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

In this study, Richard Chasdi brings scientific rigor and statistical analysis to bear on the topic of terrorist violence in the contemporary Middle East. He has constructed a typology of terrorist groups which takes into consideration three main factors: ideology, goals, and recruitment patterns. With the assistance of this functional typology, Chasdi argues that future acts of terrorism - including likely targets - can be predicted, thereby allowing for preventive measures to be taken on both the local and international levels. However, the book should be more than just a tool for anti-terrorist professionals. It is also a portrait of modern terrorism in general: its root causes, the key differences between state-sponsored and non-state terrorist organizations, and the questionable wisdom of trying to distinguish between good and bad types of terrorism.