Terrorism: A Documentary and Reference Guide

Examining the roots of global terrorism and its current state, Terrorism: A Documentary and Reference Guide includes over 70 documents that illustrate political and ethnic terrorism, terrorisM's role in the Cold War, and its significance in Middle East violence. Much of the material relates to the lead-up to the September 11 attacks and its aftermath, and each annotated document is followed by detailed analyses along with exhaustive print and online bibliographies. Other features in this must-have sourcebook on modern terrorism include 65 photographs, 50+ sidebars, and a comprehensive bibliography that includes video and Internet resources.

This documentary history examines the roots of global terrorism and its current state. Documents range from the 1950s through 2004, and are drawn from terrorist training guides, recently declassified CIA reports, archival materials, excerpts from the U.S. PATRIOT Act, and suicide bombers' final letters. Much of the material relates to the lead-up to the September 11 attacks and their ongoing aftermath both in the United States and among its enemies. Other material illustrates political and ethnic terrorism, terrorisM's role in the Cold War, and, finally, its longstanding significance to the history of violence in the Middle East. Every document is followed by detailed analyses and exhaustive print and online bibliographies and prefaced by annotations indicating the document's source, date issued, where issued, and importance. Besides the documents, the work includes an overview foreword from James K. Kallstrom, Special Advisor to Governor Pataki on Counter-Terrorism and former Assistant Director of the New York Office of the FBI. Other features in this must-have sourcebook on modern terrorism and the al Qaeda threat: 65 photographs, 50+ sidebars, and a comprehensive bibliography that includes video and Internet resources.

The work's 70 documents range from the rise of anti-American Islam to the Oklahoma City tragedy, and from the problem of defining terrorism to the U.S. PATRIOT Act. Subjects include: —Ronald Reagan's famous one man's terrorist quip —the Weatherman's Vietnam-war era call to revolution and violence in America —ecoterrorism attacks in the Pacific Northwest —presidential archive material on Yassir Arafat —fresh translations of Islamist Sayyid Qutb's bitter anti-American attacks (that inspired Osama bin Laden) —Hezbollah's identity and goals —al Qaeda's secret terrorism manual —CIA's secret 1996 assessment of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda —bin Laden's fatwa calling on supporters to kill the Americans —Mohamed Atta's final instructions to fellow 9/11 hijackers —FBI and CIA assessments of their 9/11 failures —9/11 Commission testimony and reports —PATRIOT Act legislation and the response from the American Library Association —Office of Homeland Security reforms, budgets, and legislation —Hezbollah's response to 9/11 —al Qaeda's grisly claim of responsibility for the 2004 Madrid train bombings that altered Spain's national elections —diverse perspectives from pundits and policymakers on the ongoing war on terrorism —and much more.

Until 11 September 2001, most Americans never clenched their hands while being patted down at an airport, gritted their teeth when hearing of yet another security alert, or felt the blood drain from their hearts as they watched an airplane slice through a skyscraper. This collection of 70 documents focuses on what Americans now know or do not know about the primary sources of terrorism, and how that knowledge or lack of it has affected American life. Presented with commentary, photographs, media and government reactions, and background information such as the means of discovery, documents cover definitions of terrorism over history, domestic terrorism, the US reaction to Middle Eastern terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s, radical Islam and Al Qaeda. A collection relating to 9/11 ranges from a hijacker's note to the USA Patriot Act and UN responses. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

This easy-to-use reference guide by freelance editor Dempsey Peterson and former journalist Burns, who also coedited Encyclopedia of World Terrorism, includes a fine selection of essays, commentary, and more than 70 documents related to terrorism, most with an emphasis on the Middle East and al Qaeda. These documents span the 1950s to 2004 and are drawn from such varied sources as recently declassified CIA reports and suicide bombers' final letters. Following each document are detailed analyses and an extensive list of bibliographic references (the book's greatest strength) that help make the proliferation of material that has become available since 9/11 less bewildering. Every document is also prefaced by annotations indicating its source, date and place of issue, and importance. Other helpful additions are 65 photographs and upwards of 50 sidebars. Initial chapters on the problem of defining terrorism and domestic American terrorists seem an afterthought to the work's main focus, the recent Middle Eastern terrorism and America's response. Bottom Line Readers who seek a more comprehensive reference that includes, for example, information on non-Islamic terrorist groups, should look to larger works such as the above-mentioned Encyclopedia of World Terrorism. By excluding the present-day war in Iraq, the editors of this volume have simplified their task, as the treatment of a group as complex as Hezbollah is likely to be controversial. Nevertheless, for its chosen focus, this book excels in offering a highly organized presentation, and its "Readers Guide to Related Documents and Sidebars" will be especially appreciated by undergraduates. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.-Zachary T. Irwin, Sch. of Humanities & Social Science, Pennsylvania State Univ., Erie Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

VINCENT BURNS, Ph.D. has edited and created many successful print and online reference products for the library market. A Fulbright scholar and former journalist, Burns has published scholarly articles on ancient Roman and Greek history.

KATE DEMPSEY PETERSON is a freelance editor and author specializing in criminology and the social sciences. Along with Vince Burns, she edited the award-winning Encyclopedia of Terrorism (Sage Publications, 2003).