books: al qaeda

books: al qaeda

books:

Al qaeda

Broadway, 2007

Al Qaeda, in its own words...
To the very considerable extent that the confict between the West and al Qaeda is a war of ideas, 2007's "The Al Qaeda Reader" is essential for understanding al Qaeda's point of view. Raymond Ibrahim has done American readers a great service in translating and editing ...

The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)

Lawrence Wright

Vintage, 2007

Largely non-biased and informative
Great book with great background. However somewhat questionable on the validity on information considering his lack of intelligence experience (or a clearance for that matter). But gives the the reader the most comprehensive view of Bin Laden's inner circle and ...

Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander

Gary Berntsen, Ralph Pezzullo

Three Rivers Press, 2006

An illuminating report on the victory in Afghanistan
The book explains how the USA initially got militarly involved in Afghanistan in october 2001 and won the war against the Talibans in a few months, before the long and painful ground occupation by the army. The writer himself was the CIA officer who in first person led ...

The Search for al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future

Bruce Riedel

Brookings Institution Press, 2008

An Elusive Target
This book provides a very detailed description of that mysterious phenomenon called `al Qaeda' and offers a strategy to counter the threat that it poses to the U.S. and its allies. Bruce Riedel is by most rational standards an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. He has ...

Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier

Regulo Zapata Jr.

Nadores Publishing & Research, 2007

A necessary glimpse into the war
I recommend that you read Desperate Lands. It gave me a valuable glimpse into the war that can only be told by a hero who has been there, faithfully serving the rest of us. It is not a highly action-packed drama, but an opportunity to see reality in places I have ...

The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to al Qaeda

University of California Press, 2007

Know the backstory!
I like this text in that it sets historical and moral context for today's conflicts. Chaliand and Blin, the editors, lay out the text in chapters on eras and specific conflicts. The text is notable in that it delves into the evolution of the moral debates ...

Inside the Jihad: My Life with Al Qaeda

Omar Nasiri

Basic Books, 2008

Great Story, Great Book
As a military member, it was nice to read a book with the good of the reader in mind and without a political agenda. The story was was a fast read, interesting to the very end, and extremley detailed as to the in's and out's of the terrorist training camps. Overall, ...

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September ...

Steve Coll

Penguin Press HC, The, 2004

This is the book if you want to understand Afghanistan
I am back in Afghanistan for my third tour. If you want to really understand what happened between the Russian invasion and 9-11-2001, this is really all you need to read. It explains CIA ops, the Mujahadeen, the rise of the Taliban vice the Paki ISI, the civil wars, ...

Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror

Rohan Gunaratna

Berkley Trade, 2003

I had a class with Rohan Gunaratna...
Of course we had to read this book for the class, but for those of you who doubt his knowledge, let me just say this. There is no, and I mean no American who has the knowledge about Al Qaeda as Dr. Gunaratna has. That is why he was a debriefer for the CIA, he ...

Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda

Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, ...

Dutton Adult, 2008

Spycraft: Superb and Fascinating History!
For anyone fascinated by the true world of espionage, Spycraft is a fabulous book, rich in detail, history, and gadgetry! Wonderfully written and superbly researched, Spycraft is an astonishing history of the tools of the trade. There are insights and surprises on ...

Hunting bin Laden: How al-Qaeda Is Winning the War on Terror

Rob Schultheis

Skyhorse Publishing, 2008

Critically Important Book
After coming across Schultheis's new book, I've ordered copies for all my friends and family. This is one of the most important books of the year. It provides both a vital history to, and brillant analysis of, the origins of the war on terrror, and why we are losing ...

Afghanistan Cave Complexes 1979-2004: "Mountain strongholds of the Mujahideen, Taliban & Al Qaeda" (Fortress)

Mir Bahmanyar

Osprey Publishing, 2004

Good for its format
A very interesting book, very well illustrated with diagrams and photographs. Not a definitive work by any means but considering that it's only 64 pages (including bibliography and index) it provides good information on the type of warfare encountered by the Soviets ...

The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam's Holiest Shrine and the Birth of al-Qaeda

Yaroslav Trofimov

Doubleday, 2007

On not judging a book by its cover
I was prepared to dislike this book, suspecting an "action pack thriller", full of loopy historical inaccuracies, if not outright fantasy - all because of the jarring black and red cover. Instead I found a lean, scholarly, and almost certainly dispassionately accurate ...

To Dare and to Conquer: Special Operations and the Destiny of Nations, from Achilles to Al Qaeda

Derek Leebaert

Back Bay Books, 2007

Dare to Conquer
Leebaert has produced a complete study of what we now call "special operations." His work is supported with exhaustive references. As such it stands as "the bible" on the subject and will be used as a textbook at the War College, Annapolis, Westpoint, and elsewhere ...

The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda

Jerrold M. Post

Palgrave Macmillan, 2007

A must read for any professional in the field
If you ever wonder how those terrorists can do what they do this is the book for you. This book is the best one volume catch all book on about every terrorist group that there is. The author does a great job diagnosing what motivates each of those groups he highlights. ...