Modern Terrorism Was Born in the 1970s

Modern Terrorism Was Born in the 1970s

From Breaking History by The Free Press

February 25, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Poppy Damon interviews Jason Burke about his book on the 1970s wave of extremism and its impact on modern terrorism.

Breaking History producer Poppy Damon sits down with Guardian security correspondent Jason Burke to unpack his new book, ⁠The Revolutionists⁠, a sweeping history of the 1970s wave of extremism that transformed global politics. From plane hijackings to hostage crises, Burke traces the radical figures and world leaders who shaped the modern age of terror. What does the 1970s tell us about 2026? Go to https://surfshark.com/elideal or use code ELIDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Poppy Damon

Guest: Jason Burke

Topics covered

  • modern terrorism
  • 1970s extremism
  • global politics
  • plane hijackings
  • hostage crises
  • radical figures

Keywords

  • terrorism
  • 1970s
  • extremism
  • politics
  • hostage crises
  • plane hijackings
  • radical figures

Sponsors

Surfshark

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Guardian

Books & works: The Revolutionists

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