Customer Reviews

Terrorism in Perspective

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I fully expected to be able to use this book as one of two or three texts for a course I am developing. But once I had taken into account what other works offer, there really was very little left for this volume to add. In fact, it offers nothing that is new, not is it particularly effective as a textbook: the formula of combining basic surveys of themes (very superficial) with a selcetion of two previously published pieces (arbitrary and not particular representative, and in any case easily available elsewhere) just does not seem worthwhile. In other words, this doesn't quite make it as a textbook, and offers neither depth nor comprehensive breadth. The 'other works' I referred to would include Gus Martin's *Understanding Terrorism* - a very useful textbook - or Kegley's *The New Global Terrorism* and several others, including also two very short but excellent books that somehow manage to provide more depth and balance than the one reviewed: Townshend, *Terrorism: A very Short Introduction*, and Barker, *The No-Nonsense Guide to Terrorism*.

The only thing useful in this book is the compilation of texts by authors other than the editors. On the chapters written by the editors themselves, where we expect something original, there's not even a single innovative ideia or contribution to the debate. Mahan & Griset's texts could be describe as no more than a collection of various book reports trying to look as an article with a thesis. I hoped to use this book as a textbook in one of my disciplines on terrorism, but soon I realized that it would be too shallow, even for my undergraduate students. Only worth buying for a library - once again, due to the compilation of articles by various authors -, not very useful as source for a lecture. Respectfully, Arthur.

It was a good purchase, very inexpensive and arrived in timely manner. Would recommend purchase in the future.

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