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National acclaim for terrorism book

03/01/2007
The latest book by a University of Wolverhampton Senior Research Fellow has received national acclaim as one of the top reads of 2007.
 
Playing Politics With Terrorism: A User’s Guide, a collection of essays edited by Dr George Kassimeris, is listed as one of The Independent’s Best Books of 2007.This is a image of Dr George Kassimeris used for the article named - National acclaim for terrorism book
 
Top authors selected their pick of the year’s finest writing and Dr Kassimeris’ work was selected by David Crystal, who described the book as “brilliant, mind-opening stuff”.
 
The book includes essays which address the use and abuse of terrorist threats by governments to sustain a credible anti-terrorist narrative, sway public opinion, and push through draconian legislation. It suggests there are huge profits to be made from terrorism, and they are made at the expense of civil liberties and democratic culture
 
Mr Crystal has highlighted how contributors to the book suggest that paranoia, exaggeration, dubious research, false narratives and manipulation of public opinion have replaced sound judgements based on facts.
 
Dr Kassimeris, Senior Research Fellow in Conflict and Terrorism, said he was very honoured that his book had received such high-profile recognition.
 
He was inspired to start this project after experiencing firsthand the Spanish government’s spinning and political manipulation of the 2004 bombings in Madrid.
 
He said: “My book’s main conclusion is that if the early decades of the 21st century are not to become a permanent state of emergency in which manipulated societies are frightened into anti-terrorist hysteria, it is imperative that our political elites regain a sense of perspective.
 
“Exaggerating the terrorist threat for political purposes eventually creates more problems than it solves and damages the very liberty and democratic culture which the terrorists seek to destroy.”
 
Dr Kassimeris is the author of Europe's Last Red Terrorists, the first book on Europe’s longest-running revolutionary terrorists, the notorious November 17th group. He is also the editor of The Barbarisation of Warfare, a book of essays where world-class historians explore the effects of warfare barbarity on our cultures and societies.
 
Playing Politics With Terrorism is published by Hurst in London (priced at £16.50) and Columbia University Press in the United States.

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