{"product_id":"does-terrorism-work-9780198832027","title":"Does Terrorism Work","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTerrorism is one of the most significant security threats that we face in the twenty-first century. Not surprisingly, there is now a plethora of books on the subject, offering definitions of what terrorism is and proffering advice on what causes it and how states should react to it. But one of the most important questions about terrorism has, until now, been left remarkably under-scrutinized: does it work? Richard English now brings thirty years of professional expertise studying terrorism to the task of answering this complex--and controversial - question. Focussing principally on four of the most significant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years (al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas, and ETA), and using a wealth of interview material with former terrorists as well as those involved in counter-terrorism, he argues that we need a far more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism actually works--as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways in which it d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[An] absorbing attempt to answer a difficult question: does terrorism work? The author admits some people might struggle with daring even to ask whether terror works. He carefully sets out his criteria [...] insisting there can be no simple answer given the overwhelming complexities involved. Yet that does not make his work less valid. * Ian Birrell, The Observer *\u003cbr\u003e... his disinterested approach allows the author to avoid the polemicism that clouds many accounts of this question. Indeed, his clear-eyed treatment of a fraught subject is one of the book's principal strengths. * The Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003eA thought-provoking, scholarly study. * Brian Maye, The Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eA valuable resource for scholars ... as English suggests, we need to ask for whom terrorism works, and why. * John Gray, The New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eA very interesting book. He devotes a chapter each to al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas and the Basque separatist group ETA. For each of the four groups, English patiently creates an itemised report card of success, partial success or failure with respect to the groups overall objectives and also its subsidiary instrumental aims. The detailed information is both interesting and valuable, but some broader themes emerge from the details. * Thomas Nagel, London Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003eEnglish is a brilliant political historian, with a reputation for measured yet hard-hitting analyses. He possesses a formidable range and depth of knowledge about modern terrorism. Unlike many commentators, his prose is calm; his conclusions sensible. * Joanna Bourke, Prospect *\u003cbr\u003e[An] elegant academic disquisition ... English's most significant point is that the military over-reaction to a terrorist strike invariably generates more terrorist attacks. * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eDoes Terrorism Work? represents English's belief that terrorists merit \"calmly empathetic analysis\". Coming from someone who has lived and taught in Northern Ireland during some of worst years of the Troubles this view deserves respect. * Henry Patterson, Dublin Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003eAn impressively detailed analysis of a perpetual problem. Richard English draws on more than thirty years of experience in the field to dissect this timely, if uncomfortable, question. Using four case studies from recent history ... he sets out a rigorous framework to assess how effective each groups activities have been. This comprehensive title doesn't claim to have the answers, but it certainly makes an interesting contribution to the debate. * Soldier Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eEssential reading for everyone wishing to make sense of terrorism ... a reflective, insightful and well-informed historian's response to the vital question, \"Does Terrorism Work?\" * Army Rumour Service *\u003cbr\u003eImportant. * The Commonwealth Lawyer *\u003cbr\u003eDoes Terrorism Work? provides readers with an extensive, yet unwaveringly insightful probe into whether or not the employment of terrorism can accomplish the intended goals of its perpetrators ... this enthralling and informative work will make a substantial contribution to the bookshelf of scholars and casual social scientists alike. * Megan King, Munitions of the Mind *\u003cbr\u003eBrilliantly argued and developed ... [a] work of great perspicacity and originality ... the analytical vigour and the depth and breadth of the scholarship are not the only features that render the thesis outstanding. What makes the thesis [...] one that should be widely read and engaged with is the humanity, humanism and humility of the author. * Wajahat Qazi, Kashmir Reader *\u003cbr\u003eThis book offers a reflective, astute, and deeply knowledgeable historian's answer to the critical question of \"does terrorism work\". As it brilliantly demonstrates the complexity and contingency of historical processes, the necessity of understanding different contexts, and the varieties of ways in which terrorism can be effective, it adds immense value to the debate. * Martha Crenshaw, Stanford University *\u003cbr\u003eA crucial and perceptive guide to understanding modern terrorism and how it affects our lives. * Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to Tony Blair, and chief negotiator on Northern Ireland *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction 1: Jihadist Terror: The Case of al-Qaida 2: Ireland and the Provisional IRA 3: Hamas and Palestinian Terrorism 4: Basque Terrorism, ETA, and the Spanish State Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index","brand":"OUP Oxford","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51017622946135,"sku":"9780198832027","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780198832027.jpg?v=1750774150","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/does-terrorism-work-9780198832027","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}