THE BOOK ANALYZES HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE ASSASSINS, FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN TIMES. THE ISMAILIS FOLLOW A LONG TRADITION THAT GOES BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF ISLAM, A TRADITION OF POPULAR AND EMOTIONAL CULTS IN SHARP CONTRAST WITH THE LEARNED AND LEGAL RELIGION OF THE ESTABLISHED ORDER. THE ISMAILIS WERE THE FIRST SECT TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE AND ENDURING ORGANIZATION THAT EMPHASIZED CLOSE BONDS OF LOYALTY TO COMRADES AND DEVOTION TO LEADERS. CONSIDERED THE FIRST TERRORISTS, THEY WERE THE FIRST TO USE PLANNED, SYSTEMATIC, LONG-TERM TERROR AS A POLITICAL WEAPON. THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSASSINS WAS TO DESTROY THE SUNNI ORDER, THE LEADING MOVEMENT IN ISLAM. THROUGH MURDER, THEY ATTEMPTED TO FRIGHTEN, WEAKEN, AND ULTIMATELY OVERTHROW THE SUNNI ESTABLISHMENT. THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS ARE MADE ABOUT THE ASSASSINS: (1) THEY WERE REGARDED AS A PROFOUND THREAT TO THE EXISTING ISLAMIC ORDER; (2) THEY WERE ONE IN A LONG SERIES OF MESSIANIC MOVEMENTS; (3) THEY SUCCEEDED IN RESHAPING AND REDIRECTING THE VAGUE DESIRES AND AIMLESS RAGE OF THE DISCONTENTED INTO AN ORGANIZED, COHESIVE IDEOLOGY WITHOUT PARALLEL; AND (4) THEY SIGNIFICANTLY FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH AN OVERTHROW OF THE EXISTING ORDER. THE BOOK CONTAINS A LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, REFERENCE NOTES, AND AN INDEX. (PRG)