CARLOS MARTINEZ (A NOM DE GUERRE OF HIS REAL NAME, ILICH RAMIREZ SANCHEZ) BEGAN HIS ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE AS A PROPONENT OF THE ARAB CAUSE. ALTHOUGH THIS BOOK IS A SKETCH OF CARLOS - HIS BACKGROUND, POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, AND TRAINING WITH THE RADICAL PFLP - IT EMBODIES A LARGER PICTURE OF THE PFLP'S WORLDWIDE TERRORIST CAMPAIGN. TO UNDERSTAND WHY ILICH BECAME CARLOS AND WHO GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY, THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES SOME OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PFLP, THE HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION, ITS RECRUITMENT OF FOREIGNERS, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS. WITHIN THIS HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE MOVEMENT'S DEVELOPMENT, THE AUTHOR TRACES CARLOS'S ACTIVITIES. FROM INTERVIEWS' WITH EYEWITNESSES AND PARTICIPANTS, HE RECONSTRUCTS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DURING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...KAP