Title: The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda’s Road to 9/11
Author: Lawrence Wright
First published August 8, 2006
576 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 4.35
Overview
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda’s Road to 9/11 is a gripping and thought-provoking work that delves into the origins and evolution of the notorious terrorist group. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources and interviews, Lawrence Wright explores the lives and ideologies of the key players, from the embittered Sayyid Qutb to the charismatic but contradictory Osama bin Laden.
Along the way, he uncovers startling insights into the political and social upheavals that gave rise to Al Qaeda, and the global events that brought them to the fateful day of September 11th. Laced with powerful personal narratives and astute analysis, this book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complex and often tragic history of modern terrorism.
About the Author
Meet Lawrence Wright, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, screenwriter, staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. Wright’s impressive background includes graduating from Tulane University and teaching at the American University in Cairo in Egypt for two years.
In 2009, he was inducted into Woodrow’s Hall of Fame after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas in 1965.
Wright has written six books, but his most notable work is his 2006 book, The Looming Tower. It quickly became a bestseller and was awarded the J.
Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. The book provides an excellent source of background information on Al Qaeda and the September 11 attacks and is frequently referenced by media pundits.
The title of the book is a phrase from the Quran, “Wherever you are, death will find you, even in the looming tower,” which Osama bin Laden quoted three times in a speech directed to the 9/11 hijackers.
One of Wright’s other books is Remembering Satan, published in 1994, which covers the Paul Ingram false memory case. Wright testified at Ingram’s pardon hearing on June 7, 1996.
Wright also co-wrote the screenplay for the film The Siege, released in 1998. The film tells the story of a terrorist attack in New York City that led to curtailed civil liberties and the rounding up of Arab-Americans.
Wright’s script, originally written for Oliver Stone, was instead turned into a well-regarded Showtime movie, Noriega: God’s Favorite, in 2000.
In September 2010, a documentary featuring Wright, My Trip to Al-Qaeda, premiered on HBO. The documentary covers topics ranging from the current state of the regime in Saudi Arabia to the historic underpinnings of 9/11, based on his journeys and experience in the Middle East during his research for The Looming Tower.
Editoral Review
Lawrence Wright’s The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda’s Road to 9/11 is a seminal work in the field of non-fiction. Wright, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, uses his extensive experience covering the Middle East to provide an incisive and compelling account of the events leading up to the September 11 attacks.
The book is a meticulously researched and highly informative investigation into the ideological and political factors that drove Al Qaeda’s rise to power. Wright traces the group’s origins back to the early days of the Afghan resistance movement, detailing the complex web of alliances and rivalries that allowed Osama bin Laden to emerge as a key figure within the organization.
One of the book’s strengths is its detailed characterizations of the key figures involved in the story. From bin Laden himself to the FBI and CIA agents tasked with tracking him down, Wright provides vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major players in the conflict.
The Looming Tower is also highly effective at highlighting the historical and cultural context surrounding the events it describes. Wright’s writing is full of evocative detail, immersing the reader in the sights, sounds, and emotions of the time.
One weakness of the book is its occasionally dense and technical language. Wright delves into highly complex subjects such as the intricacies of intelligence-gathering and the internal politics of Al Qaeda, which may be difficult for some readers to follow.
Overall, however, The Looming Tower is a masterful work of non-fiction. It is a gripping and deeply insightful exploration of one of the defining events of our time, and a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complex web of forces that shaped the world in the years following 9/11.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
