The Secret History of Al Qaeda, Updated Edition

by Abdel Bari Atwan

Book Overview

Drawing on unparalleled access to Osama bin Laden and his key associates, journalist Abdel Bari Atwan gives an incisive and timely account, the clearest we have so far, of the rise of the notorious... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520255615
• ISBN13: 9780520255616
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Shocking

Very well written book with lot's of support for it's statements. The author definitely has done his research even though you feel a hint of bias in the book. Very interesting for anyone looking to understand why "they hate us".

WHY

This is the best thing written on why they exist,why they are doing what they are doing,how they are doing it and why they will win if we do noy change what we are doing. As a former US Marine I found it very helpful to know and understand the enemy.Best thing I have have read on the subject and was remomended to me by the NBC Nwes producwer on the War on Terror.

The secret history of al qaeda

the book is excellent. I recommend it to anyone interested in terrorism and Al Qaeda. It is chock full of relevant and pertinent information and well written.

Understanding the enemy

This book is required reading for every voting American. It brings to light the objectives of the enemy and what their ultimate goal is.

A Valuable Contribution to Understanding Al Qaeda

Abdel Bari Atwan, who is the editor-in-chief of the London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi, is uniquely qualified to write THE SECRET HISTORY OF al QAEDA, as he is the only Western-based journalist to have spent time with Osama Bin Laden. The extended interview took place in Tora Bora, Afghanistan in 1996, and his personal insights into Bin Laden, those around him, and the living conditions at Tora Bora make for fascinating reading. Furthermore, as a result of this meeting, Atwan and his newspaper have been privy to numerous al Qaeda communiques and insider information over the years - including the famous tidbit from Bin Laden associates that Bin Laden was alive and recovering from injuries caused by U.S. bombing near Tora Bora in late 2001. His discussion of how Al Qaeda, as an organization and it's military and economic strategy/ tactics has evolved since 9/11 makes for some eye-opening and chilling reading. Long before the controversial National Intelligence Estimate, Atwan tells us that Iraq has become a breeding ground for the most ruthless and militant Al Qaeda fighters to date. This book is AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ, and should be REQUIRED READING for all US Government and military leaders. It ranks right up there with Peter Bergen's THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW and HOLY WAR, INC.