The Path to Paradise: The Inner World of Suicide Bombers and Their Dispatchers

by Anat Berko

Suicide bombers are often compared to smart bombs. From the point of view of their dispatchers, they are highly effective, inexpensive forms of weaponry, and there is no need to invest in their technological development. Suicide bombers are in fact smarter than smart bombs because they can choose their own target―and they can react to circumstances on the ground, changing their target, or their timing, in an instant, to ensure the maximum damage, destruction, and death. Of course, unlike smart bombs, suicide bombers think and feel, they have histories, stories, beliefs, desires―in short, they have an inner world. Exploring the inner world of suicide bombers has been the focus of Anat Berko's research for years. She has worked to understand the thought processes of a people who can choose to place explosives on their bodies and kill themselves, taking as many other people with them as they can.

Do male bombers really believe that death will transport them to a paradise where they will be greeted by virgins? Are they victims of unbearable pressure to commit this act of terror? What are female bombers promised in the hereafter? Is there something that links all suicide bombers? Berko also explores the world of those who drop the smart bomb―the who are these people who persuade others to go calmly to their horrific deaths?

216 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2007

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written book. It has a tremendous amount of detail in relation to the decision making process and family backgrounds of both suicide bombers and their dispatchers. The author was granted unprecedented access to these prisoners.

The information contained however, really wasn't all that useful for me as a police officer and trainer. I was hoping for more insights about how to identify and stop a suicide bomber. I didn't find much information on those topics.

[Karu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reading. Recommend to everyone who is interested in suicide terrorism/martyrdom operations. I think it is very important to interview people who wanted to become suicide bombers and we are lucky that Anat Berko has shared it with us, so we can see or try to understand what they are thinking and what their motives might be.

[Foxglove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A depressing but fascinating look into suicide bombers who didn't succeed. Why do they want death?