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Bruce Hoffman, the director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, has written a clear summary of some of the major historical trends in international terrorism. He makes careful distinctions between the motivations that drive political (or ethno-nationalist) terrorism and religious terrorism, and he also shows why the rise of religious terrorism, coupled with the increased availability of weapons of mass destruction, may foretell an era of even greater violence. In the past, Hoffman argues, the main goal of the terrorist was not to kill, but to attract media attention to his cause in the hope of initiating reform. "For the religious terrorist," however, "violence is first and foremost a sacramental act or divine duty executed in direct response to some theological demand or imperative ... religious terrorists see themselves not as components of a system worth preserving but as 'outsiders,' seeking fundamental changes in the existing order." Hoffman does not "choose sides" in this framework, pointing to the bombings of the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City and to the sarin nerve gas attacks in Tokyo in order to demonstrate that fundamentalists of any religious denomination are capable of extreme acts of terrorism.
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What is terrorism? Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent one volume introduction to the subject,
By "top_cat1980" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Inside Terrorism (Paperback)
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
If only it wasn't so redundant,
By Hooman Kazemi (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Inside Terrorism (Paperback)
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.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Explains terrorism in easy terms,
By A Customer
This review is from: Inside Terrorism (Paperback)
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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