Synopsis Who are al-Qaeda and what do they want? Is religious terrorism a new phenomenon? What drives someone to become a suicide bomber? Author and UN Security advisor Leonard Weinberg Answers these and other questions, looking at terrorism as a tactic from the purges of the French Revolution to the death squads of Colombia. Drawing on the lessons of the past to confront the challenges of the present, he asks: can a government commit acts of terror? What happens when the media becomes part of the story? How do we fight-and overcome-terror? Well-balanced, authoritative and highly readable, this book is essential reading for everyone worried about homeland security or seeking to gain a deeper understanding of where terrorism comes from, how it works and where it ends.