From the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to 9/11 and beyond, this riveting case study examines the history of American terror attacks. To many Americans, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, seemed to usher in a new era in which we faced a new kind of threat. But in truth, terrorist attacks had always been a part of American life. This book chronicles thirty-seven such assaults on American soil from the end of the Civil War into the twenty-first century. Author Joseph T. McCann covers the most infamous attacks as well as obscure yet important events. Using a narrative case-study format, Terrorism on American Soil provides detailed accounts of the perpetrators, their motives, and the social and political context in which the events took place. Taken together, these accounts reveal important lessons about the changing nature of terrorism in America; our evolving methods for coping with it; and the psychological, political, and legal principles that help us understand it.

Christopher Hewitt's comprehensive book surveys the characteristics and causes of terrorism and governmental responses to it. He also examines the organizational structure of terrorist networks, how they are financed and their ideological agendas. Groups covered include: Islamic fundamentalists, white and black racists, black nationalists, revolutionary communists, neo-Nazis, militant Jewish groups, anti-abortionists and émigré groups. This book is essential reading for students of American politics and terrorism. It also provides a highly readable account for interested readers wishing to know more about a topic which has recently become tragically relevant to world affairs.

Using extensive records from federal district courts, national archives, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, Brent Smith examines the activities of persons investigated for acts of terrorism during the 1980s. He traces the lives of the men and women who turned to terrorism in America, the goals that motivated their behavior, and the crimes they committed. In addition, the book provides detailed information regarding how shifts in federal priorities led to the capture and subsequent conviction of most of these offenders, as well as the severity with which these men and women were punished.

Offering a fresh perspective on the changing face of terror attacks, Terrorism in America focuses on domestic groups, examining the beliefs, actions, and impacts of American-based terrorists and terror organizations. Editors Robin Valeri and Kevin Borgeson and their contributors draw on theories from criminology, psychology, and sociology to explore the ideologies of right-wing, left-wing, and extremist religious groups—how and why they convert followers, recruit financially, and take extreme action against others. No competing text offers such in-depth and nuanced coverage of the radical ideologies behind these attacks, or the ensuing fear domestic terrorism creates, as well as the strategies to combat violent extremism. A core text for domestic terrorism courses and an excellent supplement for any counterterrorism or homeland security course, Terrorism in America brings its singular focus to the growth and evolution of terrorism in the United States. Interviews, case studies from the field, and chapter themes make this a highly readable text for criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and homeland security students, professors, or practitioners.

The American cinema of terrorism, although coming to prominence primarily in the 1970s amidst high-profile Palestinian terrorist activity, actually dates back to the beginnings of the Cold War. But this early terrorist cinema was centered largely around the Bomb--who had it, who would use it, when--and differs greatly from the terrorist cinema that would follow. Changing world events soon broadened the cinema of terrorism to address emerging international conflicts, including Black September, pre-9/11 Middle Eastern conflicts, and the post-9/11 "War on Terror." This analytical filmography of American terrorist films establishes terrorist cinema as a unique subgenre with distinct thematic narrative and stylistic trends. It covers all major American films dealing with terrorism, from Otto Preminger's Exodus (1960) to Ridley Scott's Body of Lies (2008).

Terrorism is often seen as a Middle Eastern problem and terrorists are often perceived as only having a Muslim background. It may surprise many to learn that Americans are and have been terrorists since the birth of the nation. This book investigates and discusses many instances in which Americans were themselves the terrorists and the victims.

Using the insights provided by criminology, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines, Terrorism Inside America’s Borders delivers a multi-faceted examination of the issues associated with domestic terrorism. Some of the issues explored include the similarities and differences between terrorism and other criminal activities, the roles that social institutions and social processes play in the creation and prevention of terrorism, the stages involved in the unfolding of a terrorism disaster, and the impacts terrorism has on people’s lives and property. The history and trends of terrorism, as well as possible emerging solutions, are also explored.

Adopting an innovative approach to the ongoing debate over homeland security and state response to terrorism, Joseph Campos investigates the contextualizing of national security discourse and its management of terrorism. New ideas developed in this book reflect ways in which national security is mobilized through specific discourse to manage threats. In addition, a review of presidential rhetoric over the last 30 years reveals that national security discourse has maintained an ideological hegemony to determine what constitutes violence and appropriate responses. The volume incorporates historical depth and critical theory in a comparative framework to provide an invaluable insight into how national security is developed and how it works with the concept of terrorism to secure the state.

This book examines the relationships between democratic government and political terrorism. Since the 9/11 attacks, the United States and many of its allies have declared a 'war on terrorism'. This struggle has been inspired in part by the belief is that by promoting democracy they will also bring an end to terrorism. Where people enjoy the blessings of liberty, they will naturally find peaceful outlets for the expression of their political views, it has been widely held. Terrorism, on the other hand, is seen largely as a consequence of repression. Where citizens cannot choose rulers freely and where dissenting voices are silenced by the authorities, terrorism and other types of violence appear to follow. Democracy and Terrorism investigates the link between terrorism and the underlying principles of democracy, both from an historical perspective and against contemporary developments in the Middle East and elsewhere. Drawing upon a range of different case studies, and using quantitative data to investigate statistical links between the waves of democracy and manifestations of terrorist violence, the book reviews whether terrorism is in fact constrained by the rise of democratic government, and the role of the law in fighting terrorism. This book will be of much interest to students of terrorism, political violence, democratisation, security studies and International Relations in general.