The Revolutionists

A thrilling and unprecedented account of the radicalism and political extremism that gripped the 1970s – a seismic decade that transformed the modern world. ‘Dazzling . . . a fabulously gripping read’ DOMINIC SANDBROOK, The Times Books of the Year ‘As compelling as the best of spy thrillers’ FERGAL KEANE *SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2025* In the 1970s, a network of extremists terrorised the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the glamorous Leila Khaled, hard-drinking Carlos the Jackal, and radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, all united by their hatred of Israel, capitalism and ‘Western imperialism’. Their audacious attacks brought governments to their knees and glued nations to their TV screens. Drawing on decades of research, declassified and secret documents, and first-hand interviews with hijackers, spies, witnesses and victims, Jason Burke takes us inside these often-deadly operations. In this underground realm of loyalty, betrayal and commitment to radical change at any cost, he reveals the dark origins of our fractured world today. *A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN , FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, PROSPECT AND BBC HISTORY* 'An astonishing window not just into the origins of modern terrorism but also into our own age' RORY STEWART ‘As irresistible and unputdownable as it is astonishing and relevant’ SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE ‘Told with cool authority and a novelist's eye for detail. Burke is a master' RORY CARROLL ‘Superb and monumental ’ SPECTATOR 'A book that historians will be profiting from for many decades to come' TOM HOLLAND ‘Riveting’ LINDSEY HILSUM

A thrilling and unprecedented account of the radicalism and political extremism that gripped the 1970s – a seismic decade that transformed the modern world. ‘Dazzling . . . a fabulously gripping read’ DOMINIC SANDBROOK, The Times Books of the Year ‘As compelling as the best of spy thrillers’ FERGAL KEANE *SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2025* In the 1970s, a network of extremists terrorised the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the glamorous Leila Khaled, hard-drinking Carlos the Jackal, and radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, all united by their hatred of Israel, capitalism and ‘Western imperialism’. Their audacious attacks brought governments to their knees and glued nations to their TV screens. Drawing on decades of research, declassified and secret documents, and first-hand interviews with hijackers, spies, witnesses and victims, Jason Burke takes us inside these often-deadly operations. In this underground realm of loyalty, betrayal and commitment to radical change at any cost, he reveals the dark origins of our fractured world today. *A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN , FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, PROSPECT AND BBC HISTORY* 'An astonishing window not just into the origins of modern terrorism but also into our own age' RORY STEWART ‘As irresistible and unputdownable as it is astonishing and relevant’ SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE ‘Told with cool authority and a novelist's eye for detail. Burke is a master' RORY CARROLL ‘Superb and monumental ’ SPECTATOR 'A book that historians will be profiting from for many decades to come' TOM HOLLAND ‘Riveting’ LINDSEY HILSUM

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. They sought to liberate the Palestinians and overthrow western imperialism, orchestrating spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. Drawing on decades of research, declassified archive material and original interviews with witnesses and participants, Jason Burke provides a masterful account of their exploits over the course of this dark decade. From Dawson's Field and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, he takes us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them. In the process, he shows how the extreme fringe of a secular, leftist, revolutionary movement ultimately birthed something altogether different and far more lethal: the violent expression of a fanatically conservative religious zealotry. Gripping, globe-spanning and pulsing with drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of the decade when terrorism took to the skies and transformed the world.

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. They sought to liberate the Palestinians and overthrow western imperialism, orchestrating spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. Drawing on decades of research, declassified archive material and original interviews with witnesses and participants, Jason Burke provides a masterful account of their exploits over the course of this dark decade. From Dawson's Field and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, he takes us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them. In the process, he shows how the extreme fringe of a secular, leftist, revolutionary movement ultimately birthed something altogether different and far more lethal: the violent expression of a fanatically conservative religious zealotry. Gripping, globe-spanning and pulsing with drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of the decade when terrorism took to the skies and transformed the world.

** SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2025 ** ** A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN , FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, PROSPECT AND BBC HISTORY ** A thrilling and unprecedented account of the radicalism and political extremism that gripped the 1970s – a seismic decade that transformed the modern world. 'A fabulously gripping read' DOMINIC SANDBROOK, The Times Books of the Year 'Brilliant ... An astonishing window not just into the origins of modern terrorism but also into our own age' RORY STEWART ‘Extraordinary … told with cool authority and a novelist's eye for detail' RORY CARROLL, author of Killing Thatcher In the 1970s, a network of extremists terrorised the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the glamorous Leila Khaled, hard-drinking Carlos the Jackal, and radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. United by their hatred of Israel, capitalism and ‘Western imperialism’, they unleashed a series of audacious attacks that brought governments to their knees and glued the world to their tv screens. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, secret documents, and first-hand interviews with hijackers, spies, witnesses and victims, Jason Burke takes us inside these often-deadly operations. Through the perpetrators’ eyes – and of the unrelenting agents who hunted them down – he uncovers a dark, complex world of loyalty, betrayal and commitment to change at any cost. Pitching us into these tumultuous times, The Revolutionists reveals how a campaign led by secular leftist revolutionaries gave way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. It is impossible to understand the world today without reading this book. 'A book that historians will be profiting from for many decades to come' TOM HOLLAND ‘As compelling as the best of spy thrillers’ FERGAL KEANE, BBC Correspondent and author of The Madness 'Riveting' LINDSEY HILSUM, International Editor, Channel 4 News

** SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2025 ** ** A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN , FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, PROSPECT AND BBC HISTORY ** A thrilling and unprecedented account of the radicalism and political extremism that gripped the 1970s – a seismic decade that transformed the modern world. 'A fabulously gripping read' DOMINIC SANDBROOK, The Times Books of the Year 'Brilliant ... An astonishing window not just into the origins of modern terrorism but also into our own age' RORY STEWART ‘Extraordinary … told with cool authority and a novelist's eye for detail' RORY CARROLL, author of Killing Thatcher In the 1970s, a network of extremists terrorised the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the glamorous Leila Khaled, hard-drinking Carlos the Jackal, and radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. United by their hatred of Israel, capitalism and ‘Western imperialism’, they unleashed a series of audacious attacks that brought governments to their knees and glued the world to their tv screens. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, secret documents, and first-hand interviews with hijackers, spies, witnesses and victims, Jason Burke takes us inside these often-deadly operations. Through the perpetrators’ eyes – and of the unrelenting agents who hunted them down – he uncovers a dark, complex world of loyalty, betrayal and commitment to change at any cost. Pitching us into these tumultuous times, The Revolutionists reveals how a campaign led by secular leftist revolutionaries gave way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. It is impossible to understand the world today without reading this book. 'A book that historians will be profiting from for many decades to come' TOM HOLLAND ‘As compelling as the best of spy thrillers’ FERGAL KEANE, BBC Correspondent and author of The Madness 'Riveting' LINDSEY HILSUM, International Editor, Channel 4 News

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE - An epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE - An epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade.