Al qaeda is the most dangerous terrorist movement in history. This approach makes for a harder read but allows the different views of bin laden and al qaedas history to shine forth, helping the reader understand the organizations complexity. Talk to any syrian you meet on the syrianturkish border these days, and in less than five minutes the conversation is likely to turn to daashthe arabic acronym for the rebel organization known as the islamic state of iraq and greater syria, or isis. Drawing on frontline experience, on secret documents, and on interviews with intelligence officers, militants, mujahideen commanders and bin laden associates, the author reveals the story of almilitants, mujahidden commanders and bin laden associates, the author reveals the story of alqaeda, and demolishes the myths that underpin the war on terror. List of books and articles about al qaeda online research library. The awardwinning bbc documentary maker tells us what hes learned in 10 years investigating al qaeda, and suggests what we should read to understand where the group came from, and what its still trying to do. Burke writes with admirable lucidity and the benefit of his frontline reporting. What everyone needs to know ebook written by daniel byman. Al qaeda and the road to 911 paperback august 21, 2007.
His known works are this piece and some contributions to the al qaeda online magazine sawt al jihad. The following excerpts are from a document found by the police in manchester, england, during a search of an al qaeda members home. Time out a sensible, sharp, reasoned, comprehensive overview of analysis of modern islamic militancy and discussion of the nature of the phenomenon of alqaeda. This book introduces and examines the new generation of al qaeda leaders who have been behind the most recent attacks. Written in an engaging prose, this history of the emergence and evolution of present day islamic radicalism is really unputdownable. Al qaeda trained terrorists that were linked to the 1996 car bombings of the u. Inside al qaeda examines the leadership, ideology, structure, strategies, and tactics of the most violent politicoreligious organization the world has ever seen. If you think you know anything at all about al qaeda or simply want an accessible introduction to the subject, this book is a mustread.
Al qaeda defector al fadl, who was a former member of qatar charity, testified in court that abdullah mohammed yusef, who served as qatar charitys director, was affiliated to al qaeda and simultaneously to the national islamic front, a political group that gave al qaeda leader osama bin laden harbor in sudan in the early 1990s. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read al qaeda, the islamic state, and the global jihadist movement. Yet, after nearly six years of concentrated effort by the united states, the dominant power in the international system, al qaeda survives and is still acknowledged as a potent threat. 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. Al qaeda killed over 3,000 us citizens on september 11, 2001, and terrorism leapt to the fore of us strategic and political priorities.
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 proper understanding of human nature paired with the important economic realities of scarcity, supply, and demand allows the economist to understand al qaeda as an emergent order which is context specific but also capable of change. In the aftermath of the september 11th attacks, alqaeda has become the most infamous terrorist organization in history. This is an incomplete list of books about al qaeda ahmed, nafeez mosaddeq 2005. Yet within five years he had built an organization that was to carry out the most shocking and devastating terrorist attack in history. The best books on alqaeda recommended by peter taylor. Alqaeda and the road to 911 by lawrence wright, the panther by nelson demille, the black banners. Feb 26, 2020 ayman alzawahiri, also spelled ayman al. In the west, it symbolises the greatest threat to global security. Al qaeda manual the al qaeda manual the al qaeda manual states that the al qaeda manual cites as a source of inspiration the history of terrorism. In their own words, al qaeda tells the western world why they are attacking western interests and what they want.
For a really illuminating account of that loose network of networks generically called al qaeda this is considered by many as the most trustworthy and lucid work. Alqaeda and the road to 911 from the worlds largest community of readers. Just like me, he was trying to understand the nature of the organisation, the kind of people involved, their background and motivation, and critically why they were doing what they were doing. Reality of invisible balance of power naveed ahmed in his book, invisible balance of power, published in 2005, sajjad shaukat has taken present different war as an interaction of state terrorism led by the united states and the group terrorism by the al qaeda or islamic militants. Al qaeda, the islamic state, and the global jihadist movement. Investigative journalist syed saleem shahzad dedicated his life to revealing the strategies and inner workings of al qaeda and the taliban. Of all the books released this year, lawrence wrights exhaustively researched and extraordinarily wellwritten the looming tower. Onceaccused al qaeda sympathizer goes home the new york times. List of books and articles about al qaeda online research. Most of the world thinks it is a takfiri and terrorist organization members of alqaeda have performed many acts of terrorism. This organization is considered as a top threat for the world super power united states of america. The saudiborn islamic activist had little equipment, few followers and minimal local support. The book is based on five years of research on al qaeda, including extensive interviews with its members.
It is a historical look at the way in which the militant organization al qaeda came into being, the background for various terrorist attacks and how they were investigated. This book sheds light on al qaedas financial infrastructure and how they train combat soldiers and vanguard fighters for multiple guerrilla, terrorist and. He shows that the war on terror is failing, only serving to recruit more terrorists to al qaeda s cause. A survey of books about osama bin laden and al qaeda the. He works for the near east section of the african and middle eastern division of the library of congress, where he discovered many of the neverbeforetranslated arabic texts that make up the bulk of the alqaeda reader. Apr 29, 2015 al qaeda often takes a similar approach to western aid workers operating in its midst. The document, which has since been described by the fbi as the. Since 911, theres been an outpouring of books about osama bin laden, al qaeda, the september 11th attacks and the war in afghanistan. That same year he issued a declaration of war against the united states. Silber brings real analytical rigor to a field that needs his cogent voice. 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. He works for the near east section of the african and middle eastern division of the library of congress, where he discovered many of the neverbeforetranslated arabic texts that make up the bulk of the al qaeda reader. 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.
Alqaeda, broadbased militant islamist organization founded by osama bin laden in the late 1980s. Compiled by paul cruickshank, a new yorkbased investigative journalist and one of cnns top correspondents on terrorism, this. An annotated foreign affairs syllabus on osama bin laden and al qaeda. Wright is the author of ten books, including the looming tower.
Alqaeda and the road to 911, is one of the few must read books of 2006. Alqaeda began as a logistical network to support muslims fighting against the soviet union during the afghan war. Discover librarianselected research resources on al qaeda from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines. 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.
An eloquent and incisive deconstruction of the mythology surrounding al qaeda and a trenchant critique of the. Paracha and his father, saifullah paracha, had met in pakistan with two qaeda operatives majid khan and ammar albaluchi and. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Jason burkes description of the structure and role that alqaeda play as. Bruce riedels the search for al qaeda is more timely now than ever, as osama bin laden, the al qaeda leader who eluded united states and allied forces for nearly a decade, was killed in a. Alqaida alsulbah mixes a type of revolutionary vanguardism, borrowed from european political philosophy, with islamic martyrdom. Mar 16, 2020 at his 2005 trial, the government presented evidence that mr.
In the rise and fall of alqaeda, fawaz gerges, a public intellectual known widely in the academe and media for his expertise on radical ideologies, including jihadism, argues that the. Raymond ibrahim is a historian of the middle east and islam. For the novice and expert alike, al qaeda by christina hellmich is currently the best book in the very large field of al qaeda studies. A gripping narrative that spans five decades, the looming tower explains in unprecedented detail the growth of islamic fundamentalism, the rise of alqaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the world trade center. Jul 23, 2015 al qaeda, the islamic state, and the global jihadist movement. National public radio has described naji as a top al qaida insider and characterized the work as al qaidas playbook. A counterterrorism expert explains how we got here and what. Yet most people in the west know very little about it, or their view is clouded by misperceptions and half truths. I came away having finished this book feeling much better informed about radical islam. Lawrence wright recreates firsthand the transformation of osama bin laden and ayman alzawahiri from incompetent and idealistic soldiers in afghanistan to leaders of the most successful terrorist group in history. Al qaeda and the road to 911 is a 2006 nonfiction book by lawrence wright. The longest war also draws on these interviews and looks at al qaeda after 911, but most of the text focuses on u.
Fighters from the alqaedalinked islamic state of iraq and greater syria, aleppo, syria, july 4, 20. May 02, 2011 since 911, theres been an outpouring of books about osama bin laden, al qaeda, the september 11th attacks and the war in afghanistan. Giles foden on how bin laden may have been inspired by isaac asimovs foundation. Al qaeda is fully indexed and has a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. Aug 24, 2002 it has become synonymous with the terrorist attacks of september 11 but what is the origin of the name al qaida. As donald holbrooks excellent and important book shows, this is a mistake. Peter bergen writes that hamza bin laden, osama bin ladens son who is believed dead, was being groomed to be a nextgeneration leader of al qaeda. The definitive work on al qaeda, this book is based on five years of research, including extensive interviews with its members. Giles foden on how bin laden may have been inspired by. Time magazine pronounced it one of the 100 best nonfiction books ever written.
Books about the pursuit of al qaeda the new york times. But as head of the bin laden unit, which was set up before the 1998 east african embassy bombings, the crucial thing about this first book is that he viewed alqaeda in a different way. Al qaeda al qaeda training manual inside the terror. In the rush to understand the islamic state, alqaeda has been largely ignored in recent years. The al qaeda factor is a lucid and deeply researched account of the groups plots in the west and the degree to which they were directed or inspired by the core of al qaeda.
The third rose between 2009 and 2011, driven by the emergence of the radical cleric anwar al awlaki in yemen, and concluded with the killing of osama bin laden and several other qaeda. Starting with al qaeda s creation almost twenty years ago, and sketching its global mutation, mohamedou explains that there is a cogent strategy to al qaeda s actions. The best books on alqaeda five books expert recommendations. Al qaeda and the road to 911 book online at best prices in india on.
Holbrook examines the strategic thinking of alqaeda under its leader ayman al zawahiri with care, rigour and insight. In arabic, it is simply an abstract noun, meaning resource, network or base. Bin laden also was reported to have financed or trained islamic guerrillas operating in kosovo, kashmir, the philippines. Daniel byman examines al qaeda s setbacks and advances since september 11, 2001 in order to better understand both why the terrorist organization is so troubled and why it. Here is an annotated list of some of the more useful books on those subjects. 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. Sep 01, 2011 daniel byman examines al qaeda s setbacks and advances since september 11, 2001 in order to better understand both why the terrorist organization is so troubled and why it may remain a global.
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. It has become synonymous with the terrorist attacks of september 11 but what is the origin of the name al qaida. Al qaeda is responsible for many attacks throughout the world with its extensive and effective networks. Bin laden led al qaeda to both triumphs and disasters, and his. On a hot summers day in 1996 a plane carrying osama bin laden and a few friends and family landed at a runway just outside the eastern afghan city of jalalabad. Al qaeda is an international terrorist organization, which was formed in august 1988. The real identity of abu bakr naji is claimed by the al arabiya institute for studies to be muhammad khalil al hakaymah. 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. It is an essential work of reference and is destined to be valued a vital onestop research and pedagogic resource. On a hot summers day in 1996 a plane carrying osama bin laden and a few friends and family landed just outside the eastern afghan city of jalalabad. Burke has spent a number of years in various islamic hot spots saudi, afghanistan.
I came away from reading the book thinking that al qaeda will find it difficult or impossible to replace bin laden with someone of similar stature. List of books about alqaeda ahmed, nafeez mosaddeq 2005. Jul 08, 2012 the third rose between 2009 and 2011, driven by the emergence of the radical cleric anwar al awlaki in yemen, and concluded with the killing of osama bin laden and several other qaeda leaders last. Alqaeda defector al fadl, who was a former member of qatar charity, testified in court that abdullah mohammed yusef, who served as qatar charitys director, was affiliated to alqaeda and simultaneously to the national islamic front, a political group that gave alqaeda leader osama bin laden harbor in sudan in the early 1990s. Middle east and africa combating al qaeda and the militant islamic threat a global strategy for combating al qaeda and the islamic state combating. What to read on bin laden and al qaeda foreign affairs. I came away from reading the book thinking that al qaeda will find it difficult. Like other totalitarian movements, the movements leaders have rationalized their brutality in a number of published treatises.
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. The enduring conflict between america and al qaeda. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The al qaeda reader by raymond ibrahim, paperback barnes. Gerges argues that al qaeda has degenerated into a fractured, marginal body kept alive largely by the selfserving antiterrorist bureaucracy it helped to spawn. The al qaeda reader should be required reading for any student of political science who wants to understand terrorism. The awardwinning bbc documentary maker tells us what hes learned in 10 years investigating.