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Title: Inside Terrorism by Bruce Hoffman ISBN: 0-231-11469-9 Publisher: Columbia University Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.56 (9 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent one volume introduction to the subject
Comment: Bruce Hoffman, long one of RAND's key terrorism-wallahs and an affiliate of St Andrews University has written an excellent book on a controversial topic.
There was a fair amount of literature on terrorism prior to September 11th and, my, but there's even more now. A lot of it was a load of old rubbish prior to September 11th and even more of it is now. Hoffman's book is a work of substance which in itself puts it ahead of much of the pack.
"Inside Terrorism" covers a variety of areas. It opens with a discussion about the lengthy (and continuing) debate that surrounds the issue of defining terrorism - an issue which has stumped everyone from academics to the UN. What and who exactly IS a terrorist? Hoffman doesn't provide a clear cut, definitive answer but he does provide clear coverage of what is framing the argument, along with some of the possible answers which are being put forward. Whether you consider this level of debate to be self-indulgent and ivory tower or not (as I increasingly do, interesting thought it is) it is important to know that the debate does exist and what it's all about as it goes to the heart of some real-life anti-terrorism policy making, especially with regard to multilateral attempts to curb terror groups.
Hoffman moves on to cover Post-colonial ethnic or nationalist terror groups, international terrorism, Religion and terrorism, Terrorism, Media and public opinion, Terrorist methods and mindsets and the potential future of terrorism. All in all, it adds up to a fairly comprehensive introduction to the subject. Some of Hoffman's conclusions aren't to everybody's tastes, but terrorism is an inherently controversial and hotly debated issue, it's the nature of the beast.
Overall, this is an excellent overview and introduction to the subject of terrorism. Certainly better than the recent work of Walter Laqueur. The newcomer to the subject would also be well advised to check out Christopher Harmon's "Terrorism Today" as well, along with Paul Wilkinson's "Terrorism and Democracy". Ken Booth's "Worlds in Collision" is an excellent collection of essays by various authors that is ideal for somebody with an interest in the post-September 11th world.
Hoffman's writing style is not immediately engaging (I found the book far more digestible on a second reading), but this is still an excellent work for the beginner. In a field that is both crowded and shallow, Hoffman has produced a book of genuine substance and for that he deserves credit.
Rating: 4
Summary: If only it wasn't so redundant
Comment: Not having any bakcground in the history of terrorism, I found this book extremely informative. I learned a great deal about the development/evolution and history of modern-day terrorism,. Furthermore, I found the discussion of the various types of terrorism to be especially useful. However, the book seemed very redudant to me. I recommend this to whoever is looking for a brief overview of how terrorism has changed since its beginnings.
Rating: 5
Summary: Explains terrorism in easy terms
Comment: Hoffman, the former director of terrorism research at the Rand Corporation, has published many essays and books on political terrorism. His current work is an excellent in-depth yet readable introduction to the various dimensions of terrorism. It provides valuable insights into the difficulties of defining terrorism, the ethnic features of terrorism, how terrorism has been internalized, the relationship between terrorism and religion, terror and the media, modern manifestations of terrorism, and projections of terrorism's likely future activities. Of particular interest is Hoffman's discussion of the evolution of terrorism from its 1960s left-wing and secular nature to the current focus on religion as the major driving force of international terrorism. Hoffman believes that terrrorism will pose a serious threat to international stability in the early years of the 21st century. After all, terrorism amounts to a "quest for power." It will therefore continue to enjoy the sponsorship of "rogue states" that use it as a vehicle of foreign policy. An excellent update that complements Grant Wardlaw's Political Terrorism: Theory, Tactics, and Counter-Measures (1989). Helpful endnotes and full bibliography. Upper-division undergraduates and above.
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Title: Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind by Walter Reich, Walter Laqueur ISBN: 0943875897 Publisher: Woodrow Wilson Center Pr Pub. Date: December, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Countering the New Terrorism by Ian O. Lesser, Bruce Hoffman, John Arquilla, Michele Zanini, Ian Lesser, David Ronfeldt ISBN: 0833026674 Publisher: RAND Pub. Date: June, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror by Rohan Gunaratna ISBN: 0425191141 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction by Walter Laqueur ISBN: 0195140648 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: September, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy by Paul R. Pillar, Michael H. Armacost ISBN: 0815700040 Publisher: The Brookings Institution Pub. Date: 30 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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