Overview

Written by two leading scholars, this book is an accessible overview of the global political consequences of the 9/11 terror attacks. The War on Terror has defined the first decade of this century. It has been marked by the deaths of thousands of people, political turmoil, massive destruction, and intense fear. Regardless of the name it goes under, the long war on terror will continue to affect lives across the world. Its catalyst, 9/11, did not have to happen, nor did the character of the responses. This book offers a set of novel interpretations of how we got here, where we are, and where we should be heading. It is organised around twelve penetrating and readable essays, full of novel interpretations and succinct summaries of complex ideas and events. In their examination of those aspects of global order touched by terror, the authors argue that the dangers of international terrorism are not overblown. Future 9/11s are possible: so is a more just and law-governed world. Terrorism cannot be disinvented, but with more intelligent policies than have been on show these past ten years, it can be overcome and made politically anachronistic. This book will be essential reading for all students of terrorism studies, international security, war and conflict studies and IR in general, as well as of much interest to well-informed lay readers.

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9780415678315

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Reviews

Black and white have been the colors used to depict the 'war on terror' and characterize the debate about its pluses and minuses. Ken Booth and Tim Dunne push the reader to consider a different palette, the various shades of grey necessary to understand the ten years that shook the world since 9/11. It is imperative to address the causes, conditions, and misunderstandings behind current approaches and construct an alternative world order in which terrorism is progressively delegitimized as a policy option. It is essential reading. - Thomas G. Weiss, The Graduate Center, City University of New York Booth and Dunne have written a very wise book, one that deserves to be read not just by academic specialists, but also by interested members of the public and, I fervently hope, by our leading commentators and political elite. Their study is sophisticated, informed and provocative. Above all, what they argue most convincingly is that the responses to terrorism often make future acts more, not less likely. For Booth and Dunne, terrorism is something that can never be defeated in conventional military terms, but it can be made obsolete. This is a magisterial analysis of the post 9/11 decade, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in this most pressing problem of our time. - Steve Smith, University of Exeter, UK

Black and white have been the colors used to depict the 'war on terror' and characterize the debate about its pluses and minuses. Booth and Dunne push the reader to consider a different palette, the various shades of grey necessary to understand the ten years that shook the world since 9/11. It is essential reading. - Thomas G. Weiss, The Graduate Center, City University of New York Booth and Dunne have written a very wise book, one that deserves to be read not just by academic specialists, but also by interested members of the public and, I hope, by our leading commentators and political elite. This is a magisterial analysis of the post-9/11 decade, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in this most pressing problem of our time. - Steve Smith, University of Exeter, UK Booth and Dunne have given us what is sorely needed in the study of terror--perspective, calm reflection, and mature analysis. Straightforward without over-simplifying, persuasive without hectoring, their book is an invitation to think and talk more mindfully. - Robert Jervis, Columbia University Terror in our Time is an engaging contribution to the heated debate on the significance of the post-9/11 decade. It strides into the controversies, armed with both a scholarly sensibility and a willingness to engage in controversy. Booth and Dunne diagnose the meaning of the 9/11 attacks in their wider context and weigh the problematic responses that followed in the decade after. Their persuasive message is sober and hopeful: international terror is something the world will not eliminate, but can contain. - Michael Doyle, Columbia University

Author Information

Ken Booth is Senior Research Associate in the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University, where he was previously EH Carr Professor and Head of Department. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and Editor of the journal International Relations. Among his many books are Theory of World Security (2007) and the edited volume Realism and World Politics (Routledge 2011). Tim Dunne is Professor of International Relations in the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland, where he is also Research Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. He has written and edited several books, including Worlds in Collision with Ken Booth (2002). He is currently an Editor of the European Journal of International Relations.

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