The political use of terror has always been with us, whether in the murderous seizing of power by the ancients, through the outlawed campaigns of guerrillas, or via the state sanctioned terror of war. From Homer to Al Qaeda, terrorism has flourished in one form or another, bloodily shaping our history.

Andrew Sinclair's unique book brilliantly explores the methods and thinking behind terrorism and shows how the nature of terror has not changed since the days of the Assassins and the Mongol hordes. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, An Anatomy of Terror dissects the uses of atrocity from the Roman destruction of Carthage to the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center. Bold, incisive and compelling, An Anatomy Of Terror is an essential history for our times.