The Bodysurfers

Women are playing an increasing role in terrorism. Female suicide bombers committed more than 230 attacks between 1985 and 2008—about a quarter of the total. Some are volunteer martyrs, but many more, author Mia Bloom demonstrates, have been coerced either by physical threats or other means of social control. Women have become the ideal stealth weapon for terrorists. They are less likely to be suspected or searched and have been used to strike at the heart of coalition troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other volatile spots. The alarming tactic has been highly effective—garnering extra media attention and helping to recruit more numbers to the terrorists' cause. Why are women increasingly migrating from peripheral roles to more active, operational roles usually dominated by men? Bloom is an expert on war, terrorism, and international relations. Blending scrupulous research with psychological insight, she unearths affecting stories from women who were former terrorists. Bombshell is a groundbreaking book that reveals the inner workings of a shocking, unfamiliar world and argues that alternative paths can be offered to these women.