- Paperback: 168 pages
- Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks (Feb 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0192801686
- ISBN-13: 978-0192801685
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.6 x 1.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 141 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #237,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
`approachable and highly intelligent' the Guardian Review
Book Description
This book charts a path through the outpouring of efforts to understand and explain modern terrorism, by asking what makes terrorism different from other forms of political, military action; what makes it effective; and what can be done about it. It unravels complex central questions such as whether terrorists are criminals, whether terrorism is a kind of war, what kind of threat terrorism represents, how far media publicity sustains terrorism, and whether democracy is especially vulnerable to terrorist attack. It examines the historical ideological and local roots of terrorist violence, and the success of specific terrorist and anti-terrorist campaigns in the more distant as well as the recent past.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Terrorism upsets people. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Terrorism upsets people. Read the first page
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Concordance
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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
I don't think the last review was fair to Townshend's book,
By
This review is from: Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
I don't think this book deserve anything less than a three star. As a Humanity major studying global terrorism and representation of terrorism, this book is highly intellectual in disclosing a historical and global phenomenon of terrorism. As the book focuses much attention on counterterrorism that Americans have utilized after 9/11, this book gives a very intellectual criticism regarding the topic and Bush's response to 9/11. As an university academic, I sincerely recommend this book to ones who think critically of the post-9/11 response. Moreover, as Townshend frequently refer to Walter Lacquer, who is a significant scholar on this issue -- is a great place to continue after Townshend.The issue of terrorism is a controversial subject, but most North Americans have bought into the American propaganda and their justification to use counterterrorist strategies (adoption of terrorist methods by the state's own forces). We need to critically think about the causes of terrorism, the fluctuating definition of the word "terrorist", the capitalist colonization of other countries, and the concept of proportionality when we decide to strike back. Afterall, terrorists are always on the position of weakness who lack the ability to enter the dominant political decision making. By being on the offensive constantly, we do not give them a chance to negotiate, we ignore the "root causes" of terrorism altogether, we destroy our own individual rights and freedoms that the state is meant to protect us. If terrorists are after democracy and capitalism while we infringe our citizens of these fundamental principles of democracy, as Guest (2005) and Townshend (2001) asked, who is loosing the war?
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
babble,
By
This review is from: Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
Ivory tower stuff, not worth your time. A real, "How much fluff is in your bellybutton" kind of book. The most poor "Short Intro." book I have read.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
2.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful and at times insightful,
By Dana Garrett - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
Charles Townshend has written a helpful introduction to the subject of terrorism. He begins by discussing the definition of terrorism, a task more difficult than it might seem. He indicates that terrorism is often a matter of perspective since one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. There are also questions about what counts as an act of terrorism. Do intentions and goals make some acts terrorist? Can a line be drawn at the kind of victims selected for a terrorist act? Townshend looks at some laws that define terrorism, USA and British law (as I recall). Even here we encounter problems because these laws could be applied to the actions of nations themselves. In my view, state terrorism is inadequately addressed in this book; I suspect because Townshend lacks a useable sense of what it might be. Yet I think that state terrorism is the easiest category of terrorism to define as well as the most pervasive form of terrorism in the world.Townshend provides many historical examples of terrorism. They are all well chosen. He discusses the origins of terrorism in history: viz., the first terrorist groups, the philosophical patrimony of "propaganda by deed," assassination as terrorism and the terrorism during the French Revolution. He also explores different types of terrorism: revolutionary, nationalistic and religious. He ends by discussing counterterrorism as a strategy and correctly mentions the dangers inherent in such an approach. Townshend apparently believes that democracies will always be hampered in their responses to terrorism because of their high regard for human rights. Yet Townshend doesn't often discuss the many ways the "great democracies" have employed terrorism, either directly or through proxy forces, sometimes resulting in massive casualties, particularly in the third world nations. Although the western democracies might have a public relations problem in using terrorism, they certainly don't lack the aptitude. If you want to read a short introduction to the topic of terrorism, then this will do...at times quite well. 3 of 69 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
babble,
By newton fisher "nerdly uncki" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
Ivory tower stuff, not worth your time. A real, "How much fluff is in your bellybutton" kind of book. The most poor "Short Intro." book I have read.
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