A concise and accessible survey of this topical and complex subject, this is the first book of its type to focus on the terrorists, and their psychology, in an historical context. Focusing on a variety of prominent terrorist groups together with a number of less notorious ones, the book encourages readers to think about the mindset, motivation and tactics of terrorists. David J. Whittaker analyzes examples of terrorists working as individuals, such as Timothy McVeigh, and those working in groups, such as Al-Qaida, over the last two or three decades. He goes on to discuss the problems of countering these terrorists and the possible forms terrorism could take in the future. Fascinating reading, this book will prove extremely informative to any student or researcher of this complex modern-day issue.