--Steven Simon, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations and co-author of "Age of Sacred Terror"
"""Terror and Consent is the most profound analysis of the wars against terror. Bobbitt puts the threat in its proper historical and theoretical context, explains its relationship to globalization, international law and the domestic constitutional structure and offers tough-minded but humane prescriptions. No one understands the challenge of the terror threat in all its dimensions as well as Philip Bobbitt."
--Jack Goldsmith, Shattuck Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and author of "The Terror Presidency"
"Magisterial . . . 'important'barely begins to characterize this book."
--Craig Seligman, "Bloomberg News"
"Bobbitt may well be a prophet . . . Terror and Consent is the product not only of immense erudition but also of broad practical experience."
--Ben Martin, "The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
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"[A] complex and provocative analysis of the West's ongoing struggle against terrorism. Terror and Consent merits wide circulation and serious consideration."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"A distinguished scholar proposes an entirely new way of understanding and combating modern terrorism. Bobbitt keeps his feet on the ground, boldly offering detailed real-world proposals to combat the problems he outlines."
--"Kirkus
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"Bobbitt aims for the big picture and succeeds . . . Not just another book about terrorism, this is a complete theory of constitutional evolution and a sophisticated set of far-reaching policy prescriptions."--"Booklist
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Tony Blair
'he sets out with clarity and courage the first really comprehensive analysis of the struggle against terror'

Henry Kissinger
'Philip Bobbitt is perhaps the outstanding political philosopher of our time.'

Customer Reviews

Brilliant!
This book is a really interesting look at 21st-century terrorism, from its evolution in history to its current aims and capabilities and to future predictions as to how society will live with terrorism in the future. Central to the argument of the book is the paradigm shift that a globalised and decentralised terrorist network represents to 20th-century thinking over state provision of security to its citizens. Where terrorist networks adopt the tools of a globalised world. The Internet as a tool for the dissemination of propaganda, the recruitment of supporters, and creation of a virtual "ummah" (Muslim brotherhood). The franchise model of market capitalism for the outsourcing of terrorist attacks, motivated by disparate grievances and perpetrated by disparate individuals but united by the "Al Qaeda" brand. The free-market exchange of commodities to pursue weapons of mass destruction (such as that presided over by AQ Khan in his distribution of nuclear secrets on the black market).

There is discussion on the future vulnerabilities from biological attack as biological capability becomes more widely spread. In particular the recent developments in DNA sequencing viruses from scratch in laboratories poses a real danger in the future of pathogen control. With highly contagious and lethal viruses such as smallpox now having the potential to be manufactured by doctorate level chemists able to bypass the top security government biochemical laboratories with DNA sequences readily published online, the traditional state controls on bio weapons are significantly weakened.

There is also a discussion on the evolution of terrorist ideology to justify the targeting of civilians, the challenges for modern intelligence agencies and the impact on society from a significant biological or nuclear attack.

The book is written in an intelligent but highly readable manner, furnished with literally hundreds of footnotes, citations of reports and analysis from experts in the field. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the effect of terrorism on 21st-century politics. It is a fascinating read.