The Infernal Machine by Steven Johnson

7.5 out of 10

Near the turn of the 20th century, a serious anarchist movement was in full swing. Radicals endorsed violence during labor disputes.  Bombs went off on trains and in the mail.  Heads of state were killed for the cause: Czar Alexander II and President William McKinley, for example.  As a response, many countries adopted secret service police for protection and investigation.  

Because the anarchist movement was ultimately unsuccessful, this chapter in world history is often overlooked.  However, the era set the stage for the world we see today.  New explosive technology used by terrorists and revolutionaries is met with new surveillance and detective technology by governments.