The following excerpts are from a document found by the police in manchester, england, during a search of an al qaeda member s home. He was ubiquitous and palpable, both in a physical and a cyberspectral form, to the extent that his death took on something of the feel of an exorcism. This infamous organization has ideologies, intellectual roots, and a historical context. Alqaeda has an organisational structure and it appears that bin laden was still very much involved in it whilst he was in the compound, but all its various affiliates are still going strong. Al qaeda in iraq got its start in 2003, originally called jamaat al tawhid.
Alqaedas saudi arabian affiliate has significant media outlets from which it spreads ideological propaganda. Bin ladens life has received exhaustive scrutiny, as has al qaedas history. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read inside al shabaab. Its a great introduction for those new to the topic, but its also a landmark work and absolutely required reading for those who study and work to counter terrorism.
Inside al shabaab is the definitive history of the somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the group s genesis and its ties to al qaeda. Giles foden on how bin laden may have been inspired by isaac asimov s foundation. The best books on osama bin laden five books expert. The al qaeda network today also comprises semiautonomous or self radicalized actors, who often have only peripheral or ephemeral ties to either the core cadre in pakistan or affiliated groups elsewhere. Also discover topics, titles, outlines, thesis statements, and conclusions for your al qaeda essay.
The best books on alqaeda recommended by peter taylor. Because terrorism is an evolving phenomenon, the back end of the book could use an update to encompass the late al qaeda period and the current threat that. It provides a fascinating look into the history of spywork in the united states, from the days of the office of strategic services in 1942 to the turn of the century. It began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war and transformed into the active terrorist organization known for. The secret history of alqaedas most powerful ally ebook written by dan joseph, harun maruf. We now know from some of alqaedas internal documents that they were sending people into somalia to attack american soldiers there. The looming tower, by lawrence wright the new york times.
According to a magazine he published to announce the founding of the group in 1988cited in bergens bookthe vanguard constitutes the solid base alqaeda alsulbah for the expected society. Jan 20, 2006 the osama bin laden i know is an unprecedented oral history of osama bin laden s rise to revered leader of al qaeda. He is a contributing editor at the new republic and has worked as a correspondent for national geographic television, discovery, and cnn. In his early statements, for example, osama bin laden adopted a pseudonationalist tone in directly addressing the. The secret history of al qaeda reveals events in iraq and saudi arabia as watershed moments in the organization s evolution that are making it more dangerous by the day. In these pages, lawrence wright examines alqaeda as it experiences a. The secret history of al qaeda s most powerful ally. Al qaeda allies and affiliate groups, whose stories often proved integral to that of al qaeda and have now emerged as threats on their own, are also receiving the attention they deserve. In examining other strategic blunders the united states has committed, bergen offers a scathing critique of the clinton and bush administrations inability to accurately assess and counter the alqaeda threat, bushs deeply misguided reasons for invading iraqincluding the story of how the invasion was launched based, in part, on the. Al qaeda 1st edition paul cruickshank routledge book. Westerners from across the political spectrum will be fascinated and enlightened by the al qaeda readers insights into the nature of islamic texts and the ways in which alqaeda has used these texts to manufacture hatred against our civilization and our way of life. Which books should i read to understand the history of al. This is an incomplete list of books about al qaeda. The evolution of al qaeda and the intertwining paths leading to 911.
The book fills in many important gaps in our knowledge of alqaida. Most americans are familiar with the military operation in afghanistan. Weaving together internal documents from al qaeda and the u. Aug 23, 2016 and so began the twenty years war between alqaeda and the united states, which has had five distinct eras to date. It talks, obviously, mostly about isis, but it does so in a way that incorporates its entire history, including when it. The death toll is nearly 10 times greater than any other terrorist attack in history and makes bin laden, for the first. Alqaeda calls on nonmuslims to use their time under. Abdel bari atwan, a palestinian, has lived in london for thirty years and is editor in chief of alquds alarabi. What to read on bin laden and al qaeda foreign affairs. It began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war and transformed into the active terrorist organization known for carrying out the september 11 attacks of 2001. Inside alshabaab is the definitive history of the somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the groups genesis and its ties to alqaeda. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin. Osama bin laden, al qaedas enigmatic leader, believed he and his followers were beyond the reach of american arms in that faroff mountainous land, protected by its fanatical taliban regime.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the osama bin laden i know. A short history of al qaeda in iraq aqi isi sofrep. Wright is the author of ten books, including the looming tower. History organization ideology by ben simon available from rakuten kobo. The secret history of al qaeda reveals events in iraq and saudi arabia as watershed moments in the organizations evolution that are making it more dangerous by the day. Like other totalitarian movements, the movements leaders have rationalized their brutality in a number of published treatises. But in the decade following 911, you switched your focus to alqaeda why was. Mubarak, will help revitalize every stripe of islamism, including that of al qaeda. The secret history of al qaeda, updated edition by abdel.
As a result, the leadership has become decentralized, and the organization has become regionalized into several al qaeda groups. The main argument in the book is that alqaeda was established because of the. Apr, 2020 it also urged its followers to show no mercy and launch attacks in this time of crisis, according to ap. The osama bin laden i know is an unprecedented oral history of osama bin ladens rise to revered leader of al qaeda. History middle east history political science law and legal. Kessab is not safe because it sits next to idlib and has been a continual target of the missile attacks by the al qaeda in idlib. The gathered materials are mainly drawn from scholarly journals of the first rank and chapters from the most authoritative books. Alqaeda, broadbased militant islamist organization founded by osama bin laden in the late 1980s. Lawrence wrights remarkable new book gives the reader a searing. The following excerpts are from a document found by the police in manchester, england, during a search of an al qaeda members home. The essential texts of osama bin laden s terrorist organization.
Thousands of islamists have been released from prisons in egypt alone, and the ouster of al qaedas enemy, mr. Syrian christian village awaits the end of al qaedas. Her husband is syrian and they built their retirement home. But the roots of the militant islamist network, whose name is arabic for the base, date back to the late 1970s and the soviet unions invasion of afghanistan. The secret history of al qaeda s most powerful ally ebook written by dan joseph, harun maruf. Lillian martin is an american citizen originally from fresno, california. Alqaeda has been at war with the united states for twenty. Nadia murad lived a quiet life in a small village in northern iraq with her. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read inside alshabaab. The document, which has since been described by the fbi as the. Directorate s, from which the book gets its title, lies buried deep in the. Aug 24, 2002 it has become synonymous with the terrorist attacks of september 11 but what is the origin of the name al qaida. The essential texts of osama bin laden s terrorist organization ibrahim, raymond on. It also urged its followers to show no mercy and launch attacks in this time of crisis, according to ap.
The best books on osama bin laden, as recommended by one of the few reporters who met him, peter bergen. Peter bergen takes the reader onto the battlefields of afghanistan as bin laden goes from a shy, quiet teen to a leader. The first phase, from 19962001, was the phony war marked by intermittent. Before september 11, 2001, many americans knew little of alqaeda or its founder, osama bin laden. Al qaeda al qaeda training manual inside the terror. With aqi and its syrian affiliaterival al nusra increasingly in the news, here is a brief rundown of aqis history. Wright examines the origins of the militant organization alqaeda, the background for various terrorist attacks and how they were investigated, and the events that led to the september 11 attacks. Most of the world thinks it is a takfiri and terrorist organization members of alqaeda have performed many acts of terrorism. Experts believe that al qaeda s diverse statements contain calculated variations in tone and content that address or appeal to various target audiences. It has become synonymous with the terrorist attacks of september 11 but what is the origin of the name alqaida. June 2001 bin ladens alqaeda group and zawahiris aljihad group formally merge. Experts believe that al qaedas diverse statements contain calculated variations in tone and content that address or appeal to various target audiences.
The essential texts of osama bin ladens terrorist organization ibrahim, raymond on. Al qaeda s philosophy calls for the centralization of decision making, while allowing for the decentralization of execution. And so began the twenty years war between alqaeda and the united states, which has had five distinct eras to date. Alqaedas statement, on the other hand, called on nonmuslims to use their time under lockdowns to learn about islam. The secret history of al qaeda, updated edition by abdel bari. The essential texts of osama bin ladens terrorist organization. The literature on al qaeda, and terrorism in general, exploded after the 911 attacks. Atwan s outspoken londonbased newspaper al quds al arabi, of which he is editorinchief, has been the vehicle of choice for the release of many al qaeda electronic communiqus. Time magazine pronounced it one of the 100 best nonfiction books ever written. Al qaeda arabic for the base is a complex international islamist terrorist network made up of regional affiliate organizations and clandestine cells with varying degrees of communication with osama bin laden and ayman alzawahiri, the groups ideological and operational leaders. Alqaeda in the arabian peninsula and in yemen were much more directly involved with bin laden in pakistan. Al qaeda, broadbased militant islamist organization founded by osama bin laden in the late 1980s. Cathy scottclark and adrian levys gripping history of the terrorist.
The best books on alqaeda five books expert recommendations. The history of the world s most notorious terrorist organization chronicles the birth and growth of alqaeda, including the key figures and events that impacted its formation, as well as the ideology of alqaeda and the historical context and environment that strengthened it. Alqaeda was founded just as the afghan war was coming to an end and bin laden was seeking new battlefields. The merger allowed the two affiliates to pool resources and reach a broader.
June 2001 bin laden s al qaeda group and zawahiri s al jihad group formally merge. List of books about alqaeda ahmed, nafeez mosaddeq 2005. Its a great introduction for those new to the topic, but its also a landmark work and absolutely required reading for. This book is very good, i found it extremely entertaining. Now, for the first time, the al qaeda reader gathers together the essential texts and documents that trace the origin, history, and evolution of the ideas of alqaeda founders ayman alzawahiri and osama bin laden. Atwans outspoken londonbased newspaper alquds alarabi, of which he is editorinchief, has been the vehicle of choice for the release of many al qaeda electronic communiqus. On the morning of september 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack in u. Giles foden on how bin laden may have been inspired by. Like other totalitarian movements, the movement s leaders have rationalized their brutality in a number of published treatises.
An oral history of al qaedas leader ebook written by peter l. No man who has read a page of indian history will ever prophesy. Alqaeda and the road to 911, which spent eight weeks on the new york times bestseller list and was awarded the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction. However, after the war on terror, al qaeda s leadership has become isolated. Many thought that 911 was the start of an alqaeda assault on the west, but it turned out to be bin ladens pearl harbor a victory that led to strategic defeat says peter bergen, one of the few reporters who met the saudiborn militant. Al qaeda and the road to 911, which spent eight weeks on the new york times bestseller list and was awarded the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction. The osama bin laden i know is an unprecedented oral history of osama bin laden s rise to revered leader of al qaeda. The awardwinning bbc documentary maker tells us what hes learned in 10 years investigating alqaeda, and suggests what we should read to understand where the group came from, and what its still trying to do.
Shrouded as he was for a decade in an apparent cloak of anonymity and obscurity, osama bin laden was by no means an invisible man. The book by maruf and joseph is a very readable, very informative and in passages thrilling account that provides partly unknown details for somalia specialists. Atwans outspoken londonbased newspaper alquds alarabi, of which he is editorinchief, has been the vehicle of choice for the release of many al qaeda electronic communiques. Afghanistan african american history al qaeda american history armed forces army black history black history month books for children books for kids borden institute center of military history charley harper children children and nutrition childrens books cia civics civil war cold war constitution counterterrorism diet and nutrition education. Alqaeda is now the most overused and misunderstood term in the media. Alqaeda and the road to 911 is a 2006 nonfiction book by lawrence wright, a journalist for the new yorker. Alqaeda began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war. Its armenian heritage may be lost to the history books.
Al qaeda finds itself at a crossroads news analysis. It s a great introduction for those new to the topic, but it s also a landmark work and absolutely required reading for those who study and work to counter terrorism. The main argument in the book is that al qaeda was established because of the internal political conflict within islamic. As a conclusion, i say that as a historical piece,the book is good because it. Now, for the first time, the al qaeda reader gathers together the essential texts and documents that trace the origin, history, and evolution of the ideas of al qaeda founders ayman al zawahiri and osama bin laden. His writing has appeared in the new york times, washington post, wall street journal, foreign. Gerard chaliand and arnaud blins volume the history of terrorism.