Whether they be Irish Fenians, Russian revolutionaries, the ‘guilty white kids’ of Italy’s Red Brigade or (then) West Germany’s Baader Meinhof gang, African National Congress members fighting to end apartheid, Palestinian gunmen, al Qaeda bombers, or an assortment of other evil-doers, Michael Burleigh sets out the terrible things that human beings can do to one another. He provides much information about what happened or allegedly happened, and points the finger in all directions – at individuals, groups and governments alike. Few are spared his disdain.

Unfortunately, the why is largely missing in action in this long book. It rests heavily on the idea that all terrorist acts are the work of nutcases. In Burleigh’s world view, anyone, especially in the West, who seeks to understand motivation must be, at best, a liberal sissy or, worse, filled with malevolent, fellow-traveller intent.