Synopses & Reviews
On July 22, 2011, a bomb went off outside government buildings in Oslo, Norway, killing eight people and injuring more than two hundred. Less than two hours later, a gunman claimed sixty-nine lives in a shooting spree at a summer camp on the island of Utøya, while terrified and desperate youths tried to hide or swim to the mainland to escape.
Massacre in Norway is the first detailed, hour-by-hour account of the two sequential terrorist attacks by lone-wolf terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.
To inform his literary reportage, Stian Bromark compiled interviews with survivors, police officers, government employees, boatmen rescuers, and others who experienced the attacks—the deadliest in Norway since World War II. Massacre in Norway provides crucial, in-depth context for the story, including a riveting background portrait of Breivik, the right-wing extremist the police arrested, charged, and convicted of the crime, as well as a history of the Labor Party youth camp on Utøya and its significance in the countrys political landscape. An epilogue covers the trial in 2012 and interviews with the survivors.
Massacre in Norway delivers an insightful portrayal of the darkest day in modern Norwegian history.
Review
“By articulating the experiences that we can hardly bear to imagine, Bromark has contributed to demystifying the lunacy and exorcising the malevolent specters of the massacre.”—Sten Inge Jørgensen,
Verdens Gang, Norwegian daily newspaper
Review
“Stian Bromarks writing touches us deeply and offers unique insights into the individuals thoughts, doubts, faith, and feelings of loss as they teeter between life and death.”—Vidar Kvalshaug,
Aftenposten (
Evening Post, Norway)
Review
“Bromark has made a supreme effort to depict the Labor Youth camp on Utøya and the youngsters suffering, and the result shows. The book stands out as one of the better ones on the topic.”—Frank Rossavik,
Morgenbladet (
The Morning Paper, Norway)
Review
“As I was reading, I understood more of who we were that fateful day last year. The ‘We can here be understood as the Norwegian public. The random survivors who tell their stories here perform acts that are so mundane they could very well be each one of us. The many different response patterns of the individuals who were the victims of the massacre reflect the very reactions we could have had if we ourselves had been in the firing line.”—Knut Hoem, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)
Review
“Investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Berger lifts the veil on the phenomenon of American jihadists in this timely and chilling examination. … Berger's exposé painstakingly lays out the scope and character of the American jihadist movement and points the way to a national debate on solutions.”—Publishers Weekly
Review
"At a time when some politicians and pundits blur the line between Islam and terrorism, Berger, who knows this subject far better than the demagogues, sharply cautions against vilifying Muslim Americans. "Extreme and indiscriminate anti-Muslim rhetoric helps to validate the worldview of our enemies – the premise that America's wars are indeed wars against Islam," Berger writes. "You cannot tell someone, 'You are my enemy,' and then blame them for believing you."
It is a timely warning from an expert who has not lost his perspective."—Scott Shane, New York Times Book Review
Review
"How these American jihadists became radicalized, recruited and trained, and the types of terrorist activities they conducted (and still engage in) whether abroad or in America, constitute the core of Mr. Berger’s important book."—Joshua Sinai, Washington Times Book Review
Review
“A fascinating journey into the rise, expansion, and future of American jihadism. J. M. Berger goes beyond the Awlaki mania to investigate firsthand the changing nature of the terrorist threat to the United States.”—Jean-Charles Brisard, former chief investigator for the 9/11 families’ lawsuits
Review
“A must-read insight into America’s Muslim ‘holy warriors.’ J. M. Berger tracked down the families and former associates of U.S. citizens who turned to jihad and violence, and asked a key question: why? Jihad Joe is meticulously researched and refreshingly free of rhetoric.”—David Hebditch, documentary filmmaker and coauthor of How to Stage a Military Coup
Review
“Jihad Joe is a hell of a book—authoritatively reported, well sourced, and painstakingly researched. This is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the true nature of the terrorist threat that confronts us. Berger has succeeded in producing a timely work that will tell readers something they didn’t know about the topic, whether they are everyday people or those well versed in the subject.”—Josh Meyer, former terrorism/national security reporter, Los Angeles Times, and director of education and outreach, Medill National Security Journalism Initiative, Northwestern University
Synopsis
They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars that aligned with U.S. interests while others have carried out violence against Western interests abroad, fought against the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil. This story plays out over decades and continents: from the Americans who took part in the siege of Mecca in 1979 through conflicts in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and continuing today in Afghanistan and Somalia.
Synopsis
They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars that aligned with U.S. interests, while others have carried out violence against Westerners abroad, fought against the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil. This story plays out over decades and continents: from the Americans who took part in the siege of Mecca in 1979 through conflicts in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and continuing today in Afghanistan and Somalia.
Investigative journalist J. M. Berger profiles numerous fighters, including some who joined al Qaeda and others who chose a different path. In these pages he portrays, among others, Abdullah Rashid, who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan; Mohammed Loay Bayazid, who was present at the founding of al Qaeda; Ismail Royer, who fought in Bosnia and Kashmir, then returned to run training camps in the United States; Adam Gadahn, a Jewish Californian who is now al Qaedas chief spokesman; and Anwar Awlaki, the Yemeni-American imam with links to 9/11 who is now considered one of the biggest threats to Americas security.
About the Author
STIAN BROMARK works as a book reviewer and editor for the Norwegian newspaper
Dagsavisen. He has coauthored several books published in Norway. HON KHIAM LEONG has worked as a professional translator for twenty-five years. He lives and works in Oslo, Norway.