Fighting Monsters

Brown, a practicing barrister in London, considers the nature of law and its role in fighting barbarism and terrorism in the 21st century, and offers a critique of the legal response to terrorism, especially in the US and the UK. Discussion is founded on four aspects of martial phenomena: pre-emptive war, targeted killings, torture, and arbitrary detention. The author asserts that, even though force is an essential element of any coherent concept of law, we need not become monsters ourselves even as we fight monsters. Some themes explored include language and image, war and crime, security and rationality, sex and terror, economy and hegemony, and legality and brutality. Brown received a doctorate degree from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. The book is distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Rory Brown was a Russell Vick Prize Winner at Jesus College, Cambridge, an Erasmus Scholar at Regensburg University, Germany, a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, New York City, and received his Doctorate from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.He is a barrister, a member of Inner Temple, and currently practises from 9 Stone Buildings Chambers, Lincoln's Inn, London.