Book Review: Donna Starr-Deelen, Presidential Policies on Terrorism: From Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama
| Author | Luca Trenta |
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1478929916676937 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsThe Americas |
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terminology makes it easily accessible to a
military intervention and bombing have faded.
non-specialised audience.
What is likely to continue is the intellectual
exchange presented in this volume, including
Nikolaos Lampas
the vulnerability of civilians in wartime and
(University of Reading)
peacetime – those caught in the middle in
states unintentionally playing host to terrorists
© The Author(s) 2016
Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
or those that become targets of US bombings.
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916676935
The conceptual essence of ‘target’ is chal-
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
lenged and subjected to ideas of how powers
can rationalise the destruction of human life – a
The American Way of Bombing: Changing
trade-off calculus steadily accepted domesti-
Ethical and Legal Norms, From Flying
cally and internationally. The contributors
Fortresses to Drones by Matthew Evangelista
draw readers’ attention to the disparity between
and Henry Shue (eds). New York: Cornell
military priority and civilian protection. New
University Press, 2014. 315pp., £15.50 (p/b),
norms face immense challenges in the face of
ISBN 9780801479342
the proliferation of drone operations, espe-
cially in fragile states and regions struggling to
The end of the Second World War marked a
establish democracy.
chilling beginning of American overseas
New and advanced weapons, as these
bombing campaigns in dozens of countries to the
chapters illustrate, widen the concept of war,
present day. From multiple engine propeller–
expand its violent consequences and act as
powered aircraft to sophisticated weaponry
enablers of the opposite of peace- and secu-
such as cruise missiles and drones, bombing
rity-based expectations. Succinct and engag-
operations are a major part of American for-
ing in an empirical and conceptual terrain, this
eign policy and are polemically linked to ethi-
volume provides scholarly and...
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