Does Terrorism Work?: A History

Richard English brings thirty years of professional expertise studying terrorism to the task of answering one of the most complex - and controversial - questions of our time: does terrorism work?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 works, as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways in which it does so. Only then can we truly and effectively grapple with what has become one of the most challenging and eye-catching issues of our time.