Recent Book: The Twentieth Century Crime: Terrorism: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
| Author | Quaestor |
| Published date | 01 April 1978 |
| Date | 01 April 1978 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X7805100217 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
Iwonder if they had ever considered
the lonely, isolated Witness Box which
is normally positioned in a high
strategic place in the Court,
and
of
course, the apprehensive witness who,
after a forceful cross examination feels
like a defendant and probably wishes
that
he was sitting at a table with the
comforting
hand
of Prosecuting
Coun-
sel on his shoulder. X.D.
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
CHARLES
SKILLEN
and
MASON
WILLIAMS:
American Police Handgun Training.
Charles C. Thomas.
SII
.75.
The authors of this publication
both
have considerable experience in the
field
of
Police Weapon Training and
Ballistics.
The book, although aimed at
American Peace Keeping Agencies,
will be of great interest to readers who
have special responsibilities for plan-
ning and executing Police Weapon
Training Programmes.
Unlikemost weapon trainingmanuals
this publication does
not
launch
straight into weapons and shooting,
but deals firstly with the mental con-
ditioning
of
officers for combat,
then
when to shoot,
how
to
shoot
and
finally, how to protect oneself when
shot at.
The
main bulk of the
book
concen-
trates on
Combat
Shooting, emphasi-
sing the need for firing practice to be
carried
out
in as near actual
combat
conditions as possible, with officers
using the same weapons for practice as
they would carry operationally.
Ientirely agree with the empirical
concept
of
combat
training
and
am
glad to see
that
the
authors
subscribe
to the fact
that
target shooters do
not
necessarily make good
combat
shoot-
ers.
Inote with interest
that
the Colt
Model 1911
A.C.P
. .45 pistol is
gaining popularity in U.S. Police
Forces.
Most
Forces in
the
United
Kingdom nowadays seem to favour
the revolver instead
of
the
semi
auto-
matic pistol. Mainly, Isuppose
because it is virtually
"Copper
Proof".
Unfortunately there are many people
in the United Kingdom who feel
that
the .45
Auto
is too cumbersome and
difficult to control.
I know which weapon I would prefer
in a
combat
situation. H.L.S.
THE TWENTIETH
CENTURY
CRIME
YONAH
ALEXANDER
and
SEYMOUR
MAXWELL
FINGER
(Editors): Terrorism:
Interdisciplinary Perspectives. McGraw-Hill (U.K.) Book Company. £6.50.
The resurgence of terrorism in the legal; media; current challenges and
period which has followed the second future implications. The writers address
world war has confronted established their topics from the points
of
view of
regimes with a present and potential several disciplines -international
danger which has been countered by studies; political science; law and
piecemeal (inevitably at this stage of behavioural sciences.
its evolution) measures to defeat
and
Its principal worth as far as prac-
to comprehend it. Professors Alexander titioners are concerned lies in the
and
Finger have made avaluable general insight it gives into the nature
contribution with this
book
of papers of terrorism and its scope,
but
it also
by 18 authors to the understanding
of
contains a good deal
of
useful infor-
one of the most disturbing phenomena rnation, notably in Edward F.
of a rapidly changing wo-ld. Mickolus's "Statistical Approaches to
That
the writing is very largely
that
the Study of Terrorism" and Alona E.
of university teachers may disincline Evans's
"The
Realities of Extradition
some practitioners to read it:
but
such and Prosecution". There is
matter
for
departmental myopia is to be deplored. much good argument in Irving Louis
The nature, sources and operations of Horowitz's "Transnational Terrorism,
terrorism in its many manifestations Civil Liberties and Social Science",
demand a deeper and wider scrutiny Jay Mallin's "Terrorism as a Military
than
can be made from service files
Weapon"
and H. H. A. Cooper's
alone. "Terrorism and the Media".
Many
ex-
The book's contents are grouped students of the Police College, Brams-
into five sets of perspectives: history hill, will recognize aformer lecturer
and
definition; political
and
strategic; there in David C.
Rapoport,
who
April 1978 212
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