Overview
This book is an historical and comparative study of treason, whose aim is to clarify and categorize the diverse and often mixed - even confused - motives which underlie treason, both at its conspiracy and implementation stages. Its approach is to use case studies ranging from classical society to modern cases of treachery to examine this complete issue. Some of the case studies will have a familiar ring, but others will not be so well known: the book is not merely a popular recitation of spy stories. Rather, it is concerned with the nature of treason, and offers some theoretical pointers to treason as a social and psychological phenomenon. The text demonstrates that, while in common speech the term "treason" has pejorative connotations, it is, in fact, a multi-faceted phenomenon which merits much closer investigation.Synopsis
This book is an historical and comparative study of treason, whose aim is to clarify and categorize the diverse and often mixed - even confused - motives which underlie treason, both at its conspiracy and implementation stages. Its approach is to use case studies ranging from classical society to modern cases of treachery to examine this complete issue. Some of the case studies will have a familiar ring, but others will not be so well known: the book is not merely a popular recitation of spy stories. Rather, it is concerned with the nature of treason, and offers some theoretical pointers to treason as a social and psychological phenomenon. The text demonstrates that, while in common speech the term "treason" has pejorative connotations, it is, in fact, a multi-faceted phenomenon which merits much closer investigation.
Booknews
A historical and comparative study, aiming to clarify and categorize the diverse and often mixed motives underlying treason. Using case studies ranging from classical society to modern times, Carlton (sociology, U. of Durham, UK) studies the nature of treason, offers theoretical pointers to its social and psychological underpinnings, and concludes that the context of treason largely determines its definition. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.