In the dying light of the nineteenth century, the world came to know and fear terrorism. Like today, this was a time of progress and dread, characterised by political and technological breakthroughs and waves of immigration that swelled the populations of ever-expanding cities.

The era also simmered with political rage and social inequalities, which drove nationalists, nihilists, anarchists and republicans to dynamite cities and gun down presidents, police chiefs and emperors. This wave of terror was seized upon by an outrage-hungry press that peddled hysteria, conspiracy theories and fake news in response, convincing many that they were living through the end of days.

The rise of devils chronicles the journeys of those who provoked this panic and created modern terrorism - revolutionary philosophers, cult leaders, criminals and charlatans, as well as the paranoid police chiefs and unscrupulous spies who tried to thwart them. In doing so, the book explains how radicals once thought just in their causes became, in the words of Pope Pius IX, 'devils risen up from Hell'.

Reviews

'Punctuated by the stories of a host of interesting and extraordinary characters, this is a fascinating exploration of the long nineteenth century's development of terrorism and counterterrorism, highlighting the role of fear and the paranoia, repression and overreaction it engendered.'
Michael Stohl, author of Crime and Terrorism

'Applying an innovative historical lens, James Crossland offers a remarkable perspective on the history of terrorism that is not overdetermined by the events of 9/11 and explores a "violent strain of nihilism intoxicated by a whiff of martyrdom". The book reads like the prequel to the National Treasure movie franchise and offers a completely unique understanding of terrorism's first wave.'
Mia Bloom, author of Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror

'An engaging book that will entertain a wide audience and will enlighten scholars and undergraduate students about the foremost theorists of terrorist violence in nineteenth-century Europe.'
William Meier, H-Net

Prologue: The prophet of terror
1 Three bombs in Paris
2 The 'Moloch of radicalism'
3 For those in Hell
4 Breakers of worlds
5 Insurgents across borders
6 Gathering storms
7 City of enemies
8 Chasing chimeras
9 Murder triumphant
10 The dynamite lesson
11 Thoughts that light fires
12 No one is safe
13 Of fright and fantasy
14 All toward its end
Epilogue: Ouroboros
Index

Author

James Crossland is Professor of International History at Liverpool John Moores University. He is the author of several books, most recently Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold History of Robert Bruce Lockhart (2024).