No comments about The Rise and Fall of Islam: How America can Win the War Against Radical Islam and Terrorism.

1 comments about Medical Response to Terrorism: Preparedness and Clinical Practice.

1. The Medical Response to Terrorism Textbook is EXCELLENT - I have really enjoyed reading it (and I HATE reading textbooks). Each chapter is up to date, focused, and written in a manner more reminiscent of a novel than a medical textbook. Limiting the number of pages per chapter really forced the authors to be concise and made each topic more inviting to read. Great stuff - Dr. Keyes, et al should be very proud.

5 comments about Al Jazeera: How the Free Arab News Network Scooped the World and Changed the Middle East.

1. This is a great book and I highly recommend it for everyone striving to know about the Arab media from an objective perspective. The book will inform you about the Arabs' struggle for freedom of speech through an unbiased Arab network that is not subject to the control of any government. The authors have succesfully portrayed the true picture of the Arab media scene through Arab eyes.



2. Collaboratively written by Egyptian born Middle East journalist Mohammed El-Nawawy and Middle East media expert Adel Iskandar, Al-Jazeera: How The Free Arab News Network Scooped The World And Changed The Middle East is a fascinating and informed history. This is a superbly presented account of Al-Jazeera, a modern, independent, entirely Arab television news network based in Qatar, which since the September 11 attacks, gained high profile prominence through daily exposure on CNN. This is also the compelling story of Al-Jazeera's struggle to keep its independence as an international news network, beholden to none. Overall, Al-Jazeera is an engaging, unique, detailed study of the origin of the Al-Jazeera network, its broadcasts, its effect on Arab viewers, and its struggle for a free press. Al-Jazeera is very highly recommended for Journalism Studies and Mideast Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.



3. All the reviews I've read for this book have been unequivocally complimentary. One newspaper said it should be required reading for Bush's entire cabinet! Quite bold, but rightly so. After reading this book, I came to the realization that everything Al-Jazeera is courageous enough to air, my own country's media is petrified of. I wonder why our government is so afraid of a democratic Arab world? While the dozens of titles coming out on the Middle East are regurgitating the same history and concepts, this book is a refreshing new look at a MODERN Middle East, not a primitive and orientalized one.



4. Al-Jazeera is the all-Arabic TV news channel which burst on to the international scene in the wake of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan. Its unfettered access to that country during the war and its showing of the bin Laden tapes made it an automatic force on the world stage.Based in the Gulf state of Qatar, it came from the remnants of the BBC Arabic TV service. With the help of startup money from the Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera was to have complete editorial independence.In a part of the world where the press is usually government controlled, Al-Jazeera is not afraid to get specific and name names. At one time or another, it has been criticized or condemned by seemingly every government in the Arab world, for broadcasting things that the local government would prefer not be broadcast. Every local editorial of condemnation and every denial of press credentials to Al-Jazeera reporters just increases its audience all over the world by satellite.One of the things that Al-Jazeera is most known for is its talk shows, especially a nightly, two-hour show called The Opposite Direction. Two guests appear on the show, with totally opposite opinions on a certain issue, and with help from live phone calls, the sparks fly. Even by American TV standards, things get pretty loud and lively. Arab governments have noticed, and have begun imitating the format on their tame and boring government TV channels.Even though Al-Jazeera is an Arab TV channel, it has tried very hard to be impartial, hosting members of the Bush Administration, after September 11, and government officials from Israel.For those who want to decide for themselves if Al-Jazeera is a legitimate news broadcaster or a terrorist mouthpiece, this book is highly recommended. It's comprehensive, clearly written and is quite enlightening.



5. Al Jazeera is giving us a vivid and moving picture of a New Arab World in the making. There is no way to go back in times. This media channel is succeeding to keep one step ahead of many others advancing, foreign or local, TVs.
   Live transmissions are notably courageous in their way struggling so hard to persuade local (and influential) governments to let them work into the `heart' of the stories being anchored, against the background of petty local political bickering and futility.
   It is not easy, but the beauty about it is that it is also challenging, and a source of pride to millions of Arabs

No comments about Weapons of War (War on Terrorism).

5 comments about Scotbom: Evidence and the Lockerbie Investigation (HC).

1. The events that led to the conviction of the Pan Am 103 assasins would be dismissed as improbable were they not true. This reads like a fast paced novel, and has all the momentum of a film while remaining focused on the facts of the investigation. Marquise comes through as a modest man with an immense capacity for work, inspired by the families of the victims and determined to find justice. What justice was relaized was his achievement. Highly recommended.



2. This is an intriguing insider's tale from the one American who could write it. Retired FBI executive Richard Marquise has traveled the world, teaching the intricacies of counterterrorism and major case investigation to law enforcement officials. In Scotbomb he brings his expertise to the general reader as well as criminal justice professionals. Scotbomb tells the story of a horrific crime. It is also the account of a group of international police officers who refused to leave an investigation over the course of many years. This is a "must read" for anyone involved in counterterrorism.
   
   Marquise's work is important on three levels. Using practical insight, law enforcement skills, and investigative strategy, Marquise provides a step-by-step account for criminal investigators. Second, it is an excellent case study for criminal justice classes. (My students are using it to develop a training session on major case investigation.) Finally, and most importantly, Marquise has told the story with one group of people in mind, the families of Pan Am Flight 103. His compassion for the victims flows throughout the narrative.
   
   As news networks and public attention jump from one terrorist attack to the next, Marquise stays focused on the victims of a single event in the past. The world may have forgotten their life-altering pain. Marquise has not.



3. There have been an array of books written about the tragedy of Pan Am flight 103. From bereaved families to conspiracy theorists, everybody has a theory with every theory being ultimately self-serving or just plain wrong. This book is an accurate and detailed book about the investigation of this case. Mr. Marquise was intimately involved in this investigation and provides an inside look to an extremely complex case involving multiple jurisdictions from different countries. Other authors seem to assume this investigation could be conducted like any investigation in the US. This is just not true and Mr. Marquise makes that very clear.



4. This is the true story of the international investigation of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. It was written by the FBI agent who led the US task force formed to find the culprits in conjunction with Scottish police agencies. This behind the scenes look examines all the suspects, discusses the problems of these types of investigations and takes the reader into the investigation itself. The trial in the Netherlands is analyzed and there is much discussion how the results of this case relate to what is going on in the world today. Numerous lessons for law enforcement and intelligence agencies are learned. This book is a must for any law enforcement or intelligence professional today or anyone wanting to see what actually is involved in coordinating the largest international criminal investigation in history.



5. I feel Richard presented an excellent review of the sequence of events that lead up to the terrorist act and an even better chronicling of the investigation following the disaster. His attention to detail and his understanding of the investigative and political complexities of a multi-agency effort made this a very interesting read. F Uteg

No comments about A Delicate Balance: What Philosophy Can Tell Us About Terrorism.

No comments about The Oklahoma City Bombing (Terrorist Attacks).

No comments about Determinants of Gross Human Rights Violations by State and State-Sponsored Actors in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina, 1960-1990 (International Studies ... (International Studies in Human Rights).

2 comments about Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist.

1. Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist, is a taut, well-paced exploration of a key episode in contemporary history. Suspenseful and illuminating, Marwan is brilliantly balanced between the compelling narration of known facts and an imaginative response to unanswered questions. Who are these people who found themselves attracted to the suicide mission of flying American airliners into the towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and, if all had gone according to plan, the Capitol building? What shaped them? What made their destinies inevitable? How did they relate to one another? How did they form their opinions about the United States and its purposes? How convinced were they of the holiness of their martyrdom? How pure was their Islamic faith?
   
   Schefrin gives us an intimate portrait of his title character's thoughts and feelings - and his frequent stretches of ambivalence and confusion. Sure-handedly, Schefrin mixes action, densely-textured setting and atmosphere, and characterization. He fashions a convincing world filled with sensory detail, that lends credence to the more speculative and abstract dimensions of the novel. Clearly, he is one of those self-published writers who deserves the status of a traditional publisher and a prestige imprint.
   
   The author does a remarkable job of keeping the reader engaged, especially considering the fact that the story's outcome is known from the beginning. Along the way, we come to appreciate (or more likely be stunned by) the brilliant simplicity of the terrorist plan and the ease with which a series of interim goals were accomplished, leading to the ultimate objective.



2. An engrossing novel that leads up to the worst attack on United States citizens on American soil, "Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist" is difficult to read, but also difficult to put down.
   
   Marwan doesn't worship Allah and he certainly isn't ready to die for him, so how did he get involved in a plot that would hijack planes with the intent of crashing them into strategically chosen buildings on American soil? From that first meeting in Hamburg, Germany until the moment the planes take off, Marwan has doubts about the plan that is meant to cripple America, tear at its belief system, and return people to the one true God. But in the end, those doubts aren't enough to keep him from doing what must be done.
   
   I approached "Marwan" with a fair amount of trepidation. I wasn't sure I was ready for it, having not been able to watch a single documentary or read one book about September 11th since it happened.
   
   Schefrin does an excellent job of approaching this controversial topic. He mixes known facts with fiction and comes out with a balanced look at how the events of September 11th could have unfolded.
   
   There were moments when this reader was disturbed by the thoughts and dialogue, but those moments are countered by the moments of doubt that Marwan and Jarrah experience. You're dealing with complex and conflicted men whose internal battle is a struggle for what they want versus what is good for Islam.
   
   "Marwan" begins in New York City in June 2000 and then travels back and forth in time to provide the reader with the necessary backstory to bring them to the final days leading up to the attacks on September 11th. Another book that used this format is Carole Whang Schutter's September Dawn--an equally controverisal title with strong religious ties. In both instances, I found this time traveling format challening to follow, and in "Marwan" it is further complicated by the changing point of view--which fluctuates between first person and third. This challenge was removed when the time line began to constantly move forward from July 2001 up to the moment when the planes took off.
   
   Schefrin's attention to detail and knowledge of the facts lends much to this novel. And I do believe that the author achieved his objective: "you have to understand your enemies if you want to defend yourself."
   
   In "Marwan" readers will find a fair and well-researched novel that sheds light on one of the worst moments in American history.

1 comments about Old Glory: American War Poems from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terrorism.

1. News commentator Walter Cronkite provides the foreword to Robert Hedin's fine Old Glory: American War Poems From The Revolutionary War To The War On Terrorism, the first comprehensive collection of American war poetry presenting 200 poems from over a hundred American poets. The legacy of American war poetry efforts is established in Cronkite's forward, providing a fitting introduction to a literary legacy which includes narratives, lamentations, tributes, protests, battle hymns and more. The organization by conflict allows scholars to easily pick the section which applies to their studies, making Old Glory a pick for both leisure and scholarly audiences alike.