If you need to escape the drudgery of daily life, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do so is to curl up with a good book. Many people love reading thrillers and crime novels because of the action and suspense these provide. With terrorism fiction you not only get thrilling reading but they often provide food for thought too, especially if you're interested in politics.
The most common definition of terrorism is that it involves the use of violent means towards a political end by creating fear in the civilian population. Many experts find this definition problematic, however. For example, you might argue that most revolutionary organizations trying to effect social change can then be labeled terrorists too.
One of the best genres in which to look for terrorism as a theme is the spy novel. Especially towards and since the end of the Cold War, the work of secret agents often revolve around capturing terrorists. Tom Clancy's series of books featuring secret agent Jack Ryan, made immortal on screen by Harrison Ford, are an example. Two of the most famous titles in the series are 'Patriot Games' and 'The Sum of all Fears'.
Some of the most fascinating terrorists in history were women. Leila Khaled, for instance, was a Palestinian revolutionary who was famous for not only hijacking airplanes but also for her extraordinary beauty. John le Carre, another master of the espionage genre, created the character of Charlie, an actress turned double agent and terrorist for the Palestinian cause in 'The Little Drummer Girl'.
The Troubles in Northern Ireland have inspired many novels about terrorism. The Irish Republican Army was usually called a terrorist group and several books are centered around members of this organization. An example is 'A Prayer Before Dying' by Jack Higgins.
The fight against apartheid in South Africa also involved acts that were classified as terrorism by some, most notably that country's government. Anti-apartheid novels often deal with this armed struggle. For example, a gripping story is that of Thomas Landman, the hero of Andre Brink's novel 'An Act of Terror'. Landman is an Afrikaner man is drawn into the liberation movement and after a failed attempt to kill the president, has to flee.
Doris Lessing, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature, is the author of 'The Good Terrorist', about a group of very liberal but naive young people in Britain who decide to become terrorists. They aren't fighting for a specific cause but for a more general ideology. In around the 1970s, there were several similar groups all across Europe and the USA. The Red Brigades of Italy, the Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group of West Germany and the Symbionese Liberation Army of the United States are the most notorious. It was the latter who kidnapped Patty Hearst and got her to join them.
Terrorism fiction is a gripping sub-genre that can keep finding new inspiration with the War on Terror still going strong. A good library or bookstore can be a good place to look for one of these books but you'll also be able to order some novels online. With such thrilling reading to be done, you'll want to hide away by turning off the phone and your email and just escape into another world.
The most common definition of terrorism is that it involves the use of violent means towards a political end by creating fear in the civilian population. Many experts find this definition problematic, however. For example, you might argue that most revolutionary organizations trying to effect social change can then be labeled terrorists too.
One of the best genres in which to look for terrorism as a theme is the spy novel. Especially towards and since the end of the Cold War, the work of secret agents often revolve around capturing terrorists. Tom Clancy's series of books featuring secret agent Jack Ryan, made immortal on screen by Harrison Ford, are an example. Two of the most famous titles in the series are 'Patriot Games' and 'The Sum of all Fears'.
Some of the most fascinating terrorists in history were women. Leila Khaled, for instance, was a Palestinian revolutionary who was famous for not only hijacking airplanes but also for her extraordinary beauty. John le Carre, another master of the espionage genre, created the character of Charlie, an actress turned double agent and terrorist for the Palestinian cause in 'The Little Drummer Girl'.
The Troubles in Northern Ireland have inspired many novels about terrorism. The Irish Republican Army was usually called a terrorist group and several books are centered around members of this organization. An example is 'A Prayer Before Dying' by Jack Higgins.
The fight against apartheid in South Africa also involved acts that were classified as terrorism by some, most notably that country's government. Anti-apartheid novels often deal with this armed struggle. For example, a gripping story is that of Thomas Landman, the hero of Andre Brink's novel 'An Act of Terror'. Landman is an Afrikaner man is drawn into the liberation movement and after a failed attempt to kill the president, has to flee.
Doris Lessing, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature, is the author of 'The Good Terrorist', about a group of very liberal but naive young people in Britain who decide to become terrorists. They aren't fighting for a specific cause but for a more general ideology. In around the 1970s, there were several similar groups all across Europe and the USA. The Red Brigades of Italy, the Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group of West Germany and the Symbionese Liberation Army of the United States are the most notorious. It was the latter who kidnapped Patty Hearst and got her to join them.
Terrorism fiction is a gripping sub-genre that can keep finding new inspiration with the War on Terror still going strong. A good library or bookstore can be a good place to look for one of these books but you'll also be able to order some novels online. With such thrilling reading to be done, you'll want to hide away by turning off the phone and your email and just escape into another world.
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