In just a few years terrorism and the war against it has become a central theme of political talk and government policy. This No-Nonsense Guide introduces a highly accessible history of terrorism, looking at core examples from the Middle East and elsewhere, instances of state terrorism, and the terrorist fringes of political movements. It also delves beneath the surface, with political and moral analysis of the causes and contexts of terrorism, the theories that justify and guide terrorist acts, and the battle of images that accompanies them. And in analyzing the dynamics of terrorism, Jonathan Barker scrutinizes the war on terror and its fateful consequences for political participation and real democracy.