Book description
Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title
Since the first airplane hijacking by the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine in September 1970, Middle Eastern terrorists
have sacrificed innocent human lives in the name of ideology. From
Black September to the Munich Olympics, to the embassy bombing in
Beirut, to the devastating attacks of September 11 and beyond,
terrorism has emerged as the most important security concern of our time.
"Where did this come from?" Inspired by a student's
question on the morning of September 11, 2001, Mark Ensalaco has
written a thoroughly researched narrative account of the origins of
Middle Eastern terrorism, addressing when and why terrorists started
targeting Americans and American interests and what led to the
September 11 attacks.
Ensalaco reveals the changing of motivations from secular
Palestinian nationalism to militant Islam and demonstrates how
competition among terrorists for resources and notoriety has driven
them to increasingly extreme tactics. As he argues, terrorist attacks
grew from spectacle to atrocity. Drawing on popular works and
scholarly sources, Middle Eastern Terrorism tells this story in
rich detail and with great clarity and insight.
"A must read for everyone."-Journal of American History
Mark Ensalaco is Raymond A. Roesch Chair in the Social Sciences at
the University of Dayton. CNN Headline News, Reuters, and the Associated
Press, among others, have interviewed Ensalaco about terrorism. He is
the author of several books, including Chile Under Pinochet: Recovering
the Truth, also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.
