THE LESSONS OF TERROR

"Commercial aircraft . . . slamming into crowded, unprotected office buildings. How can we have come to this?" wonders Caleb Carr. Known for his bestselling novels, Carr brings his training as a historian to bear in this book-length essay. Terrorism--the slaughter of civilians in order to demoralize the enemy--is an ancient trick, he writes. And yet it has never ever worked. Israelis and Palestinians are both condemned, as is the bombing of occupied Europe during WWII, which only served to stiffen German resistance, according to Carr. CIA-supported violence is charged with having earned this generous nation a reputation for evil. Two wrongs don't make a right. Dennis Boutsikaris reads eloquently and with passion. From his lips to God's ears. B.H.C. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]