Does Terrorism Work?

Terrorism is one of the most significant security threats that we face in the twenty-first century. Not surprisingly there is now a plethora of books on the subject offering definitions of what terrorism is and proffering advice on what causes it and how states should react to it. <p/>But one of the most important questions about terrorism has until now been left remarkably under-scrutinized: does it work? Richard English now brings thirty years of professional expertise studying terrorism to the task of answering this complex--and controversial--question. <p/>Focussing principally on four of the most significant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years (al-Qaida the Provisional IRA Hamas and ETA) and using a wealth of interview material with former terrorists as well as those involved in counter-terrorism he argues that we need a far more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism actually <em>works</em>--as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways in which it does so. <p/>Only then can we begin to grapple more effectively with what has become one of the most challenging and eye-catching issues of our time.<br>