Author: George Haddow and Jane Bullock
ISBN No: 0-7506-7787-2
Review date: 17/12/2025
No of pages: 534
Publisher: Elsevier
Year of publication:
Brief:
George Haddow is from the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management, George Washington University and Jane Bullock is from the School of the Environment, Duke University, North Carolina.
An American publication, titled An Introduction to Homeland Security, is heavily based around 9-11 and the response of the US government to the terrorist attacks. What is surprising though is the ground it covers. From the March print magazine.
The appendices alone constitute a vast store of really useful information. The book is absolutely littered with reference sections, notations directing the reader to relevant publications and websites and contributions from media reports or experts. For anyone wanting to know what-is-what or who-is-who in the American world of disaster management, this is the book for you.
The discussion surrounding the terrorist attacks and honest commentary upon the Federal government preparedness is impressive for both its objectivity and the breadth of information it provides. This book supplies a detailed time-line of the events of that monstrous day, which, notwithstanding them being presented in such a concise manner, reinforces the truly harrowing nature of an awful series of crimes. Within the chapters of the book are found: an historical overview of the terrorist threat to the United States; an overview of the structure of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its legislative status; the organisation of the DHS; a detailed examination of the potential hazards; an overview of issues relating to safety and security with particular references to the intelligence community, border control, utilities, and so on; response and recovery; communications; and so on. Of particular note is the chapter on hazards, which details the nature of the threat and consequences from terrorist attacks using chemical, biological and nuclear agents. The notes regarding preventative actions are also of real interest but hopefully of academic usefulness only.
Again the chapter on communications was found to be a real goldmine of information and the case study on the impact of the media in the Washington sniper case makes for superb reading. The descriptions of the impact of fear on the communities affected by the sniper is worthy of real consideration by any security manager who may face having to respond to press enquiries during an incident. For any security manager wishing to know more about critical incidents and who has a need for a single source to start their learning then I cannot recommend this book more highly. An absolute gem of a book.
Martin Wright
