Overview
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - A "heart-stopping account of the events leading up to 9/11" (The New York Times Book Review), this definitive history explains in gripping 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.
One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century In gripping narrative that spans five decades, 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 a sweeping, unprecedented history of the long road to September 11.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9781400030842
- ISBN-10: 1400030846
- Publisher: Vintage
- Publish Date: September 2007
- Dimensions: 8.05 x 5.31 x 1.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.25 pounds
- Page Count: 592
Related Categories
The Looming Tower
Wright offers a timely and haunting work of nonfiction with this in-depth look at Islamic fundamentalism and the ascent of al-Qaeda. Encompassing five decades, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 traces the roots of the contemporary Islamic movement back to its founder, Sayyid Qutb, and examines how the religion grew to dominate the Arab world. Wright presents the background of Osama bin Laden in vivid detail, from his wealthy upbringing to his turn to terrorism to his existence as the world's most wanted criminal. He also tells the tragic yet fascinating story of FBI counterterrorism chief John O'Neill, who was aware of the threat presented by al-Qaeda back in the 1990s, tried hard to dismantle that threat and died in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. This is a work that answers pressing questions about Islam and al-Qaeda, ties up loose ends regarding the events of 9/11 and reveals much about the fallibility of U.S. intelligence—a brilliant synthesis of history, religion and international politics. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award finalist, Wright's unforgettable narrative will change readers' perceptions of religion and how it can function—or dysfunction—in the modern world.
The Looming Tower
Wright offers a timely and haunting work of nonfiction with this in-depth look at Islamic fundamentalism and the ascent of al-Qaeda. Encompassing five decades, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 traces the roots of the contemporary Islamic movement back to its founder, Sayyid Qutb, and examines how the religion grew to dominate the Arab world. Wright presents the background of Osama bin Laden in vivid detail, from his wealthy upbringing to his turn to terrorism to his existence as the world's most wanted criminal. He also tells the tragic yet fascinating story of FBI counterterrorism chief John O'Neill, who was aware of the threat presented by al-Qaeda back in the 1990s, tried hard to dismantle that threat and died in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. This is a work that answers pressing questions about Islam and al-Qaeda, ties up loose ends regarding the events of 9/11 and reveals much about the fallibility of U.S. intelligence—a brilliant synthesis of history, religion and international politics. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award finalist, Wright's unforgettable narrative will change readers' perceptions of religion and how it can function—or dysfunction—in the modern world.