Quote Originally Posted by ProfessorB
In the spring 2008 quarter I've been asked to teach a class entitled "Terrorism and Homeland Security." Any recommendations for an accessible book on terrorism for undergraduates? I'm more interested in a "what" is terrorism book (i.e., one pitched at a more strategic level) than a "who" are the terrorists book.
If you are specifically looking at terrorism only in the current context, then I recommend this two-volume RAND series, published last November:

Beyond Al-Qa'ida Part 1 - The Global Jihadist Movement

Beyond al-Qaeda Part 2 - The Outer Rings of the Terrorist Universe

The material broadly covers al-Qa'ida and its affiliates, as well as non-affiliated Islamist radicals, non-Islamist extremists and criminal organizations outlining their ideological foundations and strategic and operational objectives. It also ties in how each of these groups poses - or may pose - a threat to the United States. These are good, basic texts, suitable for the type of course you describe. However, being basic texts, they offer no real insights, nor do they delve into any of the organizations covered in detail. For an SME, this will be disappointing reading - for a student new to the subject, its a good starting point.

If you want to look at "what" is terrorism from more of an historical context, to put the current threat into perspective, I recommend a different pair of books. Walter Laquer's The Age of Terrorism - an outstanding wide-ranging study - and the accompanying Terrorism Reader (an anthology of brief texts ranging from Aristotle and Plutarch to 19th century Anarchists, the IRA and Hezballah). However, you may have a bit more difficulty finding copies of these.