Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools

by John Giduck

The complete and accurate story of the Beslan School Siege that occurred in Russia on September 1, 2004. This book tells the untold story about the victims, the soldiers who were there and the history of the events leading up to the tragic incident. But more than just the story, this book highlights the lessons America's school system can learn from the tragedy to protect itself from terrorism.

Genres: Military Fiction

495 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Scott McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really think this book highlights a new and nuanced perspective on terrorism in the United States. The feedback by the Russians is highly interesting and John Giduck is clearly an expert based on his experience in Russia over decades. The problems that both Russia and the United States face are quite similar. It's essentially, large nation states vs. asymmetric terrorist warfare.

That said, I have a few critiques. First, he is a fairly inexperienced writer, the book jumps all over the place. Also, there is a ton of duplicate material and stories. The book could have been condensed by easily 100 pages or so. During the book, I kept finding myself wanting to rewrite it to present his arguments better, more concisely, and in an order that makes more logical sense. Finally, there is obviously some political leaning, but he did a good job of keeping them fairly bottled up.

But, overall, if you find this topic interesting, read it. He is breaking off knowledge that nobody else has. I liked it book even though it has some challenges. The knowledge shared is just too valuable and interesting to disregard it because of bad writing.

[John Waldrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwhelming! Thorough beyond belief. The author's grasp of the threat's source is top drawer, avoiding the political correctness that has crippled so many agencies at home and abroad. He is an extremely well-educated and well-informed realist. I recommend this book without reservation!

[NCHS Library]

From Follett
Presents a history of the events leading up to the Beslan School Siege that occurred in Russia in 2004 and tells the story of the victims and the soldiers who were there, highlighting lessons that American schools can learn to prevent a similar terrorist incident.

[Deana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping look at the tragedy itself, with a lot of background information about what led up to the terrorist attack.