Charity's Reading Log

Holy War Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama Bin Laden by Peter L. Bergen - I became really interested in learning more about the Islamic fundamentalist movement, its origins and its modern-day implications, after reading The Kite Runner (set it Afghanistan...I'll write about it later). There were so many books published in the wake of 9/11 that tried to make sense of the tension between America and the Islamic world that it was hard to choose one to read. However, Bergen, who spent 10 years reporting on the Islamic world as a producer for CNN, has written a wonderful book examining Bin Laden's network from the top down.

This book takes a critical look at al-Qaeda, which Bergen compares to a multinational corporation with Osama bin Laden as its CEO. He also does an outstanding job of explaining the radical Islamist movements and their tangled histories. The book includes extensive reporting of previous al-Qaeda plots, from the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole to bin Laden's possible role in the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the U.S. Embassy bombings in 1998. Bergen discusses the September 11 attacks at length, but what makes this a superior book in my view is the history it provides of al-Qaeda, a story most people haven't read in newspapers or magazines. Although it may be impossible to ever fully understand bin Laden, Bergen does a wonderful job of portraying him and his deep-seated beliefs in his cause. I gleaned much from this book, most importantly an understanding of why bin Laden has been successful and how difficult it will be to ever fully dismantle his well-organized and dedicated network of followers.

Quote for the Day: I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.— Harold S. Kushner