Counter-Terrorism: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)

Rating:
Summary: Impressive background research
Review:
An impressive amount of things covered. They discuss definitions of terrorism as well as the different types. They also talk about what causes terrorism and people to become a terrorist. The bits on recruitment and how they finance themselves were not only interesting but alarming as it shows you how organised these groups are. Scary! I think the point they make is that terrorist groups are so organised so anyone working against them really needs to be very organised - A bit of a reality-check!




Rating:
Summary: Good
Review:
These guys obviously know what they're talking about. Some of the theory was a bit heavy but I liked the idea of their recommendations on how to coordinate counter-terrorism capabilities at political, strategic and tactical levels, because in practice the various agencies are not coordinated and disagree on how to do things at any level - let alone all three!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and refreshing!
Review: Most people only seem to think of Special Forces when discussing counter-terrorism and don't realise how much there is to it. This is one of the few books i've read that gives a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism in all aspects, and i've advised on security issues for many years. It covers every angle of counter-terrorism and even goes into political ethics. There's something for everyone and is refreshing in the sense that it's not written in academic terms, but more for the layman and interested person. I think everyone can get something from this book whether they are policy-makers, academics, or even those working in counter-terrorism, and those just interested in something that is such a topical point in this day and age!