2001年9月の出来事は世界の様相を変え、テロリズムを喫緊の政治課題に押し上げ、一連の対テロ戦争に発展しました。政治手法としてのテロリズムについて分析し、フランス革命での恐怖政治やイスラームの聖戦実行者の目的を考察します。第3版では新たに、ISILの出現や自爆テロ、急増する刃物などを用いての襲撃、サイバーテロの問題、そして出入国管理や無人偵察機を用いた対策など、最新の状況に言及しています。(cf. Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to Know; Radicalization to Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to Know)
   

• Discusses recent changes in terrorism, such as the emergence of ISIS and the upsurge in individual suicide action
• Looks at the impact and consequences of several recentterrorist attacks, including those in Brussels, Paris, Nice, and Rouen
• Answers the pertinent questions - What is terrorism? Is it war? Is democracy especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks? What can we do to stop it?
• Explores the impact of increased terrorism on society, including debates surrounding the erosion of civil liberties
• Discusses the issue of 'cyberterror'

 
Is one person's terrorist another's freedom fighter? Is terrorism crime or war? Can there be a 'War on Terror'? 

For many, the terrorist attacks of September 2001 changed the face of the world, pushing terrorism to the top of political agendas, and leading to a series of world events including the war in Iraq and the invasion of Afghanistan. The recent terror attacks in various European cities have shown that terrorism remains a crucial issue today. Charting a clear path through the efforts to understand and explain modern terrorism, Charles Townshend examines the historical, ideological, and local roots of terrorist violence.

Starting from the question of why terrorists find it so easy to seize public attention, this new edition analyses the emergence of terrorism as a political strategy, and discusses the objectives which have been pursued by users of this strategy from French revolutionaries to Islamic jihadists. Considering the kinds of groups and individuals who adopt terrorism, Townshend discusses the emergence of ISIS and the upsurge in individual suicide action, and explores the issues involved in finding a proportionate response to the threat they present, particularly by liberal democratic societies. Analysing the growing use of knives and other edged weapons in attacks, and the issue of 'cyberterror', Townshend details the use of counterterrorist measures, from control orders to drone strikes, including the Belgian and French responses to the Brussels, Paris, Nice, and Rouen attacks.