The Bomb in Bengal

The Bomb in Bengal is a narrative history of the revolutionary movement in Bengal from its origins around 1900 to the close of its first phase in 1910. Many books and articles have been written about this period, some so uncritically laudatory that legend has taken the place of fact. Heehs provides a more accurate account than any found in previous narratives and also corrects mistakes made by academic historians. But he has succeeded in making his book as vivid and fast-moving as the events themselves. Heehs' approach is nationalist in focus, narrative in form and chronological in presentation. By basing himself entirely on primary sources, he avoids the documentary weakness of commemorative histories. He shows that the nationalist approach still has much to reveal about how men and women responded to the challenges of colonial rule. While giving sufficient attention to the social, economic or political background, he is concerned mainly with presenting the factual data in a narrative that both academic and general readers will find accessible, interesting and perhaps even inspiring. This book is intended for historians; people interested in politics, terrorism, and organized dissent; students of colonial Bengal and imperialism.

Review :
"I found Walter Laqueur's The New Terrorism to be an authoritative and comprehensive review of international and domestic terrorism. It is also a discomfiting augury for the future. Laqueur's excellent work is probably the best single volume I've seen on the phenomenon of terrorism and political violence."--Vincent Cannistraro, former Chief of CIA Counterterrorism Operations "Walter Laqueur's excellent book gives us a badly needed historical and cultural context for terrorism. This book gives readers a better analytic basis for judging terrorist behavior and proposed government responses."--John Deutch, Institute Professor at MIT, former Director of Central Intelligence and Deputy Secretary of Defense "Walter Laqueur's The New Terrorism for the first time anywhere provides a comprehensive and penetrating examination of the multitude of terrorist threats at the end of the twentieth century. No one else has so thoroughly, succinctly and dispassionately chronicled the wave of fanaticism aroung the world, its sources, and the terrorist dangers it represents now--and all the more so in the future as terrorist groups gain access to weapons of mass destruction. Laqueur's account of the magnitude of the threat--group by group, country by country--makes all the more apparent how ill-prepared governments are to deal with this menace to international order at a strategic level."--Robert M. Gates, former Director of Cnetral Intelligence "A riveting story of terrorism's colorful past and multi-faceted nature. At today's juncture in history, as weapons of mass destruction begin to escape their Cold War confinement, Walter Laqueur's profound understanding of the politics and pyschology of terrorism superbly illuminates a fearsome aspect of our future."--Fred C. Ikle, former Undersecretary of Defense "Walter Laqueur has written a panoramic study of terrorism, tracing this enduring phenomenon from its earliest roots to the present. His perspective on the future course of terrorism, both in cyberspace and in the realm of agents of mass destruction challenge policy makers, law enforcement officials, and the public to a new awareness of the dangers that lie ahead. His work is provocative and thought provoking for layman and specialist alike."--Anthony C.E. Quainton, former Ambassador for Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State