The Revolutionists

Brilliant, beautifully researched, observed and written. An astonishing window not just into the origins of modern terrorism but also into our own age – Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the EdgeA dazzling exploration of the radical politics of the 1970s… a fabulously gripping read * The Times, Books of the Year *A kaleidoscopic sweep through an extraordinary era told with cool authority and a novelist’s eye for detail. Burke is a master in the field – Rory Carroll, author of Killing ThatcherIf journalism is the first draft of history, then this is its second draft. A book that historians will be consulting and profiting from for many decades to come – Tom Holland, author of Rubicon and host of The Rest Is HistorySuperb and monumental * Spectator *Riveting … [The Revolutionists] is an absorbing history of terrorism in Europe and the Middle East … A deeply researched, ambitious and elegantly written book * Observer *As irresistible and unputdownable as it is astonishing and relevant – Simon Sebag Montefiore * The Times, Book of the Week *Magisterial … The Revolutionists [is] such an engaging, intelligible guide through a dense geopolitical period * New Statesman *A detailed and sweeping account of the origins of modern international terrorism * Financial Times Best Books of 2025 *A deeply researched account of hijackings, hostage-takings and other terrorist activity in the 1970s, told with verve * Economist Best Books of 2025 *

Jason Burke, the International Security correspondent for the Guardian, has been a foreign correspondent for almost 30 years, reporting from the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and Africa. He is one of the foremost writers on terrorism and the author of four critically acclaimed books- The New Threat from Islamic Militancy, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize; The 9⁄11 Wars, ‘the best overview of the 9⁄11 decade in print’ (The Economist); the ground-breaking Al-Qaeda- The True Story of Radical Islam and On the Road to Kandahar- Travels through Conflict in the Islamic World. He lives near London.

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