A Survey of Books About Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda
By MICHIKO KAKUTANI
From The Times
Since 9/11, there has been an outpouring of books about Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, the Sept. 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan. Below is an annotated list of some of the more useful ones.
Some of these books are primarily concerned with giving the reader a bildungsroman-like account of Bin Laden’s transformation into a charismatic leader from a callow young man who “couldn’t lead eight ducks across the street,” as Prince Bandar, the former Saudi ambassador in Washington, once said. They underscore the unresolved Oedipal problems (not unlike those of George W. Bush) that he had with his powerful and wealthy father, while exploring the role that older mentors played in his growing radicalization.
“The Bin Ladens,” by Steve Coll, also adds new details to our understanding of how the young Bin Laden evolved from a loyal family adjutant into an angry black sheep lashing out at some of the very connections his father and brothers had cultivated in their business dealings for years.
(Original here.)
From The Times
Since 9/11, there has been an outpouring of books about Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, the Sept. 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan. Below is an annotated list of some of the more useful ones.
Some of these books are primarily concerned with giving the reader a bildungsroman-like account of Bin Laden’s transformation into a charismatic leader from a callow young man who “couldn’t lead eight ducks across the street,” as Prince Bandar, the former Saudi ambassador in Washington, once said. They underscore the unresolved Oedipal problems (not unlike those of George W. Bush) that he had with his powerful and wealthy father, while exploring the role that older mentors played in his growing radicalization.
“The Bin Ladens,” by Steve Coll, also adds new details to our understanding of how the young Bin Laden evolved from a loyal family adjutant into an angry black sheep lashing out at some of the very connections his father and brothers had cultivated in their business dealings for years.
(Original here.)
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