After critiquing various definitions of "terrorism," the author proposes his own definition: "Terrorism is a systematic and persistent strategy of violence practiced by a State or political group against another State or political group through a campaign of acts of violence such as murder, assassination, hijacking, and the use of explosives or the like, with the intent of creating a state of terror and public intimidation to achieve political ends." A chapter then differentiates terrorism from other forms of violence, namely, guerrilla warfare, organized crime, State dictatorship, and political crime. After exploring these distinctions, a chapter examines terrorism as an alternative to conventional war. With instruments of violence inferior to the might of their enemy, terrorists aim to shatter the adversary's morale through unpredictable and random violence that will force the more powerful party to adopt a policy favorable to the terrorists. The author assesses the influence of mass communications on terrorism and reviews its historical development. A statistical study of terrorism in the 1970's and 1980's is followed by a consideration of the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons by terrorists. An overview of terrorism in the Middle East discusses terrorist events, the attitudes of the involved parties, and the results and lessons derived from these attitudes. 20 suggested readings