Synopses & Reviews
In a bland concrete cell, two men face each other across a bare table. One is a wanted terrorist, the other a British intelligence officer. As they talk deep into the night, violent secrets are revealed, and the line between interrogator and confessor blurs inextricably. Who is the real terrorist? And will he pay for his guilt in blood?
In this riveting novel, Richard Jackson unsettles this comforting view of terrorists as “the other” and holds our preconceived notions up to a stark light. Structured as the classified transcript of a British Army captains interrogation of a suspected Egyptian terrorist, Confessions of a Terrorist takes us inside the mind of a possible terrorist. Though movies and mass media often portray terrorists as fanatics, barbarians, and extremists, Jacksons novel troubles this view, offering a nuanced portrait of the humanity behind the headlines.
With a dialogue that disturbs and enlightens, Jackson probes one of the most difficult issues of our time with extraordinary sensitivity and finesse.
Review
“On a breathtaking journey through the intricacies of a counter-terrorism interrogation, Jackson asks us to confront one of the most difficult truths of our time: that to identify ‘the terrorist’ is to look in the mirror and see oneself.”
Review
“Extraordinarily intense.…A book that’s too important not to read.”
Synopsis
P: Who is the real terrorist in this room?
M: What're you saying?
In a claustrophobic concrete cell, two men face each other across a bare table. One is a wanted terrorist, the other a British intelligence officer. But this is no ordinary interrogation, and as they talk deep into the night and violent secrets are revealed, the line between interrogator and confessor begins inextricably to blur. Who, then, is the real terrorist? And will they pay for their guilt in blood?
Synopsis
P: Who is the real terrorist in this room?
M: What're you saying?
In a claustrophobic concrete cell, two men face each other across a bare table. One is a wanted terrorist, the other a British intelligence officer. But this is no ordinary interrogation, and as they talk deep into the night and violent secrets are revealed, the line between interrogator and confessor begins inextricably to blur. Who, then, is the real terrorist? And will they pay for their guilt in blood?
About the Author
Richard Jackson is professor of peace studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand and one of the world's leading experts on terrorism.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Confessions of a Terrorist
Further Reading
Acknowledgements