From Militant to Predatory Martyrdom
Chapters on Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II, whose survival of a mission indicated failure, the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, the first modern group to use suicide bombing, bring readers to the present day, and Palestinian Hamas, who followed suit, brings readers to the present moment. Five years after the most spectacular "predatory" act of martyrdom to date, the 9/11 attacks, Iraq has become the location of most suicide bombings, surpassing even the Israeli-Palestinian arena.
Although I found Barlow's historical anecdotes the most compelling and provocative parts of his book, he also offers some food for thought on today. He reminds us that the justification for aggressive attack, as distinct from passive martyrdom, is fundamentally political, not religious
There aren't many books about suicide bombing that you can take with you to the beach, but this is one of them. While the topic isn't light, Barlow's storytelling touch is. His idea about the evolution of martyrdom is provocative, and his walk through history offers many points worth thinking about, as we seek ways to address today's "predatory martyrdom"