Terrorism

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up As one would expect of a book on such a changing topic, this revision of one of the standard works on terrorism includes many updates and accounts of incidents that occurred in the five years since the first edition was published. There is also some refocusing of the analysis, particularly in a more sophisticated view of Irish and Palestinian struggles and increased recognition of the impact of media coverage of hijackings. Discussion of Reagan's futile attempts to retaliate for terrorist acts has replaced speculation on possible terrorist use of nuclear or chemical/biological weapons. Khomeini's use of the Koran to justify terrorism is newly mentioned (although religious factors in other conflicts are downplayed), and the desperation in Abu Nidal's targeting of innocents appears as a wave of the future. These revisions represent enough improvement in usefulness to justify purchase of the new edition, even if the first is already owned. However, this is journalism more than analysis, so it seems likely that another revision will be needed in a few years. Jonathan R. Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Marysville, Wash.