Waves of Global Terrorism - by David Rapoport (Paperback)

About the Book

David C. Rapoport, a preeminent scholar of political violence, identifies and analyzes four distinct waves of global terrorism. He examines the dynamics of each wave, contrasting their tactics, targets, and goals and placing them in the context of the much longer history of terrorism.

Book Synopsis

Terrorism is a persistent form of political violence, but it appears intermittently, afflicting certain places in certain eras while others remain unscathed. Since the late nineteenth century, it has risen and fallen in recurrent generation-long spasms in which hundreds of short-lived groups wreak havoc. Why have past outbreaks of terror tended to come in waves, and how does this pattern shed light on future threats?

David C. Rapoport, a preeminent scholar of political violence, identifies and analyzes four distinct waves of global terrorism. He examines the dynamics of each wave, contrasting their tactics, targets, and goals and placing them in the context of the much longer history of terrorism. Global terror emerged in the 1880s after technological changes transformed communication and transportation and dynamite enabled individuals or small groups to carry out bombings. Emanating from Russia, a first wave of anarchists assassinated prominent figures in what they called "propaganda of the deed." This was followed by a second wave of anticolonial terrorism that arose in the British Empire in the 1920s. Beginning in the 1960s, a third wave of New Left movements took hostages and hijacked airplanes. Most recently, religious movements--mostly but not entirely in the Islamic world--have constituted a fourth wave, pioneering self-martyrdom or suicide bombing. Rapoport also considers whether a fifth wave of anti-immigrant or white supremacist terror is emerging today. Recasting the complex history of modern political violence, Waves of Global Terrorism makes a major contribution to our understanding of the roots of contemporary terrorism.

Review Quotes

A unique contribution to Terrorism Studies.-- "Critical Studies on Terrorism"

Bound to become a classic and deserves to be read as a basic text by all students and analysts of modern terrorism.-- "Perspectives on Terrorism"

David C. Rapoport has succeeded in creating a truly insightful work that effectively builds upon his original theory, one that must be considered to be a major contribution to the theoretical literature within the terrorism studies discipline.-- "Small Wars Journal"

Much of the originality of this volume, and its likely appeal for students of terrorism, lies in this closing discussion of 'whether the rise of right-wing terrorism in recent years is the beginning of a global Fifth Wave.'-- "Lawfare"

David Rapoport, the founding editor of Terrorism & Political Violence, has been a preeminent authority on assassination, terrorism, political and religious violence since the early 1970s. He was the first to recognize the importance of religion in rebel violence and is today considered one of the founding fathers of the study of terrorism. His signature contribution to the field may well be his introduction of wave theory which identified four distinct waves of global terror from the 1880s to the present day. Waves of Global Terrorism is the first monographic treatment of wave theory and will stand as the final word for the history of global terrorism from the 19th through the 21st centuries.

--Jeffrey Kaplan, author of Terrorist Groups and the New Tribalism: Terrorism's Fifth Wave

David Rapoport's Waves of Global Terrorism is destined to become a classic in the field of terrorism studies. Rapoport explains in stunning detail the ebb and flow of different historical periods and offers fascinating insights into the future of the endless phenomenon. A remarkable accomplishment by one of the world's most respected terrorism scholars.

--Jeffrey D. Simon, author of America's Forgotten Terrorists: The Rise and Fall of the Galleanists

Now twenty years after his groundbreaking journal article on the four waves of rebel terrorism, Professor Rapoport's book brings deeper research and insight into this phenomenon and helps bring a much-needed historical lens to the evolving terrorism landscape and how new waves may emerge in the future. A critical read for students, scholars, and practitioners in the field.--Javed Ali, University of Michigan

The book, written by one of the founders of the field of terrorism studies, provides an unparalleled insightful and comprehensive historical overview of terrorism in the modern era. A must-read for anyone who is interested in understanding the cultural roots of terrorism, the cyclical nature of some of its dynamics and characteristics, as well as the current unique developments in the landscape of modern terrorism.--Arie Perliger, author of American Zealots: Inside Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism

About the Author

David C. Rapoport is distinguished professor emeritus of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. His books include Assassination and Terrorism (1971), Inside Terrorist Organizations (Columbia, 1988), and Terrorism: Critical Concepts in Political Science (2006). Rapoport was the founding editor of the journal Terrorism and Political Violence.