Synopses & Reviews
Terrorism and national security have been in the foreground of the nation's political landscape since the uncertain times brought on by the attacks of September 11, 2001. This collection of scholarly essays provides a chance to learn from the past by offering an analytic--and sometimes provocative--look at the inseparability of security and history. Melinda M. Hicks and C. Belmont Keeney have collected ten essays written by academic scholars and presented at the 2005 U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt History Conference. These essays discuss the different responses to terrorism throughout history, covering such issues as national security, politics of fear, motivations of terrorists and radical groups, and foreign diplomacy. Defending the Homeland focuses on the faces of terrorism and national security at home and abroad, discussing not only the acts of terror but the motivations behind those acts and investigating under what circumstances individual liberty is sacrificed upon the altar of national security. Recommended for scholars, students, and the general public; intended to broaden knowledge of the history of radicalism, terrorism, and state responses to terrorist events.
Review
"...Defending the Homeland—as a whole and through its individual chapters—will be of interest to general readers and to students and academics from a range of disciplines. This book is bound to be included on many syllabi and reading lists, as well as among the sources cited in scholars’ publications." Dr. Pete Lentini, director, Global Terrorism Research Centre, Monash University, Australia
Synopsis
Terrorism and national security have been in the foreground of the nation’s political landscape since the uncertain times brought on by the attacks of September 11, 2001. This collection of scholarly essays provides a chance to learn from the past by offering an analytic—and sometimes provocative—look at the inseparability of security and history. This work is divided into separate elements depicting security on the national and international levels. "Part One–The US and National Security," focuses on topics such as “Rank-And-File Rednecks: Radicalism and Union Leadership in the West Virginia Mine Wars,” among others. "Part Two–International Terrorism," looks at violence overseas, such as “Beyond Victims and Perpetrators: Women Terrorists and Their Own Stories.”
About the Author
C. Belmont Keeney and Melinda M. Hicks obtained the idea for Defending the Homeland when they reviewed submitted papers for the 2005 Senator Rush D. Holt History Conference at West Virginia University. While the conference produced a variety of excellent presentations, some of the scholarship stood out so much that they felt it deserved a broader audience. Kenney is an author, historian musician, professor, and mountaineer. Hicks is a Visiting Professor of History, Marietta College, Ohio.
Table of Contents