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In The Age of Lone Wolf Terrorism, the terrorism experts Mark S. Hamm and Ramón Spaaij combine criminological theory with empirical and ethnographic research to map the pathways of lone-wolf radicalization, helping with the identification of suspected individuals and recognizing patterns of indoctrination. Reviewing comprehensive data on these actors, including more than 200 terrorist incidents, Hamm and Spaaij find that a combination of personal and political grievances lead lone wolves to befriend online sympathizers - whether jihadists, white supremacists, or other antigovernment extremists - and then announce their intent to commit terror when triggered. Hamm and Spaaij carefully distinguish between lone wolves and individuals radicalized within a group dynamic. This important difference is what makes this book such a significant manual for professionals seeking richer insight into the transformation of alienated individuals into armed warriors.
About the author
Mark S. Hamm is a professor of criminology at Indiana State University and a senior research fellow at the Terrorism Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. His books include The Spectacular Few: Prisoner Radicalization and the Evolving Terrorist Threat (2013) and Terrorism as Crime: From Oklahoma City to Al-Qaeda and Beyond (2007). Ramón Spaaij is a sociologist based at Victoria University and the University of Amsterdam. His books include Understanding Lone Wolf Terrorism: Global Patterns, Motivation, and Prevention (2012); Understanding Football Hooliganism (2006); and Sport and Social Exclusion in Global Society (2014).
Summary
Mark S. Hamm and Ramón Spaaij combine criminological theory with empirical and ethnographic research to map lone-wolf radicalization, helping with the identification of suspected individuals and recognizing patterns of indoctrination. A combination of personal and political grievances lead lone wolves to befriend online sympathizers.
Report
"Covering characters as diverse as James Earl Ray, Sirhan Sirhan, Mark Essex, Lynnette "Squeaky" Fromme, Ted Kaczynski, Eric Rudolph, Jared Loughner, Wade Page, and Christopher Dorner, Hamm and Spaaij have written an excellent and well-researched survey of lone wolf terrorists in the United States - and a major addition to the field." Charles B. Strozier, founding director, Center on Terrorism at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
