Terrorism, armed struggle Books

Book SynopsisIn September 2001, the world witnessed the horrific events of 9/11. A great deal has happened on the counterterrorist front in the 20 years since. While the terrorist threat has greatly diminished in Northern Ireland, the events of 9/11 and their aftermath have ushered in a new phase for the rest of the UK with some familiar, but also many novel, characteristics.This ambitious study takes stock of counterterrorism in Britain in this anniversary year. Assessing current challenges, and closely mirroring the four Ps' of the official CONTEST counterterrorist strategy Protect, Prepare, Prevent, and Pursue it seeks to summarize and grasp the essence of domestic law and policy, without being burdened by excessive technical detail. It also provides a rigorous, context-aware, illuminating, yet concise, accessible, and policy-relevant analysis of this important and controversial subject, grounded in relevant social science, policy studies, and legalTable of ContentsChapter 1 – Themes and trendsChapter 2 – Global jihad Chapter 3 – Domestic terrorism Chapter 4 – Protect and Prepare Chapter 5 – Prevent Chapter 6 – Pursue Chapter 7 – Threats, responses and challenges Appendix A: Fatality-causing terrorist incidents in the UK, 2001-20 Appendix B: Chronology of key events: 1997-2020

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Book SynopsisCaptivating, concise, and accessible,Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversiescovers key foundational topics by defining terrorism and introducing its history and causes. AuthorGus Martinintroduces readers to the modern landscape of terrorism and discusses terrorist environments (domestic, international, religious, etc.), as well as tactics, targets, and counterterrorism. Included in theSixth Editionis an added focus on U.S. hate crimes and homeland security, in addition to new introductory discussions, information, and data throughout each chapter. Table of ContentsAbout the Author Preface Acknowledgments Part I: Understanding Terrorism: A Conceptual Review Chapter 1: Defining Terrorism Learning Objectives Understanding Political Extremism Formal and Informal Definitions Objectives and Goals of Terrorism Playing to the Audience: Objectives, Victims, and Constituencies Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? The Political Violence Matrix Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 2: Historical Perspectives and Ideological Origins Learning Objectives Historical Perspectives on Terrorism Ideological Origins of Terrorism September 11, 2001, and the New Terrorism Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 3: Causes of Terrorist Violence Learning Objectives Political Violence as the Fruit of Injustice Political Violence as Strategic Choice Moral Justifications for Political Violence Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 4: Terrorist Violence and the Role of the Media Learning Objectives Understanding the Role of the Media A New Battleground: The War for the Information High Ground Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Part II: Terrorist Environments Chapter 5: Terrorism by the State Learning Objectives Perspectives on Terrorism by Governments Domestic Terrorism by the State Terrorism as Foreign Policy Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 6: Terrorism by Dissidents Learning Objectives Perspectives on Violent Dissent The Practice of Dissident Terrorism Terrorist Targets and Weapons Dissidents and the New Terrorism Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 7: Religious Terrorism Learning Objectives Historical Perspectives on Religious Violence The Practice of Religious Terrorism Trends and Projections Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 8: International Terrorism Learning Objectives Understanding International Terrorism International Terrorist Networks The International Dimension of the New Terrorism Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 9: Domestic Terrorism in the United States Learning Objectives Are “Hate Crimes” in the United States Acts of Terrorism? Left-Wing Extremism in the United States Left-Wing Terrorism in the United States Right-Wing Extremism in the United States Right-Wing Terrorism in the United States Understanding the Persistence of Violent Ideologies in the United States Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Part III: The Terrorist Battleground Chapter 10: Counterterrorism and the War on Terrorism Learning Objectives The Use of Force Operations Other Than War: Repressive Options Operations Other Than War: Conciliatory Options Legalistic Responses Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 11: Homeland Security Learning Objectives Homeland Security in Perspective Homeland Security in the United States Civil Liberties and Securing the Homeland Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Chapter 12: Future Trends and Projections Learning Objectives What Does the Future Hold? Revisiting the War on Terrorism Chapter Summary Key Terms and Concepts Recommended Readings Appendix: Map References Glossary Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn a story of deceit, betrayal, and injustice, two parents are tried as terrorists for attempting to rescue their son from a Syrian war zone.On September 2, 2014, Jack Letts, an idealistic eighteen-year-old British Canadian, phoned his mother saying, Mum, I'm in Syria. Those chilling words from a raging war zone set in train his family's eight-year-long battle to rescue Jack from his disastrous mistake.When an unscrupulous journalist invented the term Jihadi Jack, a false image of Jack spread throughout the world. Sally and John, Jack's parents, faced the mammoth task of persuading a hostile public that their son was the victim of a smear campaign. He should, they argued, at least be allowed home to face a fair trial to address the claims against him. But the Canadian and British governments had other plans. Jack is currently detained in a Kurdish prison, while the Canadian government claims it doesn't know if he is alive or dead. This is his parentTrade ReviewReasonable Cause to Suspect takes you on a gut-wrenching journey through the eyes of a devoted mother, Sally Lane. As she weaves her way through the legal and political systems and the unimaginable atrocities in Syria, Sally is determined to hold her son, Jack, in her arms again. At every turn, you need to remind yourself this story has not been dreamt up as fiction but rather is a real-life nightmare where despair and hope clash. You will never forget Jack’s story and his mother’s unwavering love and fierce commitment. * Sam Laprade, host of The Sam Laprade Show and CityNews Ottawa 101.1 FM *This is an extraordinary tale…a testament to an ordinary parent’s unconditional love for a child told with candour and courage. A gripping read. * Adrian Harewood, Canadian journalist and professor *This book details deep loss in a Kafkaesque political landscape with surprising clarity, ironic humour and sobriety. Sally Lane lost her son to a war zone, and then to religious fervour, and now governmental inaction leaves him in an unending prison sentence — showing our democratic government's totalitarian stance on those it accuses as terror suspects, who once labelled, suffer an ongoing suspension of due process and are forever seen as guilty without trial. Who among us would not try to bring a family member home? The family has not given up. * David Gow, Canadian playwright, Relative Good *I have been witnessing the pain and courage of the Letts for many years. Sally, Jack’s mother is a mother everyone should have. This book is another step in that fight for justice for Jack and others. Western citizens, so long consumed by a narrative of Muslim terrorism, have allowed the powerful to take liberties with our liberties. More of us need to stand with the parents and young people who were or are caught between Islamicists and state agents. * Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, journalist and author *This book is a courageous refusal to submit to the violence of cold, indifferent bureaucracy. For this simple drive to hold onto that which is so dear to her, Sally and her family have been effectively unpeopled by the well-oiled stigmatising mechanisms within this society. She lays out in detail the sophisticated system of manipulation that rendered her family rightless. Bring Jack home. Enough is enough. * Lowkey, rapper and activist *

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Book SynopsisOn 13 November 2015, Paris suffered the second wave of brutal terrorist attacks in a year, leaving 130 dead and many more seriously injured. How are we to make sense of these violent acts and what do they tell us about the forces shaping our world today?In this short book the influential philosopher Alain Badiou argues that while these violent events are commonly portrayed as acts of Islamic terrorism, in fact they attest to a much deeper malaise that is connected to the triumph of global capitalism and to new forms of imperialism that involve the weakening of states, such that whole regions of the world have been turned into ungovernable zones run by armed gangs in which ordinary people are forced to live the most precarious lives. These zones have become the breeding ground for a new kind of nihilism that seeks revenge for the domination of the West. And it is this new nihilism, on to which Islam has been grafted, that exerts a particular appeal to the young men and women on the margins who carried out the atrocities in Paris. The tragedy of 13 November might appear at first sight to be rooted in immigration and Islam but our wound is not so recent: it is rooted in a deeper set of transformations that have reshaped our world, creating small islands of privilege amidst large masses of the destitute and depriving us of a politics that would offer a serious alternative to the present.Trade Review"Badiou�s short book on the roots of recent terrorist attacks can be compared to a single long cinematographic take, which begins with a close-up of an object and then gradually withdraws, so that we see its historical context. This wider context is the dynamics of global capitalism and it is only from such a perspective that we can locate the causes of the attacks. The book reads like a theoretical detective fiction - it is simply unputdownable." Slavoj Zizek

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Book SynopsisThe Russian Revolution is remembered as the catalyst for the bloody conflict between the Reds and the Whites as each side tried to gain control of the country. But it was far from being so simple. The conflict did not only involve the Russians. The author contemplates whether the Russians could have capitulated to Germany and whether in fact Russia was ever in any condition to carry on the fight even before the revolution began, examining whether a collapse of the war in the east would lead to Allied defeat in the west. The effect of the revolution and the civil war went far beyond the borders of the enormous Russian Empire and far beyond the end of the Great War and the civil war, not least of all whom the millions of subject peoples and races supported: the Reds, the Whites, the Germans, or none. The conflict in Russia between 1917 and 1922 is a fascinating and complex period of history but the brutally colourful cast of characters-Tsar Nicholas II, Brusilov, Kerensky, Lenin, Trotsy, Stalin and Churchill-would make a violent impact on the world stage for a century to come.

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Book Synopsis“Investigative reporting at its best. Mark Shaw’s original work into the questionable deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen is now focused on the many unanswered questions left by the Warren Commission’s inquiry into the JFK assassination. Fighting for Justice has to be read.” —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino Packed with shocking new evidence, Fighting for Justice exposes the cover-ups of the JFK assassination and the murders of Dorothy Kilgallen and Marilyn Monroe, while revealing for the first time the corrupt inner workings of the Warren Commission based on the firsthand “whistleblower” account of an actual Commission member never identified before.How does an explosive “whistleblower” account from a Warren Commission (WC) member never identified before destroy once and for all the biggest lie in American history, the “Oswald Alone” theory? On what basis did the member admit, “It’s more than Oswald. There is internal corruption on the Commission. I do not agree with the Report”? Is the “whistleblower” the same one who surreptitiously passed Jack Ruby’s WC testimony to journalist Dorothy Kilgallen prior to its release date? And how did President Lyndon Johnson and J. Edgar Hoover strong arm the commission to prevent any investigation of the truth about who killed JFK and why? Based on fifteen years of research, answers to these questions and more are uncovered in Fighting for Justice, bestselling author and noted historian Mark Shaw’s improbable journey to exposing cover-ups of the JFK assassination while proving Marilyn Monroe and Kilgallen were murdered.

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed book by Jonathan Mayo, now available in paperback"Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller." Dermot O'Leary This is the story of JFK's assassination as told from the frontline: it is about the people - from the highest to the lowest - who were caught up in that four-day whirlwind in November 1963.From Dallas nightclub reporter Tony Zoppi, who found himself carrying the president's casket; Secret Service agent Clint Hill beating his hands in despair on the trunk of the limousine as he watches Kennedy die; Howard Brennan, a construction worker on a lunch break watching a man take aim on the motorcade with a rifle; reporter Hugh Aynesworth with only an electricity bill on which to write notes for the scoop of his career; DJ John Peel a few feet from Oswald as he's questioned by the press; to Robert Kennedy sitting in the dark in the back of an empty army truck, waiting for his brother's body to arrive.The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute is pure chronological narrative, giving a blow by blow account of the terrible events as they unfolded."Packed with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last." Jeremy VineTrade ReviewPacked with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered on the radio, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last. * Jeremy Vine *Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller. * Dermot O'Leary *Packed with vivid detail, and arranged in the minute by minute style that Jonathan Mayo has pioneered on the radio, this account of the murder of John F Kennedy gripped me from the first page to the last.Reads like a pacey, page-turning, cold war political thriller.

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Book Synopsis'Cyber war is coming,' announced a landmark RAND report in 1993. In 2005, the U.S. Air Force boasted it would now fly, fight, and win in cyberspace, the 'fifth domain' of warfare. This book takes stock, twenty years on: is cyber war really coming? Has war indeed entered the fifth domain?Cyber War Will Not Take Place cuts through the hype and takes a fresh look at cyber security. Thomas Rid argues that the focus on war and winning distracts from the real challenge of cyberspace: non-violent confrontation that may rival or even replace violence in surprising ways.The threat consists of three different vectors: espionage, sabotage, and subversion. The author traces the most significant hacks and attacks, exploring the full spectrum of case studies from the shadowy world of computer espionage and weaponised code. With a mix of technical detail and rigorous political analysis, the book explores some key questions: What are cyber weapons? How have they changed the meaning of violence? How likely and how dangerous is crowd-sourced subversive activity? Why has there never been a lethal cyber attack against a country's critical infrastructure?How serious is the threat of 'pure' cyber espionage, of exfiltrating data without infiltrating humans first? And who is most vulnerable: which countries, industries, individuals?Trade ReviewIn Cyber War Will Not Take Place, Thomas Rid throws a well-timed bucket of cold water on an increasingly alarmist debate. Just as strategic bombing never fulfilled its promise, and even air power at its apogee -- Kosovo in 1999, or Libya two years ago -- only worked with old-fashioned boots on the ground, Rid argues that the promise of cyber war is equally illusory... What Rid does, with great skill, is to pivot the discussion away from cyber war and towards cyber weapons.' -Financial Times; 'Thomas Rid is one of Britain's leading authorities on, and sceptics about, cyber-warfare. His provocatively titled book attacks the hype and mystique about sabotage, espionage, subversion and other mischief on the internet. Rid agrees that these present urgent security problems but he dislikes talk of "warfare" and the militarisation of the debate about dangers in cyberspace. Computer code can do lots of things, but it is not a weapon of war.' - The Economist; 'This book will be welcomed by all those who have struggled to get the measure of the cyber-war threat. As Thomas Rid takes on the digital doomsters he also provides a comprehensive, authoritative and sophisticated analysis of the strategic quandaries created by the new technologies.' -Sir Lawrence Freedman, Professor of War Studies, King's College London

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Book SynopsisThe Northern Ireland conflict was one of the most bloody, protracted, and bitter campaigns of terrorist violence in modern history. Rooted in the partition of Ireland in 1921, over 50,000 people were killed or seriously injured because of the hostilities between Catholic nationalists and Protestant unionists. Despite the landmark Good Friday Agreement in 1998, violent incidents are still rife and new paramilitary groups are becoming ever more emboldened. This landmark introduction uses the latest archival material to chart the history of “The Troubles” and to examine the possible factors behind the political compromise of Sinn Fein and the DUP. Exploring the legacy of sectarian violence and inconsistent British intervention, the authors assert that, unfortunately, Northern Ireland is perhaps as fiercely segregated as ever.

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Book SynopsisIntroduction: Nakba(S) that Killed All the Norms.- Where will Separation Lead?: The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and Future Prospects.- Israel's Ongoing Annexation of East Jerusalem: Oppressing Palestinian National Sentiments Before and After October 7.- Culture and Resistance in Palestine: Rap Music from Gaza.- In the Shadow of Israel's Prosperity: The Illiberal History of the Liberal International Order.- How Public Opinion in Israel Shifted: Insights From Post-Cross-Border Attack Opinion Pollshow Public Opinion in Israel Shifted: Insights from Post-Cross-Border Attack Opinion Polls.- From the Oil Weapon to Mediation Diplomacy: An Examination of the Gulf States' Responses to the Gaza War- The Myth of Vertical Integration of Regional Conflict: Iran and the Axis of Resistance.- Gaza War 2023-2024 and Reactions from Neighboring Countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.- The Gaza War from the Perspective of International Law.- Japan's Foreign Policy Regarding the Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Palestinian Question from the Perspective of Three Factors.

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Book SynopsisA heartbreaking, powerful true story from Britain''s most-loved foster carer, perfect for fans of Cathy Glass and Casey Watson.When a terrified young girl is discovered hiding in the back of a lorry, she is quickly taken into the care of social services. Arriving on the doorstep of foster carer Maggie Hartley, she is painfully thin, bruised and unable to speak a word of English. What atrocities has she escaped to bring her here? Woken each night by the screams of Halima''s nightmares, Maggie is desperate to reach this damaged young girl. But without a shared language, she fears that she may never uncover the truth behind her terror.Can Maggie help Halima recover from the horrors she has endured, and help her build a new life for herself? Or will Halima forever be haunted by the ghosts of her past?

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Greenberg . . . a longtime critic of expanded state power after 9/11, draws a straight line between the early U.S. response to the attacks and the abuses of the Trump administration."---Quinta Jurecic, Washington Post"Subtle Tools strikes a . . . note of guarded hope for the rule of law against populist lawlessness."---Jonathan Stevenson, Survival"This is an expertly researched cri de coeur regarding recapturing the processes and procedures of American democracy, which Greenberg (Fordham Univ. School of Law) argues were lost in the 20 years between the 9/11 attacks and the present." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisAs one of al-Qaeda’s most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden. As a double agent at the heart of al-Qaeda’s chemical weapons programme, he foiled attacks on civilians and saved countless lives, brushing with death so often that his handlers began to call him their spy with nine lives. This is the story of how a young Muslim, determined to defend his faith, found himself fighting on the wrong side – and his fateful decision to work undercover for his sworn enemy. From the killing fields of Bosnia to the training camps of Afghanistan, from running money and equipment in Britain to dodging barrel bombs in Syria, we discover what life is like inside the global jihad, and what it will take to stop it once and for all.Trade Review‘Nerve-shredding.’ * Daily Mail *‘It is rare that Western secret services place an agent within an organisation such as al-Qaida… It is unprecedented that any such individual publishes a detailed memoir of more than a decade of his activity at very nearly the highest possible levels of Islamist militancy.’ * Observer *‘A major contribution to the literature of espionage, and a rare book to say something original about contemporary jihadism.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘An endlessly fascinating portrayal of al-Qaeda and the jihadist movement before and after 9/11…a thrill ride of an autobiography…Nine Lives is also an exquisite portrait of what it is like to be a secret agent caught in limbo between the West and the Middle East… A must-read for anyone who seriously wants to end the scourge of jihadi terrorism in the West and the East.’ * New York Journal of Books *‘A compelling and invaluable account of life inside al-Qaeda through the eyes of a first-rate spy. This unique narrative throws open the shutters of the secret world of terror.’ -- Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower‘Aimen Dean has been on most of the major jihadist battlefields of the past three decades and met many of the most significant figures… Not only a gripping page-turner, but also an extraordinary contemporary history of the global terror threat.’ -- Raffaello Pantucci, author of “We Love Death As You Love Life”: Britain’s Suburban Terrorists‘This captivating real-life spy-thriller is a must-read to understand the enduring threat of global terror. It provides a fascinating account of one of the most lethal terrorist groups, from the unique perspective of a courageous double agent – an excellent read all round.’ -- Ali Soufan, former FBI Special Agent and author of Anatomy of Terror and The Black Banners‘One of the most extraordinary, captivating and insightful accounts of involvement in the violent global jihad. For many years, Aimen Dean risked his life time and time again, penetrated the leadership of al-Qaeda and saved many lives. Britain owes him a debt of gratitude. A seminal book.’ -- Richard Walton, Head of Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), New Scotland Yard, 2011–2016‘An incisive history of the war on terrorism and a riveting true-life thriller… An important book that sheds new light on al-Qaeda’s violent trajectory and its continued, stubborn resilience.’ -- Professor Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, and author of Inside Terrorism‘A must-read for anyone interested in the inside story of the last two decades of the so-called War on Terror. This book defies easy classification. Is it an insightful book on intelligence tradecraft? Certainly so. Is it an important primer on the evolution of radical jihadism? Without question. Is it a key resource for our understanding of counter-terrorism policy and practice in the twenty-first century? Absolutely.’ -- Dr Vince Houghton, Historian and Curator, International Spy Museum, Washington, DC‘Nine Lives provides a stunning inside account of the making of a senior al-Qaeda operative, who trained with the organization’s master bomb-maker and WMD-specialist, who turned into an MI6 spy, foiling terrorist plots and uncovering al-Qaeda networks. The story of Aimen Dean is as close as you’ll ever get to the real thing. The book provides unique intelligence insights into the inner workings of al-Qaeda before and after 9/11. It also reveals how MI6 used him as one of its most valuable intelligence weapons in the global war on terrorism.’ -- Dr Magnus Ranstorp, Research Director, Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies, Swedish Defence University, and Quality Manager, EU Radicalisation Awareness Network, Centre of Excellence‘This is the most fascinating book about al-Qaeda I’ve read in a long time. It is a realistic and down-to earth account of al-Qaeda’s chemical weapons programme, told by one of its insiders. It’s a must-read for everyone who wants to understand al-Qaeda and the evolution of international terrorism.’ -- Anne Stenersen, author of Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Al-Qaida’s Quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Book SynopsisHamas won an overwhelming electoral victory in January 2006, overturning many assumptions regionally and globally. Branded as terrorist by Israel and the West, it is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organization, formed fifteen years ago at the beginning of the first intifada. Its short-term objective is to drive Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza, an aim it hopes to realize through attacks on Israeli troops and settlers in the Occupied Territories and - more controversially - civilians. It also has the long-term aim of establishing an Islamic state on all of historic Palestine. In the post-Oslo world, Hamas gained power and influence as Israel steadily destroyed the power structure of the avowedly secular Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Authority. A grass-roots organization that commands wide respect among Palestinians for its incorruptibility, Hamas is divided into two main sections, one responsible for establishing schools, hospitals and religious institutions, the other for military action and terror attacks carried out by its armed underground wing the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. This book charts the origins of Hamas among the Muslim Brotherhood, details the influence of its exiled leadership in Syria and elsewhere, and sets out its internal structure and political objectives. This new edition includes an additional chapter covering events since the book's original publication in November 2006.Trade ReviewThis is an important book, and I encourage both Israelis and diaspora Jews to read it. -- Gabrielle Rifkind, Specialist in Conflict Resolution and Human SecurityAn excellent history, deeply researched, the story is dramatic, and Tamimi tells it well... gives access to fascinating detail. -- Victoria Brittain * Palestine News *In this trenchant history spanning from the first days of the 1987 intifada to the sweeping democratic victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian elections of January 2006, London-based scholar Tamimi argues that seeing Hamas as merely another face of Al Qaeda obscures more than it elucidates. A successor to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas comes out of a transnational Islamic reform movement that grew among Palestinians in the 1970s, largely in reaction to Arab nationalism's failure to champion the Palestinian cause. Increasingly, against a string of failed peace processes and the corruption and concessions of the PLO-led secular leadership, Hamas's popular support has rested heavily on its stance as a militant resistance movement wedded to the Palestinian dream of regaining pre-1948 Palestine, and as provider of essential social services. Tamimi draws extensively on the words of insiders in carefully charting and contextualizing the development of Hamas's highly resilient organization, shifting outlook and embrace of various tactics, including the offer of a truce with Israel and, most controversially, suicide bombing. It will be a key resource in English for any serious assessment of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. * Publishers Weekly starred review *Provides facts on Hamas' struggle in Palestine from real sources in the organisation. * Malaysian National News Agency *Tamimi's book is the most authoritative account yet published of the origins, rise and impact of Hamas. -- Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief, Al-Quds Al-Arabi

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Book SynopsisThe world’s leading expert on Osama bin Laden delivers for the first time the “riveting” (The New York Times) definitive biography of a man who set the course of American foreign policy for the 21st century and whose ideological heirs we continue to battle today.In The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden, Peter Bergan provides the first reevaluation of the man responsible for precipitating America’s long war with al-Qaeda and its decedents, capturing bin Laden in all the dimensions of his life: as a family man, as a zealot, as a battlefield commander, as a terrorist leader, and as a fugitive. The book sheds light on his many contradictions: he was the son of a billionaire yet insisted his family live like paupers. He adored his wives and children, depending on his two wives, both of whom had PhDs, to make critical strategic decisions. Yet, he also brought ruin to his family. He was fanatically religious but willing to kill thousands of civilians in the name of Islam. He inspired deep loyalty, yet, in the end, his bodyguards turned against him. And while he inflicted the most lethal act of mass murder in United States history, he failed to achieve any of his strategic goals. In his final years, the lasting image we have of bin Laden is of an aging man with a graying beard watching old footage of himself, just as another dad flipping through the channels with his remote. In the end, bin Laden died in a squalid suburban compound, far from the front lines of his holy war. And yet, despite that unheroic denouement, his ideology lives on. Thanks to exclusive interviews with family members and associates, and documents unearthed only recently, Bergen’s “comprehensive, authoritative, and compelling” (H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World) portrait of Osama bin Laden reveals for the first time who he really was and why he continues to inspire a new generation of jihadists.Trade Review"Meticulously documented, fluidly written and replete with riveting detail... Equally revealing about the Americans and their pursuit of him." — The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) "Of the raft of books that are marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and its aftermath, few are likely to be as meticulously documented, as fluidly written or as replete with riveting detail as Peter Bergen’s The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden... A page-turner." — The New York Times Book Review "The portrait [Bergen] draws is intimate and detailed."— The Washington Post "The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden does much more than reveal a human side to a mass murderer, offering the general reader an authoritative and convincing portrait of a man whose misdeeds changed all our lives in many ways, none for the better." — The Guardian "Comprehensive, authoritative, and compelling." — H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World

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Book SynopsisA leading foreign correspondent looks at how social media has transformed the modern battlefield, and how wars are foughtModern warfare is a war of narratives, where bullets are fired both physically and virtually. Whether you are a president or a terrorist, if you don''t understand how to deploy the power of social media effectively you may win the odd battle but you will lose a twenty-first century war. Here, journalist David Patrikarakos draws on unprecedented access to key players to provide a new narrative for modern warfare. He travels thousands of miles across continents to meet a de-radicalized female member of ISIS recruited via Skype, a liberal Russian in Siberia who takes a job manufacturing Ukrainian news, and many others to explore the way social media has transformed the way we fight, win, and consume wars-and what this means for the world going forward.Trade ReviewImportant and accessible....A relatable, even enjoyable, introduction to the way the battlefield has moved onto our phones and laptops, and from there directly into our brains. War in 140 Characters is a necessary read for everyone affected by this baffling state of affairs. * Washington Post *War in 140 Characters details a new kind of conflict that puts military dominance at risk by weaponizing social media in ways that Silicon Valley's digital optimists never imagined...Offers vivid profiles of individuals on both sides of the battlefield. * Wall Street Journal *War in 140 Characters is filled with fantastic on-the-ground reporting on how social media is changing war. It is worth reading for anyone trying to comprehend Russian disinformation campaigns-and to help us anticipate the social media challenges of future wars. * Financial Times *Thrilling...War In 140 Characters offers us the first substantial steps of clarity in the digital maelstrom. * Forbes *Highly readable...Patrikarakos asks searching questions and never overstates his case. * Foreign Affairs *This is not the future of war, but what war is like right now as exposed in this bold, original account of the front lines...War in 140 Characters is no dense tech book, but a gripping war book...It is only a matter of time before the British Army will be fighting on this terrain; War in 140 Characters should be mandatory reading at Sandhurst. * The Times (UK) *Thoughtful and immensely enjoyable...A timely reminder that journalism...is a small-and vital-part of the solution. * Newsweek *What fascinates Patrikarakos, a widely traveled foreign correspondent, is how social media are changing the nature of armed conflict...This is our new reality, and War in 140 Characters is an excellent guide to it. * Weekly Standard *In his highly readable new book War in 140 Characters, David Patrikarakos examines how social media has impacted armed conflict in the 21st century...War in 140 Characters is an important effort to understand why the 21st century does not look like we had fervently hoped it would. * American Interest *The book is a fast-paced read exploring the power of the individual in shaping the narrative of war online...As Patrikarakos's timely work shows, determining who won and who lost depends on where you stand. * The Times of Israel *

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Book Synopsis“As good a second-by-second reconstruction of the assassination and its aftermath as I’ve read.” Bryan Burrough, The New York TimesTrade Review"...the inclusion of a detailed timeline and extensive interviews make Parkland a valuable resource." -- Glasgow Herald

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Book SynopsisWhat is the definition of assassination? Robert Baer's boss at the CIA once told him, 'It's a bullet with a man's name on it.' Sometimes assassination is the senseless act of a psychotic, a bloodletting without social value. Other times, it can be the sanest and most humane way to change the course of conflict: one bullet, one death, case closed. Assassination has been dramatised by literature and politicised by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents ever to work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to India and beyond. In THE PERFECT KILL, he takes us on a wildly entertaining narrative adventure through a history of political murder, interweaving his first-hand experience and his decades-long cat-and-mouse hunt for the greatest assassin of the modern age. A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain to give a glimpse of the underbelly of world politics, and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society.Trade ReviewThe Perfect Kill is a meditation on the art of political murder. Baer knows his subject -- ED CAESAR * SUNDAY TIMES *This potted history of assassination, with its carefully worded anecdotes and sense of absolute authenticity is intriguing, terrifying and occasionally lightened by the author's drily black sense of humour -- Russel D McLean * GLASGOW HERALD *riveting and insightful * BIGNEWSNETWORK.COM *

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Book SynopsisThis book traces the political development of 'dissident' Irish republicanism from the beginnings of the peace process. Based on extensive interviews with activists, it offers an insight into the ideology and motivation of a wide range of radical republican groups and analyses how serious a challenge they mount to the status quo in Ireland.Trade Review'"Dissident" Irish republicanism remains a phenomenon of enduring significance. McGlinchey's book draws on extensive interviews with activists, and their vivid expressions of political commitment will be of interest to all scholars and students of this contentious subject.'Richard English, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen's University Belfast and author of Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA'At a time of renewed Brexit-related political instability in Northern Ireland, McGlinchey has produced a timely and fascinating work. Anyone who has ever asked the question about "dissident" republicans - who are they and what do they think? - will find the answer here. McGlinchey, who started out as an expert on constitutional nationalism, has opened up a new significant area of research.'Lord Paul Bew, Professor of Irish Politics, Queen's University Belfast'Among some of the most impressive aspects of this kaleidoscopic account of violent dissident Irish republicanism are the primary sources. The author deserves fulsome praise for conducting close to 100 individual interviews with the key actors. This alone is a remarkable feat, but combined with penetrating analysis and objective insight into very controversial subject matter, this book will stand the test of time as a history of one strand of republicanism that still stalks the peace process. Unfinished Business will be hard to match in terms of shining light into the dark corners of the armed republican tradition in Ireland - an illuminating and fascinating read.'Henry McDonald, author and Guardian journalist'Unfinished business is a timely study on republicanism given the prominence in the news of the least politically thoughtful group of republicans to emerge since the Good Friday Agreement - the New IRA and its cohorts. [...] Doubtless, there will be future books on this very topic but the shoulders of the giant they will stand upon is Unfinished business.'Anthony McIntyre, The Pensive Quill, March 2020 -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Who are the ‘dissidents’? Motivations and aspirations: the drawing of the fault lines2 The varied strands of ‘dissident’ republicanism: ideology and disunity3 Ceasefires and decommissioning4 The Good Friday Agreement and the disruption of ‘normalisation’5 Current armed republicanism6 2007: policing, a step too far7 Legitimacy and mandatesConclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisThe time is right to learn what really happened on 9/11. The time is right to unearth what has been deliberately withheld from the public. Nearly twenty years ago, on 11 September 2001, four passenger aircraft were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon near Washington, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people were killed. The narrative in the weeks and months that followed seemed straightforward: the attacks had been masterminded by al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, an embittered terrorist with an abiding hatred of the West. But, as the twenty-year anniversary approaches, that neat explanation still fails to answer some important questions surrounding that fateful day. How did World Trade Center Building 7 - 100 yards from the Twin Towers - collapse so quickly and symmetrically when it had not been hit?How could two rogue aircraft bring down three towers?Did the US government help orchestrate the attacks as an 'inside job'? 9/11: The Conspiracy Theories seeks the truth - not only of what we do know about 9/11, but also what has been intentionally hidden from us. Researching these stories with the help of strong first-person reporting and an in-depth examination of documentation released under freedom-of-information protocols, this book sheds new light on one of history's most tragic and troubling episodes, which shattered for ever the myth of America as a country immune to international terrorism.

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Book SynopsisBest-selling, Oxford-educated investigative author Joseph P. Farrell takes on the Kennedy assassination and the involvement of Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Texas machine that he controlled. Farrell says that a coalescence of interests in the military industrial complex, the CIA, and Lyndon Baines Johnson''s powerful and corrupt political machine in Texas led to the event culminating in the assassination. Without the help of the Dallas police chief and others of the Texas underworld, including Jack Ruby, the Kennedy assassination could not have taken place. Farrell analyzes the data as only he can, and comes to some astonishing conclusions. Topics include: Oswald, the FBI, and the CIA: Hoover''s Concern of a Second Oswald; Oswald and the Anti-Castro Cubans; The Mafia; Hoover, Johnson, and the Mob; The FBI, the Secret Service, Hoover, and Johnson; The CIA and Murder Incorporated; Ruby''s Bizarre Behavior; The French Connection and Permindex; Big Oil; The Military; Disturbing Datasets, Doppelgängers, Duplicates and Discrepancies; Two Caskets, Two (or was that Three?) Ambulances, One Body: The Case of David S. Lifton; Two (or is that Three?) Faces of Oswald; Too Many (or Was That Too Few?) Bullets; Too Many Films, with Too Many, or Too Few, Frames; The Dead Witnesses: Jack Zangretti, Maurice Brooks Gatlin, John Garret Gary Underhill, Guy F. Bannister, Jr., Mary Pinchot Meyer, Rose Cheramie, Dorothy Mae Killgallen, Congressman Hale Boggs; The Alchemy of the Assassination: Ritual Magic and Murder, Masonic Symbolism, and the Darkest Players in the Death of JFK; LBJ and the Planning of the Texas Trip; LBJ: A Study in Character, Connections, and Cabals; LBJ and the Aftermath: Accessory After the Fact; The Requirements of Coups D''État; more.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Foreign Affairs' Picks for Best of Books 2018"

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Book SynopsisDiscover this lyrical, sweeping and powerful book on the Bhutto family, an extraordinary, Kennedy-esque dynasty that is central to the story of modern Pakistan.In September 1996, a fourteen-year-old Fatima Bhutto hid in a windowless dressing room, shielding her baby brother while shots rang out in the streets outside the family home in Karachi. This was the evening that her father Murtaza was murdered, along with six of his associates. In December 2007, Benazir Bhutto, Fatima''s aunt, and the woman she had publically accused of ordering her father''s murder, was assassinated in Rawalpindi. It was the latest in a long line of tragedies for one of the world''s best known political dynasties. Songs of Blood and Sword tells the story of a family of rich feudal landlords - the proud descendents of a warrior caste - who became powerbrokers in the newly created state of Pakistan. The history of this extraordinary family mirrors the tumultuous events of PakistaTrade ReviewPowerful * Telegraph magazine *Fascinating -- Eithne Farry * Marie Claire *She is a compassionate and brave campaigner who ought to be heard -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler *The purpose of this painful biography is admirable and touching -- Brenda Maddox * The Times *A story with dazzling twists and turns told by a true-blue member of the Bhutto fold, with its family history of idealism, political betrayal, murder, hubris and paranaoia -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *

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Book Synopsis''Gripping ... revelatory ... unrivalled'' Tom Holland, New Statesman''From Mosul to Melbourne, from Cairo to Tokyo, from London to Oslo, from Connecticut to California: Graeme Wood''s quest to understand the Islamic State is a round-the-world journey to the end of the night'' Niall Ferguson ''A hugely important book ... Indispensable'' David Aaronovitch, The TimesA radical rethinking of what ISIS is and what it really wantsFrom Graeme Wood, author of the explosive Atlantic cover story What ISIS Really Wants, comes the definitive book on the history, psychology, character, and aims of the Islamic State. Based on Wood''s unprecedented access to supporters, recruiters, and high-ranking members of the most infamous jihadist group in the world, The Way of the Strangers is a riveting, fast-paced deep dive into the apocalyptic dogma that informs the group''s worldview, from the ideas that motivate it, to the fatwa factory Trade ReviewGripping, sobering and revelatory ... Unrivalled -- Tom Holland * New Statesman *[A] hugely important book ... Indispensable -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Fascinating ... Highly readable ... The western military with its superior firepower can bomb Isis out of existence in Raqqa and Mosul as much as it likes, but we won't destroy the ideology if we don't understand what it is. This book goes a long way towards filling that gap -- Christina Lamb * Sunday Times *Indispensable and gripping .... Wood's quest to understand the Islamic State is a round-the-world journey to the end of the night. As individuals, the men he encounters are misfits, even losers. But their millenarian Islamist ideology makes them the most dangerous people on the planet. -- Niall Ferguson

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Book Synopsis''One of our best-known living philosophers'' GuardianHow do we respond to the refugee crisis - by opening our doors, or pulling up the drawbridge? Both solutions, argues Slavoj Žižek, offer ideological blackmail, and both are wrong. He proposes that instead we see the crisis as an opportunity: a unique chance for Europe to redefine itself and its future. ''Žižek identifies the refugee crisis as one of the major global challenges of our time ... he argues for a politics of solidarity'' The Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisNearly three thousand people died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In Lower Manhattan, on a field in Pennsylvania, and along the banks of the Potomoc, the United States suffered the single largest loss of life from an enemy attack on its soil.Trade Review"A document of historic sweep and almost unprecedented detail." -- Washington Post"Meticulous in its reconstruction and unflinching in its conclusions." -- Time

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Book SynopsisA riveting story about the murder that changed a nation: the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.Trade Review"...a riveting new book about the prime minister and his murderer." -- Ian Black - The Guardian"Vividly written and sharply insightful, Killing a King is an important and valuable addition to our understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." -- Literary Review"A clear-eyed account…captures the way politics in this young and tiny country are uniquely and deeply personal." -- The Economist"Exceptional...an electrifying political narrative twinned with an old-fashioned crime story—of the sort that ought to be taught in journalism schools for its restraint, pacing and expert creation of suspense...The book is a Greek tragedy told in split screen, a frame-for-frame chronicle of a deplorable death foretold." -- Jennifer Senior - The New York Times"...compelling..." -- Jewish News"... Ephron's fascinating study..." -- The Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisPublished to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Britain’s worst terrorist attack

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Book SynopsisAhmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist who reports for the BBC Online, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The New York Review of Books, Spain's El Mundo and newspapers in Pakistan. He broadcasts regularly with the BBC, CNN and other international news organisations. He has twice been selected for the list of 'Top 100 Global Thinkers' by Foreign Policy. He has been covering the wars in Afghanistan, as well as the wars in Pakistan and Tajikistan, since 1979. He is the author of Descent into Chaos and Jihad.Trade Review[Rashid is] Pakistan’s best and bravest reporter. -- Christopher Hitchens, Vanity FairA must read. -- Larry P. Goodson, New York Times[A] supremely insightful book about Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. . . . Rashid bases his account on detailed reporting and travel throughout Afghanistan and interviews with most of the Taliban’s elusive top leadership. As a narrative, it is gripping. . . . Rashid’s book is superbly reported, a window into a world that remains largely closed to American eyes. -- Shankar Vedantam, Philadelphia InquirerRashid’s densely detailed reportage portrays a country in ruins and the people who seek to control it. . . . Anyone contemplating new adventures in Afghanistan—whether to save its women from persecution, rescue the state from further fragmentation or save themselves from terrorist backlash—might first consult Rashid’s book. -- Paula R. Newberg, San Francisco ChronicleThe standard work in English on the Taliban. -- Christopher de Bellaigue, New York Review of Books[A] thorough, authoritative exegesis. -- Peter Bergen, Washington Post Book WorldThe author describes the insights he has gained, through personal experience of Afghanistan over the past decade, into the secretive and bizarre Taliban leadership. -- Richard Beeston, New StatesmanRead this remarkable book and the bewildering complexity of Afghan politics and the deadly over-spill of chaos, narcotics and sectarian violence into the surrounding region will become clear. -- Patrick Seale, Sunday TimesThe first credible account of the rise to power of the Taliban. -- Tariq Ali, New Left ReviewRashid has a feel for the characters in this imbroglio, who are as outlandish as any from the old Great Game. -- Rupert Edis, Sunday Telegraphthe book they are all reading. -- The Guardian[An] excellent study -- Financial TimesIt took our political classes an unconscionable time to wake up to the importance of Ahmed Rashid’s definitive study of the Taliban. The book has been a phenomenal success. -- The Independenta chilling and masterly study of the Taliban. -- Times Literary SupplementIt is the contention of Mr. Rashid’s very capable book on the Taliban that the outside world ignores Afghanistan at its peril -- James Buchan, Evening StandardAn excellent political and historical account of the movement’s rise to power. -- Katha Pollitt, The NationAhmed Rashid’s book describes the stuff that Bond [films] are made of. Warring tribes, clashing empires, fanatics with dreams of world domination, violence and sex. . If anyone understands the place Rashid does. -- Jason Burke, ObserverRashid tells a complicated story clearly. He places the rise of the Taliban in the context of the Afghan civil war, the energy polices of the Central Asian republics and the interests of American, Saudi and Pakistani intelligence services. -- Robin Banerji, Daily TelegraphThis is a riveting, balanced and well-informed book. -- International Herald TribuneIn this excellent, highly readable book, Ahmed Rashid succeeds in mixing detailed analysis not only with anecdote but also with a heartfelt sympathy for innocent peoples who for decades have been caught up in games of international rivalry and who appear fated to remain forever in a Hobbesian state of war. -- Roger Howard, SpectatorRashid has written the most thorough account of the Taliban to date, and has enclosed it within a history of Afghanistan relating back to the Great Game. -- Neil Quilliam, BRISMES NewsletterThanks to Ahmed Rashid’s analysis of the manoeuvrings of companies and governments, oil executives now have an up-to-date bible. and those interested in the new Turkic republics can get a sense of where these mysterious entities may be heading. -- Michael Church, Independent[Taliban] is said to have had a deep influence on Tony Blair’s current thinking. It has also become the focus of intensive diplomatic scrutiny as US policy makers scramble to formulate plans for a stable regime to succeed the Taliban. -- Timur Moon, Sunday ExpressThe most important book of the year. -- Bianca Jagger ‘A Good Read’, BBC Radio 4This is a fine book – erudite, concise, surefooted, packed with information and insightful, easy to read. -- Dilip Hiro, Middle East InternationalRequired reading not only for specialists, but for anyone who wishes to learn how the wider world contributed to the emergence of a parish regime from the wreckage of Afghans’ courageous struggle against the armed forces of the Soviet Union. -- William Maley, The World Today[A] valuable and informative work. -- Richard Bernstein, New York TimesAhmed Rashid is to be complimented for this factual, readable and thought provoking work. -- Asian NewsA fabulous piece of journalism. -- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm and FireThe best book on the Taliban. -- L. Carl Brown, Foreign AffairsVirtually the only informed work on the men who, since 1994, have ruled almost all of Afghanistan. . . . [An] indispensable book. -- Steve Wasserman, Los Angeles Times Book ReviewTable of ContentsPreface and Introduction to the Third Edition Preface and Acknowledgements Maps Introduction: Afghanistan's Holy Warriors Part 1: History of the Taliban Movement Chapter 1 Kandahar 1994: The Origins of the Taliban Chapter 2 Herat 1995: God’s Invincible Soldiers Chapter 3 Kabul 1996: Commander of the Faithful Chapter 4 Mazar-e-Sharif 1997: Massacre in the North Chapter 5 Bamiyan 1998–99: The Never-Ending War Part 2: Islam and the Taliban Chapter 6 Challenging Islam: The New-Style Fundamentalism of the Taliban Chapter 7 Secret Society: The Taliban’s Political and Military Organization Chapter 8 A Vanished Gender: Women, Children and Taliban Culture Chapter 9 High on Heroin: Drugs and the Taliban Economy Chapter 10 Global Jihad: The Arab-Afghans and Osama Bin Laden Part 3: The New Great Game Chapter 11 Dictators and Oil Barons: The Taliban and Central Asia, Russia, Turkey and Israel Chapter 12 Romancing the Taliban 1: The Battle for Pipelines 1994–96 Chapter 13 Romancing the Taliban 2: The Battle for Pipelines 1997–99 – The USA and the Taliban Chapter 14 Master or Victim: Pakistan’s Afghan War Chapter 15 Shia Versus Sunni: Iran and Saudi Arabia Chapter 16 Conclusion: The Future of Afghanistan Chapter 17 The Taliban Resurgent 2000–2009 Appendices Notes

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Book SynopsisTerrorism and WMDs: Awareness and Response, Third Edition is fully updated to include the latest technology and tactics surrounding the threats posed by terrorist groupsâdetailing plausible contexts in which chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons could be used by such actors.Experienced author Gus Martin has collaborated on updating this resource, with two new chapters at the start of the book outlining the historical origins of terrorism, terrorist typologies, and the evolution of the modern terrorist environment including large-scale regional conflicts and domestic violent extremism in the United States. Additional coverage of new case studies have been added throughout. This includes an examination of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and additional events that have occurred since the last editionâs release. Domestic U.S. threatsâfrom

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Book SynopsisCounter Terrorism Issues: Case Studies in the Courtroom, Second Edition presents a panoramic view of the American judiciary's handling of domestic terrorism in the last 30 years. As has played out in recent history, the American legal profession and judicial system bear a unique responsibility to set and maintain the balance between defending homeland security and protecting the civil liberties outlined in the Bill of Rights. These competing interests will continue to collide as the threats to our safety grow.The book examines some of the most notorious casesthe two attacks on the World Trade Center, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Fort Hood massacre. Updates from the First Edition include a reflection on the Boston Marathon bombing, as well as an examination of the events of January 6, 2021, the subsequent legal proceedings and convictions of those involved in the assault on the U.S. Capitol, and the danger arising from increased domestic extremism and vio

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a comprehensive and insightful look into the evolution of U.S. Homeland Security, from its early roots to the post-9/11 era. Drawing on their extensive experience as law enforcement professionals, the authors offer a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs of this critical field.Students seeking degreesâwith the goal of a careerâin Homeland Security roles, need a comprehensive and foundational understanding of the history of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its predecessor agencies. This includes a detailed accounting of the elaboration of security policies and strategies as they developed in the United States, both before and after the formation of DHS, highlighting the challenges posed by both natural and human-caused threats.Beyond a historical retrospective, this book equips students with the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to assess the effectiveness of past and present homeland security initiatives. By u

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Book SynopsisFrom the glamour of Kennedy's presidency to the enigma of Lee Oswald and the murky world of Jack Ruby, learn their motivations, and see the shadows that continue to linger over one of the most significant moments in modern history. Unraveling the threads of the Cold War and the Cuban conflict, this historical backdrop fuels the paranoid tension leading up to that fateful day in Dallas, and offers fresh perspectives on a pivotal period in American history. Explore the Kennedy legacy. In an era marked by skepticism towards powerful institutions, Kennedy's legacy compels us to question, analyze, and seek transparency. JFK's assassination emerges as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked power

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA visceral, riveting, no-holds-barred military memoir told from the front line of the war against ISIS with a foreword by Andy McNab. In the summer of 2014 the world watched in horror as the black flag of ISIS swept all before it. Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq fell, ISIS proclaimed the caliphate and the horror mounted: from the mass murder, rape and enslavement of the Yazidis to the public beheading of journalists by British jihadis. For Macer Gifford it wasn''t enough to ask why more wasn''t being done, he knew he had to act. So, he left his job in the city, split from his girlfriend and a few weeks later found himself illegally crossing the border into Syria to join the Kurdish YPG in their fight against the savagery of ISIS.Macer Gifford became one of longest serving British International Volunteers and one of the only few to be promoted to be a Commander in the YPG. He fought alongside the Kurds (and their Syrian Allies) for three long tours of duTrade ReviewA riveting, visceral, no-holds-barred account from the front line of the war against ISIS. Compelling; raw; savage; yet beautifully written, this is a crie de coeur from a defining story of our age, with an international cast like no other. * Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Operation Certain Death, SAS Ghost Patrol etc. *

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Book SynopsisAn intensely personal, and philosophical, account of why white America’s racial unconscious is not so unconsciousAn Essay for Ezra is a critique of terror that begins but by no means ends with the presidency of Donald J. Trump. A father addresses his son and a boy shares his observations in a dynamic dialogistic exchange that is a commentary of and for its time, taking the measure of racial terror and of white supremacy both in our moment and as a historical phenomenon.Framed through the experiences of the author’s biracial son, An Essay for Ezra is intensely personal while also powerfully universal. Drawing on the social and political thought of James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, Grant Farred examines the temptation and the perils of essentialism and the need to discriminate—to engage the black mind as much as the black body. With that dialectic as his starting point, Farred engages the ideas of Jameson, Barthes, Derrida, Adorno, Kant, and other thinkers to derive an ethics of being in our time of social peril. His antiessentialist racial analysis is salient, especially when he deploys Dave Chappelle as a counterpoint to Baldwin—and Chappelle’s brilliant comic philosophic voice jabs at both racial and gender identity.Standing apart for its willingness to explore terror in all its ambivalence, this theoretical reflection on racism, knowledge, ethics, and being in our neofascist present brings to bear the full weight of philosophical inquiry and popular cultural critique on black life in the United States.Trade Review"You can’t reassure the frightened child. Your letter must add to the child’s terror. Welcome to the world of racism in America. Brilliantly original, mixing Heidegger and Chappelle, Grant Farred proves that Baldwin’s genre has not exhausted its magical potential to provoke and instruct. By a mysterious dialectical legerdemain, he bestows on his son an unlikely endowment: a sort of Afro-optimism, both outraged and salvific."—Bruce Robbins, author of The Beneficiary"Phrased as an epistle to his young son, Grant Farred's An Essay for Ezra grapples with difficult loci of racial violence in U.S. culture and in various philosophical traditions, from the Black exile of Baldwin to Heideggerian questionability of self. He proposes new genealogies and new problems for struggles of becoming and judgment amid the perpetual crisis that is the American racial order."—Rei Terada, University of California, IrvineTable of ContentsContents1. November, 20162. Martin Luther King and White People3. The Farceur4. De-racializing MLK5. Haunting: It Takes You Where You Don’t Want to Go6. And So I Turn to James Baldwin7. Do Not a Tarantula Be: A Nietzschean Interlude8. “Bagger Vance”Postscript: November 7, 2020AcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe ‘War on Terror’ ushered in a new era of anti-Muslim bias and racism. Anti-Muslim racism, or Islamophobia, is influenced by local economies, power structures and histories. However, the War on Terror, a conflict undefined by time and place, with a homogenised Muslim ‘Other’ framed as a perpetual enemy, has contributed towards a global Islamophobic narrative. This edited international volume examines the connections between interpersonal and institutional anti-Muslim racism that have contributed to the growth and emboldening of nativist and populist protest movements globally. It maps out categories of Islamophobia, revealing how localised histories, conflicts and contemporary geopolitical realities have textured the ways that Islamophobia has manifested across the global North and South. At the same time, it seeks to highlight activism and resistance confronting Islamophobia.Trade Review'Bakali and Hafez’s edited volume illustrates the context-specific expressions of anti-Muslim racism as well as the symbiotic relationship between interpersonal and institutional racisms. Through this multi-scalar analysis, the edited volume does well to expand scholarship beyond critiques of Orientalism in Western societies by following the permutations of anti-Muslim racism and their articulation with preexisting racial formations in specific contexts.'Nicole Nguyen, The Middle East Journal'Naved Bakali and Farid Hafez’s edited volume The Rise of Global Islamophobia in the War on Terror: Coloniality, Race, and Islam seeks to illuminate the complicated historical roots of Islamophobia and its current iterations, both global and local; all of these topics are covered, at least in part, in this ambitious collection. Overall, it is a successful tour of the world’s anti-Muslim hostility.'Ilyse R. Morgenstein Fuerst, Reading Religion -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: understanding Islamophobia across the global North and South in the context of the War on Terror - Naved Bakali and Farid HafezPart I: Islamophobia in settler societies1 The racialised logics of Islamophobia in Canada - Uzma Jamil2 Islamophobia in Australia: racialising the Muslim subject through War on Terror tropes in public, media and political discourse - Derya Iner and Peter McManus3 The mainstreaming of Islamophobia in US politics - Todd GreenPart II: Islamophobia in former imperial states4 Islamophobia in the Netherlands: constructing mythologies surrounding reverse colonisation and Islamisation through politics and protest movements - Leyla Yildirim5 Criminalising Muslim political agency from colonial times to today: the case of Austria - Farid Hafez6 Islamophobia in the UK: the vicious cycle of institutionalised racism and reinforcing the Muslim ‘other’ - Tahir Abbas7 ‘French-style’ Islamophobia: from historical roots to electioneering exploitation - Francois BurgatPart III: Islamophobia in formally colonised states from the Global South8 The framing of Muslims as threatening ‘others’ in the tri-border region of Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay - Silvia Montenegro9 Think-tanks and the news media’s contribution in the construction of Islamophobia in South Africa - Mohamed Natheem HendricksPart IV: Islamophobia at the ‘breaking point’10 India, Islamophobia, and the Hindutva playbook - Farhan Mujahid Chak11 Islamophobia and anti-Uyghur racism in China - Sean R. Roberts12 The Rohingya genocide through the prism of War on Terror logic - Naved BakaliIndex

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Book SynopsisWithout Borders: The Haqqani Network and the Road to Kabul is the untold story of the origins, political awakening, and rise of what the United States and its allies call the Haqqani Network, and what the Haqqani family calls the Haqqani Mujahideen. The author lived with the Haqqanis as a young reporter for the New York Times in the 1980s, in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, when they were America's allies in the Afghan-Soviet war. After 9/11, the network became America's enemy. This book tells the exciting story of how the author began to try to find the Haqqanis again, and, later, his quest to understand their influence in the greater Middle East. This is the story of the rise of an ideology and movement born in the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258, which resurfaced in Arabia and India in the 18th Century, lived on in the anti-Christian, anti-British, anti-European, and anti-Russian colonial movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and in modern times evolved, with American help, into the Haqqani Mujahideen and their allies and followers around the world.

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Book SynopsisIt was a defining moment, the first time ‘Jihadi John’ appeared. Suddenly Islamic State had a face and the whole world knew the extent of their savagery. Weeks later, when his identity was revealed, Robert Verkaik was shocked to realise that this was a man he’d interviewed years earlier. Back in 2010, Mohammed Emwazi was a twenty-one-year-old IT graduate who claimed the security services were ruining his life. They had repeatedly approached him, his family and his fiancée. Had they been tracking an already dangerous extremist or did they push him over the edge? In the aftermath of the US air strike that killed Emwazi in November 2015, Verkaik’s investigation leads him to deeply troubling questions. What led Emwazi to come to him for help in the first place? And why do hundreds of Britons want to join Islamic State? In an investigation both frightening and urgent, Verkaik goes beyond the making of one terrorist to examine the radicalisation of our youth and to ask what we can do to stop it happening in future.Trade Review'The chief strength of this book lies in its exploration of the radical subculture in parts of west London…The web of influences is complex but Verkaik skilfully unpicks it, while losing none of the atmosphere that makes his book so readable and engaging'. * New Statesman *'Verkaik gives a fascinating if frightening picture of the jihadists in our mist'. * Mail on Sunday *‘No detail is too small in Verkaik's quest to work out how a "misfit schoolboy" turned into a "psychopathic mass murderer".’ * Independent *‘An exemplary account… The book’s most important contribution is to highlight the difficulties faced by the intelligence services… a first-class primer on Muslim extremism in Britain.’ * Max Hastings, Sunday Times *‘An outstanding pulling together of the fractured career of one of the most notorious terrorist psychopathic killers of this or any other age. The book is exceptional because its author makes no false claims for what he doesn’t know and never confuses explanation with explaining away... [an] excellent and thought-provoking book.’ * Evening Standard *‘A riveting and compelling portrait of Mohammed Emwazi on his journey to the heart of darkness.’ -- Andrew Hosken, author of Empire of Fear: Inside the Islamic State‘Detailed and absorbing... Drawing on a wealth of primary conversations with security officials and targets alike, Verkaik explores the difficult balance that has to be struck between freedom and liberty and those who find themselves in its crosshairs.’ -- Raffaello Pantucci, author of ‘We Love Death as You Love Life’: Britain's Suburban Mujahedeen‘This book is more than just the story of Mohammed Emwazi. Verkaik delves into the broader issues of marginality and the fluid identity of young people such as Emwazi to provide an enthralling account of the rootlessness of many second-generation European immigrants.’ * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisHow did Islamist terrorism arise? In this unrivalled exposé based on original sources, Craig Unger pieces together how the desperate search for oil profits by the Bush family together with their close connection to the Saudi royal family, created a toxic new by product - Islamism. Unger interviewed three former directors of the CIA, top Saudi and Israeli intelligence officials, and hundreds of other sources - including employees from the Carlyle Group, the spectral giant investment firm in which both the Saudi and Bush families have a major stake and which employed John Major and Tony Blair.Trade Review300,000 copy bestseller in the UK and US; 'Forensic.' Daily Telegraph; 'Chilling.' Independent; 'Very powerful.' Guardian; 'Excellent.' Sunday Times; A Times Bestseller

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Book SynopsisA powerful investigation into the world of extremism and redemption, from TIME journalist and author of Cast Away. "Far Out is an excellent mix of investigative journalism, entertaining storytelling and intelligent analysis. Its individual stories are like pieces of a puzzle that McDonald-Gibson assembles to offer deeply human insights into the drivers of radicalisation and extremism" - Julia Eber, author of Going Dark What makes an extremist? From obscure cults to revolutionary movements, people have always been seduced by fringe beliefs. And in today's deeply divided world, more people than ever are drawn to polarising ideologies. All too often we simply condemn those whose positions offend us, instead of trying to understand what draws people to the far edges of society -- and what can pull them back again. In Far Out, we meet eight people from across religious, ideological, and national divides who found themselves drawn to radical beliefs, including a young man who became the face of white supremacy in Trump-era America, a Norwegian woman sucked into a revolutionary conspiracy in the 1980s, a schoolboy who left Britain to fight in Syria, and an Australian from the far-left Antifa movement. By immersing us in their stories, McDonald-Gibson challenges our ideas of who or what an extremist is, and shows us not only what we can do to prevent extremism in the future, but how we can start healing the rifts in our world today.Trade ReviewFar Out is an excellent mix of investigative journalism, entertaining storytelling and intelligent analysis. Its individual stories are like pieces of a puzzle that McDonald-Gibson assembles to offer deeply human insights into the drivers of radicalisation and extremism -- Julia Eber, author of Going DarkAn eye opening and often moving account of how extremist thought takes hold. In Far Out, McDonald-Gibson asks us to open our hearts to those on the political extremes-for those with the most hateful views are the most in need of our forbearance and tolerance. A thoughtful and thought-provoking read -- Cal Flyn, author of Islands of AbandonmentThrough illuminating narratives, Far Out provides examples of how radicalization takes hold around the world, and offers clues as to how we might best counter it -- Christian Picciolini, author of Breaking Hate and White American YouthMcDonald-Gibson goes where many journalists fear to tread: into the hearts of people routinely demonised by the rest of the media. Their stories will intrigue and surprise you: this is an urgent, compelling book of the utmost necessity -- Ben RawlenceFar Out is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand, and do something about, the growing allure of toxic political ideologies. -- David Livingstone Smith, author of Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization

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Book SynopsisThe death of JFK, Jr., - accident or assassination? Exploding the Truth: The JFK, Jr. Assassination presents evidence of a conspiracy to assassinate the only surviving son of President John F. Kennedy and considers the motives that many powerful forces had, to make sure he never set foot in the White House. Divided into two parts, Part One examines the potential motives the Bush family, the C.I.A., and perhaps even Israeli intelligence, had to eliminate JFK, Jr. Part Two systematically dismantles the official version of events, that JFK, Jr., crashed his plane due to pilot error, and examines both the evidence of a government cover-up at the crime scene, and the extensive eyewitness reports of an explosion that brought the aircraft down.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores terrorism as a strategic choic-- one made carefully and deliberately by rational actors. Through an analysis of the terrorist groups of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, it charts a series of different strategic 'scripts' at play in terrorist behaviour, from survival, to efforts in mobilising a supporter base, through to the grinding attrition of a long terrorist campaign. The theme that runs through all these organisations is the unbridgeable gap between their strategic vision,and what actually unfolds. Regardless of which script terrorists follow, they often fall short of achieving their political ambitions. And yet, despite its frequent failure, the terrorist strategy is returned to time and again--people continue to join such groups, and to commit violence. Scripts of Terror explores the reasons behind this. It asks why, if terrorism is so rarely successful and so hard to pull off, its approach remains an appealing one. And it examines how terrorists formulate their strategies, and how they envisage achieving their ambitions through violence. Most importantly, it explores why they so often fail.Trade Review'Scripts of Terror offers an essential contribution to our understanding of Islamist groups’ narratives. In this stimulating, clearly written and empirically engaging book, Wilkinson offers every researcher or student a compelling and inspiring framework for understanding how the terrorist mindset might explain violent, yet often unsuccessful, endeavours.' -- International Affairs

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Book SynopsisWith the seeming defeat of ISIS, has jihadism disappeared from world politics? In this startling new book, Stephen Chan uncovers the ideological foundations that allow ISIS and other jihadi groups to survive, as they propagate terror by sophisticated means online and continue thrusting their spear at the West. Far from presenting simple-minded, black-clad fighters, Chan describes an elaborate process of online recruitment, which is, in its own terrible way, meaningful and thoughtful. He examines the foundations of this thought and the step-by-step methods of jihadi indoctrination, exposing the lack of IT knowledge among Western world leaders and urging the 'moderate' Islamic community in the West to challenge jihadi ideology with a courageous, non-violent ideology of its own. Without a counter-ideology, Chan argues, alienated Muslim youth are drawn not only to glamorised dreams of violence, but also to the pull of a totalising system of politics and theology. Spear to the West picks apart the fallacy of 'thoughtless' jihadi carnage, arguing that—dangerous and gruesome as it might be—there is more thought behind this phenomenon of destruction than meets the eye.Trade Review‘Chan’s argument … has at least two major implications: only those capable of speaking within the ideological terms of jihadis can counter their appeal, and counterterrorism strategists must consider using the Internet in ways they have not yet tried.’ -- Foreign Affairs‘Chan’s succinct and discerning study of violent jihadism and radicalization will reward specialists and policy-makers, but its apportionment in discrete, digestible essays makes it a good choice for anyone needing a primer on its complex and critically important subject.’ -- Michigan War Studies Review'With erudition and élan, this insightful book challenges us to rise above facile condemnations and to acknowledge that contemporary jihadists evince a moral reasoning--one that is, at once, motivating, arrogant, and self-limiting.' -- James Piscatori, co-author of 'Muslim Politics'‘For anyone who is seeking to understand the mind of the jihadis, Chen has provided a wealth of information and insights.’'Stephen Chan is one of the great doyens of world politics. His book "Spear to the West" displays his distinctive global consciousness and unique cultural empathy, even when tackling the most contentious topics.' -- Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor in Global Thought and Comparative Philosophies, SOAS, University of London'In this brilliant, disturbing work Chan lays bare the global jihad’s sinister engagement with modernity. Full of insights, it is one of the best treatments of radicalisation I have read.' -- John Calvert, Professor of History, Creighton University'Chan shows how the West incubates jihad and must instead respond actively to digital recruitment by ISIS. He also argues powerfully for debate within Islamic scholarship to accommodate Muslim aspirations for justice.' -- Alison Scott-Baumann, Professor of Society and Belief, SOAS University of London

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Book SynopsisHow does the Taliban wage war? How has its war changed over time? Firstly, the movement’s extraordinary military operation relies on financial backing. This volume analyses such funding. The Taliban’s external sources of support include foreign governments and non-state groups, both of which have affected the Taliban's military campaigns and internal politics. Secondly, this is the first full-length study of the Taliban to acknowledge and discuss in detail the movement’s polycentric character. Here not only the Quetta Shura, but also the Haqqani Network and the Taliban’s other centres of power, are afforded the attention they deserve. The Taliban at War is based on extensive field research, including hundreds of interviews with Taliban members at all levels of the organisation, community elders in Taliban-controlled areas, and other sources. It covers the Taliban insurgency from its first manifestations in 2002 up to the end of 2015. The five-month Battle of Kunduz epitomised the ongoing transition of the Taliban from an insurgent group to a more conventional military force, intent on fighting a protracted civil war. In this latest book, renowned Afghanistan expert Antonio Giustozzi rounds off his twenty years of studying the Taliban with an authoritative study detailing the evolution of its formidable military machine.Trade Review‘['The Taliban at War' is] highly informed and detailed … [It is] based on extensive field work in Afghanistan by the author (a renowned expert on the region) and his Afghan researchers’. -- Washington Times‘Giustozzi provides a detailed and dense account of the Taliban’s resilience. [This book] is an important contribution to the history of the American-led war in Afghanistan.’ -- Foreign AffairsA detailed description of the changing nature of the war in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and how the Taliban and its leaders have responded over time.’ -- CHOICE‘Giustozzi’s narrative skill, analytical authority, and long-standing reputation as an expert on the Taliban and events in Afghanistan after 2001 are advanced in The Taliban at War.‘ -- Terrorism and Political Violence'Documents in great detail the history and evolution of theAfghan Taliban’s military strategy and capabilities as well as its internal divisions and partial fragmentation. … provides a wealth of detail for academics, students, and policymakers to consider with regard to the trajectory and future of the Afghan conflict and state-building experiment.' * Muslim World Book Review *'A fine-meshed and carefully documented analysis of how the Taliban's military organisation and strategy have evolved since the movement's defeat in 2001. Uniquely sourced from over 400 interviews, this book will clearly be a standard reference on the subject.' -- Astri Suhrke, Senior Researcher, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen and author of 'When More is Less: The International Project in Afghanistan''Based primarily on first-hand interviews, Giustozzi's expansive new book presents a treasure trove of new and important information on the Afghan Taliban, and might well be the work to which all future scholarly explorations of the Taliban will be compared.' -- Thomas H. Johnson, Research Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School and author of 'Taliban Narratives'

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Book SynopsisWhat do the attacks in London Bridge, Manchester and Westminster have in common with those at the Charlie Hebdo offices, the Finsbury Park Mosque attack and multiple US shootings? They were all carried out by men with histories of domestic violence.TERRORISM BEGINS AT HOME. Terrorism is seen as a special category of crime that has blinded us to the obvious - that it is, almost always, male violence. The extraordinary link between so many tragic recent attacks is that the perpetrators have practised in private before their public outbursts. In these searing case studies, Joan Smith, feminist and human rights campaigner, makes a compelling and persuasive argument for a radical shift in perspective. Incomprehensible ideology is transformed through her clear-eyed research into a disturbing but familiar pattern.From the Manchester bomber to the Charlie Hebdo attackers, from angry white men to the Bethnal Green girls, from US school shootings to the London gang members who joined ISIS, Joan Smith shows that, time and time again, misogyny, trauma and abuse lurk beneath the rationalizations of religion or politics. Until Smith pointed it out in 2017, criminal authorities missed this connection because violence against women is dangerously normalised. Yet, since domestic abuse often comes before a public attack, it's here a solution to the scourge of our age might be found. Thought-provoking and essential, Home-Grown will lift the veil on a revelatory truth.Trade ReviewA chilling indictment and an urgent call to action. Joan Smith's meticulous, shocking book offers irrefutable evidence that many men who commit public atrocities have already practised their terrorism at home. Powerful . . . Smith proves again and again that this refusal to accept the evidence and recognise what domestic violence actually means as a force within society, also means that we are vulnerable to other types of male violence, including suicide bombings, terrorist attacks and mass shootings -- Susan McKay * Irish Times *The revelation of Joan Smith's book is the danger it poses. If we are scared of terrorism, she argues, the smart way to keep safe would be to pay much more attention to domestic violence . . . The similarities are so relentlessly consistent, the only puzzle is why it has taken this long for anyone to notice -- Decca Aitkenhead * Sunday Times: Must-read of 2019 *'Scaldingly describes the failures of police, counterterrorism agencies, social services and others. It also challenges our tendency to tidy our memories . . . Readers will enjoy Smith's feminist, polemical style . . . Powerfully written -- Edward Lucas * The Times *Smith, a feminist and human rights campaigner, contends that if victims were believed, domestic abuse were better recognised ... then numerous acts of terrorism ... could and can be avoided -- Yvonne Roberts * Observer *The reasons why people radicalise and turn to terrorism is one of the most heavily studied subjects in the world but much academic work generates more heat than light. Joan Smith has achieved the rare feat of saying something new about this subject, by uncovering an unsettling connection to domestic violence and misogyny. Her book contains important implications for policy-makers tackling one of the defining issues of our age. * John Bew, Orwell Prize-winning author of Citizen Clem *A timely book that offers a radical yet clear-eyed view at how misogyny and toxic masculinity intersect with acts of extremism. I found it both illuminating and chilling - it has completely changed the way I view terrorism. * Louise O'Neill, author of Asking for It *A hitherto missing link vital for anti-terrorist chiefs, police and policy makers to digest and act upon * Lord Peter Hain *Joan Smith has once again got to the heart of an issue that impacts on us all. The facts are clear, women are the first victims of extremists, but it's rarely set out so coherently and with such devastating impact * Nazir Afzal *A compelling argument that gives me anger and hope. Anger that domestic and sexual violence are not widely recognised as terrorism, and hope that Smith's call to action will be heard so we can be safer from terrorism in all its forms * Karen Ingala Smith, CEO of Nia and the Femicide Census *This writer has gone where angels fear to tread. Remarkable. Politicians, policy makers, police and security officers, social workers, educators and concerned citizens should read this disturbing and perceptive book. To defeat evil, one must know it first. * Yasmin Alibhai-Brown *Excellent feminist analysis on links between domestic violence and terrorism, plus solutions which the government needs to act on * Jennifer Nadal, author of We: A Manifesto for Modern Women *Two-thirds of U S gun deaths are suicides. We know, too, as Joan Smith has documented brilliantly in her book ... that a lot of these shooters have a history of terrorising the women in their lives. -- Suzanna Moore * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTHE MANAGEMENT OF SAVAGERY tells the story of the parallel rise of international jihadism and Western ultra-nationalism. Since Washington's secret funding of the Mujahideen following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1970s, America has supported extremists with money and hardware, including enemies such as Bin Laden. The Pentagon's willingness to make alliances abroad have seen the war coming home with inevitable consequences: by funding, training, and arming jihadist elements in Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya since the Cold War and waging wars of regime change and interventions that gave birth to the Islamic State. Meanwhile, Trump's dealings In the Middle East are likely only to exacerbate the situation further. Blumenthal excavates the real story behind America's dealing with the world and shows how the extremist forces that now threaten peace across the globe are the inevitable flowering of America's imperial designs of a national security state. And shows how this has ended with the rise of the Trump presidency.Trade ReviewMax Blumenthal's new book about this Israeli attack [is] so compelling, so necessary . It humanizes this event like nothing else I've read . The book is filled with very well-documented history, facts and statistics relevant to what the Israeli military calls Operation Protective Edge. And all of those are both interesting and important. -- Glenn Greenwald, * The Intercept [on The 51 Day War] *Max Blumenthal has spent the last decade transforming himself into one of the most vital voices in journalism today, always speaking truth to power with fearlessness and integrity. -- Reza Aslan, author of Zealot * [on The 51 Day War] *Max Blumenthal audaciously takes in-your-face, on-the-ground journalism into the realm of geopolitics. -- Juan Cole, author of The New Arabs and Engaging the Muslim World * [on The 51 Day War] *One of the finest and most intrepid journalists working in America today. -- Andrew Cockburn, author of Kill Chain: The Rise of the High Tech Assassins * [on The 51 Day War] *A thought provoking disturbing book about America's foreign wars and the impact on the USA itself. Max Blumental cuts through official propaganda to the facts. He illuminates the darker corners of foreign policy drawing incisive and unnerving conclusions we ignore at our peril.He is a courageous and essential commentator for our troubled times. We all need to read this book to better understand the world we live in. -- Gabriel ByrneInsighful . . The failure, as Blumenthal writes, to place these conflicts in context, to examine our own complicity in fueling a justifiable anger, even rage, dooms us to perpetual misunderstanding and perpetual warfare. Our response is to employ greater and greater levels of violence that only expand the extremism at home and abroad.' -- Chris Hedges * TruthDig *The strength of the book is in connecting the dots, and the masterful narrative it weaves together. Most readers will find much that is new to them. A journalistic achievement whose importance could barely be exaggerated. -- Asa Winstanley * Middle East Monitor *A useful antidote to the torrents of proempire bilge promoted by conservatives and liberals alike. * Morning Star *Blumenthal's angry book provokes anger, as well it should. He makes a convincing case that the cynical and failed policies of America's secretive military-intelligence apparatus helped deliver Trump into the Oval Office.' * deepstateblog.org *Mullen and Vials cover an extraordinary range of sources - political, literary, sociological - from the fascists themselves, via liberal and business commentators, to the most committed of fascism's opponents.This book is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to understand the tradition in which today's antifascists stand. -- David Renton, author of The New Authoritarians: Convergence on the RightA far more cogent explanation for the US wars in Afghanistan along with Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and Syria. It reads like a real-life whodunit tracing the shadowy back channels of the CIA, FBI, DIA, and NSA piping jihadists around the greater Middle East to create chaos only to find their assets turning against them. Besides being well written, the analysis of the maturation of the neoliberal imperial project by the world's sole remaining superpower illuminates the current bi-partisan consensus for militarism. -- Roger D Harris * MintPress News *

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