The 20th century opened with the shootings of anarchist Gaetano Bresci against King Umberto I of Italy and closed with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Beirut, New York, London, and Paris.

During this period, terrorism took on gigantic proportions. It transformed into a highly debated and effective instrument of political struggle. From the attempt in Sarajevo to the bombings in London, from the fight against colonialism in India to the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict, from the attacks of the Red Brigades to the car bombings of Islamist fundamentalists and ETA, violent forms of action marked the political struggles of the 20th century. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, which shook the United States and the entire world, tragically confirmed that terrorism has become an integral part of modern political life and, therefore, concerns us all.

In this book, Luigi Bonanate, professor of International Relations at the University of Turin, maps out international terrorism, its evolutionary course, dimensions, forms, and peculiarities, offering a handbook for a substantive understanding of this complex phenomenon.