The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)

National Book Award Finalist

A Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year

A gripping narrative that spans five decades, The Looming Tower explains in unprecedented detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Lawrence Wright re-creates firsthand the transformation of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri from incompetent and idealistic soldiers in Afghanistan to leaders of the most successful terrorist group in history. He follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O?Neill as he uncovers the emerging danger from al-Qaeda in the 1990s and struggles to track this new threat. Packed with new information and a deep historical perspective, The Looming Tower is the definitive history of the long road to September 11. more

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From: Amazon
Posted: Jan-01-2009

Outstanding, a must read for every American and peace loving human

As cliche as this sounds, this book is a "must read" for anyone who values peace, freedom, love, and America. All the good points on this book have already been said, I just wanted to give it my 5 stars!

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From: Amazon
Posted: Dec-27-2008

Great Overview

I found this to be a great book to start understanding not only Al-Qaeda and 9/11, but the implications of US foreign policy and the blowback it creates. This is one of the first books I recommend to people who have not dug into the matter as it opens up many doors to areas of further study. Like...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Dec-10-2008

Essential Reading for the informed

1. This is a semi-dry book, but an important / landmark book; required reading for all those who wish to be part of the increasingly small but well informed electorate. 2. Buy it, read it, and deal with the realities of the 21rst century.

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From: Amazon
Posted: Dec-02-2008

a detailed history of Al Qaeda

This narrative traces the beginnings of modern Islamic terrorism from the idealogy of Eygptian Sayyid Qutb in the middle of the 20th century to the culmination of many of his ideas in the construction of terrorist cells and eventually the events of September 11, 2001.Much of the book follows the...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Dec-02-2008

Largely non-biased and informative

Great book with great background. However somewhat questionable on the validity on information considering his lack of intelligence experience (or a clearance for that matter). But gives the the reader the most comprehensive view of Bin Laden's inner circle and personal mindset.

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-25-2008

Audio Version A Little Weak, but Easier to Digest

I bought the 14-CD unabridged set. I felt that the performance was slightly short of the quality needed to tell this story. Having said that, it's an exhaustingly detailed and lengthy report of the entire arc of how terror got from then to now - so getting it perfect would have been expensive.The...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-22-2008

should be required reading

Read this book after seeing the author on a CBS program regarding 911. I found that his telling of the of what led up to the tragic event of 911 balanced and well researched. This should be required reading for everyone as it gives insight into the psyche of the politics/religious influences in...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-04-2008

This book will get under your skin

I once asked a professor what he thought about DeLillo's book Falling Man, and his response was that, "It just isn't what America needs right now."At the time, I remember being exasperated by such a political response from a professor of liberal arts, but after reading this book, I can see what...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Oct-20-2008

A plot cooked up by cavemen with computers

This is one of the best books I've read on this vital subject, namely Islamic fundaMENTALism and the war against the West. It is meticulously researched and it reads like a novel. If you meet any windbags who tell you the Islamists are angry because of poverty or because the Yanks and the Brits...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Oct-16-2008

Good intro to the topic

Good intro into a more detailed study of radical Islamism. No overt bias. Virtually no discussion of the events leading up to the actual 9/11 attacks -- but a good overview of the rise of al Queda. The book really makes al Queda and al Jihad seem like a bunch of incompetent nincompoops. One...

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