Synopses & Reviews
Award-winning reporter Jason Burke shows how the threat from Islamic terrorism comes not from a single criminal mastermind, or even from one group. In this revealing account, he characterizes it is a broad movement with profound roots in the politics, societies and history of the Islamic world. Using hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents, Burke shows how "Al-Qaeda" is a convenient label applied misleadingly to a diverse, disorganized global movement dedicated to fighting a "cosmic battle" with the West. This is the definitive account of the mysterious organization, retelling its story from scratch and challenging many myths that threaten the very foundations of the "War on Terror."
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"...a book which vastly increases our understanding of the Al-Qaeda phenomenon. Burke writes with admirable lucidity and the benefit of his frontline reporting and deep research."(Peter Bergen, Holy War, Inc.)
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" This book is an eye-opener... authoritative and detailed"(Hazhir Teimourian, The Literary Review)
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"...a book which vastly increases our understanding of the Al-Qaeda phenomenon. Burke writes with admirable lucidity and the benefit of his frontline reporting and deep research."(Peter Bergen, Holy War, Inc.)
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"This young, impassioned journalist has made an important contribution to the growing literature on al Qaeda."(Jeff Stein, Washington Post Book World)
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"Fascinating...packed full with totally new material."(Gilles Kepel, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam)
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"...more lively and powerful than most of the recent books on the subject."(Publishers Weekly, Jul 7 2003 )
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"...Burke has taken the time to sort it out...compulsory reading for Rumsfeld and his clique."(Sam Kiley, The Evening Standard (UK))
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"Fascinating...packed full with totally new material."(Gilles Kepel, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam)
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"...Burke has taken the time to sort it out...compulsory reading for Rumsfeld annd his clique."(Sam Kiley, The Evening Standard (UK))
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"An accurate analysis...an informative book."-- Albert Smith,
The Irish Independent"A must-read...Burke's sophisticated view of Al-Qaeda is convincing. Burke's book is the one that will last. It's a triumph."--Giles Foden, The Guardian
"This book is an eye-opener... authoritative and detailed"--Hazhir Teimourian, The Literary Review
"This young, impassioned journalist has made an important contribution to the growing literature on al Qaeda."-Jeff Stein, Washington Post Book World
"He has given us an indispensable guide to the multidimensional reality of Al-Qaeda"-- John Gray, New Statesman
"...more lively and powerful than most of the recent books on the subject."--Publishers Weekly
"...Burke has taken the time to sort it out...compulsory reading for Rumsfeld and his clique."--Sam Kiley, The Evening Standard (UK)
"Fascinating...packed full with totally new material."--Gilles Kepel, author of Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam
"...a book which vastly increases our understanding of the Al-Qaeda phenomenon. Burke writes with admirable lucidity and the benefit of his frontline reporting and deep research."--Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc.
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 al-militants, mujahidden commanders and bin Laden associates, the author reveals the story of al-Qaeda, and demolishes the myths that underpin the ‘war on terror. He demonstrates the ‘al-Qaeda is merely a convenient label applied by the West to a far broader phenomenon of Islamic militancy, and shows how eradicating a single figure or group will do nothing to combat terrorism. Only by understanding the true complex nature of ‘al-Qaeda, he argues, can we address the real issues surrounding our security today.-- Oxfam Development Resources Review
About the Author
Jason Burke is the prize-winning Chief Reporter for
The Observer, London. He saw many of the key events described in this book at first hand.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Shadow of Terror * What Is Al-Qaeda? * September 11th, Terror and Islam * Radicals * Mujahideen * Heroes * Militants * Terror * Seekers * Home * Flight * Struggle * Global Jihad * The Millennium Plot * The Holy War Foundation * September 11th * The War on Terror-Conclusion
Introduction: The Shadow of Terror * What Is Al-Qaeda? * September 11th, Terror and Islam * Radicals * Mujahideen * Heroes * Militants *. Terror * Seekers * Home * Flight * Struggle * Global Jihad * The Millennium Plot * The Holy War Foundation * September 11th * The War on Terror-Conclusion