Description
Book SynopsisDavid C. Rapoport, a preeminent scholar of political violence, identifies and analyzes four distinct waves of global terrorism. He examines the dynamics of each wave, contrasting their tactics, targets, and goals and placing them in the context of the much longer history of terrorism.
Trade ReviewThe book, written by one of the founders of the field of terrorism studies, provides an unparalleled insightful and comprehensive historical overview of terrorism in the modern era. A must-read for anyone who is interested in understanding the cultural roots of terrorism, the cyclical nature of some of its dynamics and characteristics, as well as the current unique developments in the landscape of modern terrorism. -- Arie Perliger, author of
American Zealots: Inside Right-Wing Domestic TerrorismDavid Rapoport’s
Waves of Global Terrorism is destined to become a classic in the field of terrorism studies. Rapoport explains in stunning detail the ebb and flow of different historical periods and offers fascinating insights into the future of the endless phenomenon. A remarkable accomplishment by one of the world’s most respected terrorism scholars. -- Jeffrey D. Simon, author of
America’s Forgotten Terrorists: The Rise and Fall of the GalleanistsNow twenty years after his groundbreaking journal article on the four waves of rebel terrorism, Professor Rapoport's book brings deeper research and insight into this phenomenon and helps bring a much-needed historical lens to the evolving terrorism landscape and how new waves may emerge in the future. A critical read for students, scholars, and practitioners in the field. -- Javed Ali, University of Michigan
David Rapoport, the founding editor of
Terrorism & Political Violence, has been a preeminent authority on assassination, terrorism, political and religious violence since the early 1970s. He was the first to recognize the importance of religion in rebel violence and is today considered one of the founding fathers of the study of terrorism. His signature contribution to the field may well be his introduction of wave theory which identified four distinct waves of global terror from the 1880s to the present day.
Waves of Global Terrorism is the first monographic treatment of wave theory and will stand as the final word for the history of global terrorism from the 19th through the 21st centuries. -- Jeffrey Kaplan, author of
Terrorist Groups and the New Tribalism: Terrorism's Fifth WaveDavid C. Rapoport has succeeded in creating a truly insightful work that effectively builds upon his original theory, one that must be considered to be a major contribution to the theoretical literature within the terrorism studies discipline. * Small Wars Journal *
A unique contribution to Terrorism Studies. * Critical Studies on Terrorism *
Much of the originality of this volume, and its likely appeal for students of terrorism, lies in this closing discussion of 'whether the rise of right-wing terrorism in recent years is the beginning of a global Fifth Wave.' * Lawfare *
Bound to become a classic and deserves to be read as a basic text by all students and analysts of modern terrorism. * Perspectives on Terrorism *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Terrorism Before the Global Form: From the First Century to the Twentieth
2. The First Wave: Anarchist, 1879–1920s
3. The Second Wave: Anticolonial, 1919–1960s
4. The Third Wave: New Left, 1960s–1990s
5. The Fourth Wave: Religious, 1979–2020s?
Conclusion: The Fifth Wave?
Notes
Index
