Synopses & Reviews
We think of terrorism as a relatively modern phenomenon used by fringe political and religious groups, but The Lessons of Terror demonstrates that it is a practice that has existed since time immemorial, and has been employed by national armies as well as extremists. Carr's exploration of two thousand years of terrorism reveals the tactic's consistently self-defeating nature: Far from prompting submission, it only stiffens enemy resolve, and never leads to long-term success or peace. With commanding authority, Carr provides a critical historical context for understanding not only individual terrorist acts today, but the Middle East conflict as well. His message is one of solace and encouragement. We can survive and even triumph in the face of terrorism, he says -- but only if we heed its stern lessons.
About the Author
Caleb Carr is a contributing editor of
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History and the series editor of the Modern Library War Series. His military and political writings have appeared in numerous magazines and periodicals, among them
The World Policy Journal,
The New York Times, and
Time. He currently lives in upstate New York.
From the Hardcover edition.