This groundbreaking book reveals how complex stories—ranging from war memoirs and political polemics to propaganda and prize-winning fiction—can shape our understanding of ideologically motivated violence. Drawing on the rich tradition of aesthetic education, it offers an original theory connecting the aesthetic, ethical and political dimensions of narrative. The author demonstrates how literature and documentary writing can unmask techniques of neutralisation, expose fictionality and suggest responses to violence and harm.

Uniting criminology, philosophy and literary studies, this timely and accessible book makes a bold case for why narratives matter in tackling terrorism, war and crimes against humanity.