Serenade of Suffering: A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1968-1993

In this book, Richard Chasdi brings an impressive degree of scientific rigor and statistical analysis to bear on the topic of terrorist violence in the contemporary Middle East. He has constructed an original and highly useful typology of terrorist groups that takes into consideration three main factors: ideology, goals, and recruitment patterns. With the assistance of this functional typology, Chasdi argues that many patterns of terrorism have predictive value, thereby allowing for preventive measures to be taken on both the local and international levels. Yet, Serenade of Suffering is more than just a tool for anti-terrorist professionals. It is also an insightful and complex portrait of modern terrorism in general: its root causes, the key differences between state-sponsored and nonstate terrorist organizations, and the questionable wisdom of trying to distinguish between "good" and "bad" types of terrorism. A must-read for area specialists, students of conflict studies, and international development professionals.