Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World surveys this topical and complex subject. It is the first book of its type to focus on the terrorists themselves, and on their psychology, in an historical context.
Focusing on a variety of prominent terrorist groups together with a number of less notorious ones, readers are encouraged to think about the mindset, motivation and tactics of terrorists.
David J. Whittaker analyses examples of terrorists working both as individuals, such as Timothy McVeigh, and those working in groups, such as al-Qaida, over the last two or three decades. The author then goes on to discuss the problems of countering these terrorists. Also discussed are the possible forms terrorism in the future could take.