Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

*An ARC is provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Title: Small Arms: Children and Terrorism

Author: Mia Bloom and John Horgan

Publisher : Cornell University Press

Release Date : 15 May 2019

The use of child soldiers or the use of children in the act of violence is not something strange and the numbers start increasing. As stated in Bloom’s book

“Child soldiers are ideal because they do not complain, they don’t expect to be paid, and if you tell them to kill, they kill.”

I personally believe that children and female are the easy targets to be coerced in joining the act of violence. Most of them are recruited because the majority of them come from the extremist family with particular belief on the culture of martyrdom. Another reason I can think of is the fact that the security guards or the authorities tend to be less “attentive” towards children and women, thinking that they are ones should be protected.

I really recommend this book to those who are interested in the discussion about the use of children in the acts of terrorism. The information and data she provided helps the readers to understand this matter better. The language used is also simple and understandable. It is definitely an enlightening and a great book to read.

Full review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2019/01/02/small-arms-children-and-terrorism-by-mia-bloom/