Death to Order

"Assassination--the murder of a specific individual by an organised conspiracy in pursuit of political ends--has shaped the fate not only of famous infamous victims, but also of nations and empires. In this incisive new history, Simon Ball shows how targeted political murder has become a tool of democratic states, as well as a key strategy of those who wish to topple them. Ball introduces us to the techniques of assassination and those who use it, as well as the security regimes which have developed to prevent this violent practice."--inside flap.