First published 2007
Lawrence Wright examines the fifty-year development of Islamic fundamentalism and al-Qaeda's emergence as a global threat. The author reconstructs how Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri evolved from inexperienced idealists fighting in Afghanistan into commanders of history's most effective terrorist organization. Wright tracks FBI counterterrorism leader John O'Neill as he identifies the growing al-Qaeda danger during the 1990s and attempts to monitor this unprecedented threat. The narrative reveals the intelligence breakdowns and missed opportunities that allowed the September 11 attacks to succeed. Wright draws on extensive research and interviews to chronicle the transformation of religious extremism into organized violence. The book connects decades of political and religious developments to show how various failures in communication and analysis created the conditions for the World Trade Center attacks. This account provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the forces and decisions that shaped one of the most significant events in modern history.
Genres: history, politics, terrorism, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-drama, investigative-journalism
Setting: Afghanistan
Period: 1990s
541 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books (Random House)
Content warnings: violence