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Terrorism - History, Terrorism - General & Miscellaneous, Middle Eastern Politics - General & Miscellaneous, September 11th Terrorist Attacks, 2001, Criminals - General & Miscellaneous - Biography, General & Miscellaneous Islam, Radicals & Extremists - Bi
Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America by Yossef Bodansky — book cover

Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America

by Yossef Bodansky
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Overview

"Fascinating account. I strongly recommend it."  —Jeane J. Kirkpatrick

World-renowned terrorism expert Yossef Bodansky explores the transformation of Osama bin Laden from a once promising engineering student into the cold-blooded leader of the radical Islamic terrorist group, al Qaeda. With meticulous detail, Bodansky chronicles the events leading up to the international operation of hunting bin Laden.
 
In the process, Bodansky pulls together a chilling story that is as ancient as the Crusades; a story that transcends bin Laden and any other single man, one that sweeps from Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq to Kosovo and beyond. He takes you deep into the heart of centuries-old hatreds that have produced generations of bin Ladens and a terror network of underground armies that can strike virtually anywhere in the world. Fueled by Middle Eastern oil wealth and covertly armed by some of America's closest allies, this terror network is waging a brutal guerrilla war whose aim is nothing short of changing the course of history. The battlefields are increasingly Western city streets, and the casualties are most often innocents caught in the crossfire.

Including information about al Qaeda’s pursuit of chemical and nuclear weapons, covert deals between the U.S. and Islamic terrorists, and American efforts in the years-long campaign to capture Osama bin Laden, this book is a sobering wake-up call.

About the Author, Yossef Bodansky

Yossef Bodansky, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, was the director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare from 1988 to 2004. In addition, he is the director of research at the International Strategic Studies Association and a senior editor for the Defense and Foreign Affairs group of publications. The author of eight books on international terrorism and global crises, he is a former senior consultant for the U.S. Departments of Defense and State. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

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Editorials

Library Journal

This book's very complexity is a sober testiment to the confusion most Americans feel when trying to understand why militant Islamic terrorists hate us so much. How is it possible that nations that have sent their best students to our best universities in order to receive a quality education, that welcome our technology, and whose citizens enjoy the material objects we all desire (cars, TVs, computers, etc.) can breed people who think nothing of destroying buildings along with themselves? This is not a standard biography of bin Laden; there is very little known about him, and Bodansky focuses more on the man's actions than on the man himself. The mind-numbing details of organizations, splinters of those organizations, mullahs, sheiks, scholars, political groups, and shifting alliances will overwhelm the average listener. There is also no real explanation of how the terrorists use the Koran as the justification for their deeds. Most Americans are just incapable of entering the mind of bin Laden and getting even a glimmer of why his hatred is so virulent. Nadia May possesses excellent skills in pronouncing the often difficult Arab names, terms, and organizations. The price of the CD version of the book places it in the range of only the largest libraries; other institutions may want to consider the much less-expensive print or cassette editions.-Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA

Book Details

Published
May 4, 2011
Publisher
Crown Publishing Group
Pages
464
ISBN
9780307797728

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