The power of staying informed

Is the threat of terrorism equal to Cold War era fears of superpower

attacks? Do global cartels engender hostility and give rise to acts

of violence? Do you feel less secure than ever before? Do you feel

powerless in the face of world events?

These questions can’t be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, but

there is something you can do when they present themselves. You can

resolve to be informed.

Gen. Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine four-star general, will be

making two appearances at the Newport Beach Public Library as a

speaker in the 7th annual Martin Witte Distinguished Lecture Series

presented by the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation April 16 and

17. Zinni has served as head of central command for U.S. forces in

the Middle East and is a Vietnam War veteran with extensive

background in special operations and counter-terrorism. This

front-line observer can provide insight into world events if you

choose to attend one of the presentations.

Meanwhile, the topic can be explored in numerous ways with library

materials. New books on this topic abound. Give it some historical

perspective, and you will realize that terrorism has always been with

us. Read Tom Pocock’s “The Terror Before Trafalgar: Nelson, Napoleon,

and the Secret War.” In 1801, a secret war of espionage and

subversion was being fought, and American inventor Robert Fulton was

developing new weapons --rockets, submarines and torpedoes -- in

France. English tourists of the time flocked to Paris, inadvertently

placing themselves in harm’s way as the secret war continued.

Jump up to the present with “No End to War: Terrorism in the 21st

Century,” as Walter Laqueur explores the full political spectrum of

the phenomenon. “So Many Enemies, So Little Time: An American Woman

in all the Wrong Places” describes the experiences from the female

perspective of Elinor Burkett who, along with her husband, visited

Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, after starting

her Fulbright scholarship year in September 2001 in Kyrgyzstan.

It’s not just about war and military operations; there is an

ethical side to the issue. What about the biological menace of

anthrax and smallpox? “Wake of Terror: Medicine and Morality in a

Time of Crisis,” edited by Jonathan D. Moreno, links the war on

terrorism and the threat of chemical and biological weapons. This

volume presents essays on many of these troubling issues. “The War on

Our Freedoms: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism,” edited by

Richard C. Leone and Greg Anrig Jr., explores another facet of the

struggle to balance freedom and security.

Finally, even fiction can provide insight into the phenomenon of

terrorism. John Le Carre’s “Little Drummer Girl” is a primer for the

recruitment of a terrorist sympathizer. Le Carre’s latest, “Absolute

Friends,” continues the genre, painting a dark picture of an

uncertain world. A new mystery, “Third Degree” by James Patterson,

explores the sinister reaches of political terrorism too.

But you don’t have to be terrified in the face of terror. While

acquiring information and forming opinions, you can even be

entertained by the skill and judgment exhibited in literary efforts

from writers who represent all points on the political spectrum.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by June Pilsitz. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach library.org. For more information on the

Central Library or any of the branch locations, please contact the

Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.