Terrorism in Perspective

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing: doesn't cut it as a textbook.
Review: I fully expected to be able to use this book as one of two or three texts for a course I am developing. But once I had taken into account what other works offer, there really was very little left for this volume to add. In fact, it offers notig that is new, not is it particularly effective as a textbook: the formula of combining basic surveys of themes (very superficial) with a selcetion of two previously published pieces (arbitrary and not particular representative, and in any case easily available elsewhere) just does not seem worthwhile. In other words, this doesn't quite make it as a textbook, and offers neither depth nor comprehensive breadth. The 'other works' I referred to would include Gus Martin's *Understanding Terrorism* - a very useful textbook - or Kegley's *The New Global Terrorism* and several others, including also two very short but excellent books that somehow manage to provide more depth and balance than the one reviewed: Townshend, *Terrorism: A very Short Introduction*, and Barker, *The No-Nonsense Guide to Terrorism*.

Rating:
Summary: Terrorism in Perspective
Review: I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand terrorism. After reading this book myself, I can understand what I read in the papers about terrorism much better. I don't like the cover--it makes the book look like a thriller. But the contents are excellent. Pictures are good too.