Terror in Transition

Meticulous in its research, Terror in Transition delivers an abundance of new insight into the impact of succession on terrorist entities, delivering on its objective to better “analyze the implications of decapitation.” Focusing on the essence of a leader’s “how” and “why” and its relationship to succession, Terror in Transition also provides CT practitioners with a framework to assess other options for influencing the direction of terrorist entities. – Gina M. Bennett, author of National Security Mom: Why Going Soft Will Make America StrongTerror in Transition is the definitive study of how terrorist groups manage (or fail to manage) leadership transitions. Bacon and Grimm’s analysis helps us understand how and why certain terrorist groups thrive while some split or otherwise cannot manage the transition. Their many insights can help counterterrorist officials exploit transition tensions to weaken extremist groups. – Daniel Byman, author of Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist TerrorismAn original, systematic, detailed, and rigorous analysis of terrorist leadership and succession. A very compelling study of a major topic. – Richard English, author of Does Terrorism Work?: A HistoryMeticulous in its research, Terror in Transition delivers an abundance of new insight into the impact of succession on terrorist entities, delivering on its objective to better “analyze the implications of decapitation.” Focusing on the essence of a leader’s “how” and “why” and its relationship to succession, Terror in Transition also provides CT practitioners with a framework to assess other options for influencing the direction of terrorist entities. – Gina M. Bennett, author of National Security Mom: Why Going Soft Will Make America StrongBacon and Grimm have written an outstanding book, essential reading for anyone seeking to understand terrorist organizations, or leadership of violent groups in general. – Brian Phillips * Small War Journals *It rewards unpacking owing to its analytic soundness, practical utility and, lamentably, its ongoing relevance. * Survival *An important conceptual and knowledge-based foundation, which will undoubtedly be built on for years to come. * Parameters *

Tricia L. Bacon is an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University and director of the Policy Anti-Terrorism Hub. She is the author of Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances (2018). She previously spent ten years working on counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State.

Elizabeth Grimm is an associate professor of teaching in the Security Studies Program at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is the author of How the Gloves Came Off: Lawyers, Policy Makers, and Norms in the Debate on Torture (2017). She has also worked in the defense and security sectors of the U.S. government.