Richard English with Does Terrorism Work?

*** This event is now sold out – do email if you would like to be added to the waiting list, any places that do become available are priced at £25 and include a copy of the book ***

Does Terrorism Work is the groundbreaking new publication from political historian and former University of St Andrews professor Richard English.

At a time of unfortunate relevance, English poses a question largely subdued by both sensationalist headlines and terrorism academia alike – simply, does terrorism actually work? Looking through the lens of organisations such as al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA and Hamas, English draws upon a wealth of knowledge gained from former terrorists and those involved in counter terrorist movements. English argues that we need a much more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism works, as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways it does so. As a Fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, English has capitalises on his years of academic study, his authoritative work for the BBC, the Financial Times, and Sky News, and his numerous award winning books pioneering inquiries into modern day international relations. English presents to us a work that is engaging and enriching, engrossing and informative yet chillingly familiar, and we are thrilled to be launching it in the bookshop. As it brilliantly demonstrates the complexity and contingency of historical processes, the necessity of understanding different contexts, and the varieties of ways in which terrorism can be effective, it adds immense value to the debate – Martha Crenshaw