Mikkel Thorup is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and the History of Ideas, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

This book investigates terrorism and anti-terrorism as related and interacting phenomena, undertaking a simultaneous reading of terrorist and statist ideologists in order to reconstruct the 'deadly dialogue' between them.

1. Introduction: To Terrorize and to Theorize Part 1: Investigative Signposts 2. Killing Words: On Justifying Violence 3. The Violently Privileged: On the State 4. Beyond the Line: On Frontierlands Part 2: Archive of Terrors 5. Terror as Fright: The Concept of Terror before the French Revolution 6. Terror as Policy: The Concept of Terror during the French Revolution 7. Terror as Crime: The Concept of Terror after the French Revolution Part 3: Pirates and Terrorists 8. Pirates and Barbarians: the Barbary 'Axis of Piracy' and Western 'Anti-Terror'-Campaigns 9. Enemy of Humanity: the Anti-Piracy Discourse in Present Day Anti-Terrorism 10. State Pirates: Warriors in the Maritime Frontierland Part 4: States of Terror, States of Humanity 11. All Talk and No Security: the Securitist Critique of the Liberal Democracy's Irresponsibility 12. The Humanitarian Sovereign: Cosmopolitan Warfare in the New Global Frontierland