Chasing Phantoms

“Convincingly lays out powerful arguments. . . . Scholars, students, and policy makers will find much to ponder in this rigorous examination of homeland security and its demons.” — Publishers Weekly

“A cascade of keen concepts about invisible powers, coercive re-enchantment, apocalyptic sensibility, disaster obsessions, reverse transparency, landscapes of fear, moral panic, security theater, and government restructuring rituals. Sharp points about centralized-control vs. emergent-behavior narratives, and how experts shape them. Plus sage advice for a proportional conception of terrorism and homeland security.” — David Ronfeldt, co-author Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy

“Chasing Phantoms is a very impressive, original, and well-written discussion of Americans' ability to understand terrorism after 9/11. Barkun opens our eyes to the reality of terrorism versus the imagined threat of terrorism. This is a must-read.” — David Rapoport, editor of Terrorism: Critical Concepts in Political Science

“Michael Barkun displays a powerful understanding of the atmosphere of panic created in the aftermath of 9/11. Taking a new and illuminating approach to that day, he reveals how the 9/11 attacks were interpreted by various observers and what that has meant for the United States, as well as the rest of the world.” — Leonard Weinberg, author of Global Terrorism: A Beginner’s Guide

“Michael Barkun lays out the historical and social contexts for understanding the post–9/11 climate of fear in the United States, putting controversial issues of contemporary public discussion into a historically rich and theoretically sound framework. His scholarship is impeccable.” — Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence