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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Wright, a New Yorker writer, brings exhaustive research and delightful prose to one of the best books yet on the history of terrorism. He begins with the observation that, despite an impressive record of terror and assassination, post–WWarII, Islamic militants failed to establish theocracies in any Arab country. Many helped Afghanistan resist the Russian invasion of 1979 before their unemployed warriors stepped up efforts at home. Al-Qaeda, formed in Afghanistan in 1988 and led by Osama bin Laden, pursued a different agenda, blaming America for Islam's problems. Less wealthy than believed, bin Laden's talents lay in organization and PR, Wright asserts. Ten years later, bin Laden blew up U.S. embassies in Africa and the destroyer Cole, opening the floodgates of money and recruits. Wright's step-by-step description of these attacks reveals that planning terror is a sloppy business, leaving a trail of clues that, in the case of 9/11, raised many suspicions among individuals in the FBI, CIA and NSA. Wright shows that 9/11 could have been prevented if those agencies had worked together. As a fugitive, bin Ladin's days as a terror mastermind may be past, but his success has spawned swarms of imitators. This is an important, gripping and profoundly disheartening book. (Aug.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine
The Looming Tower may be the most riveting, informative, and "heart-stopping account" yet of the men who shaped 9/11 (New York Times Book Review). The focus on individuals gives the book its emotional punch, but it is also a narrative bold in conception and historical sweep. Lawrence Wright conducted more than 500 interviews, from bin Laden's best friend in college to Richard A. Clarke, Saudi royalty, Afghan mujahideen, and reporters for Al Jazeera. The result, while evenhanded in its analysis of the complex motives, ideals, and power plays that led to 9/11, leaves few nefarious details uncovered. An abrupt ending did little to sway critics that Looming Tower is nothing less than "indispensable" reading (Cleveland Plain Dealer).

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

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258 of 289 people found the following review helpful: Waking Up to the Nightmare of Al-Qaeda, August 10, 2006 Reviewer: M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews       In Lawrence Wright's masterpiece The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, he effortlessly connects disparate puzzle pieces of our current clash with Islamofascism with a coherent, page-turning narrative that at time reads like a Robert Ludlum suspense novel. He begins with FBI operative Dan Coleman who finds terrifying evidence in 1996 that there is an organization, Al-Qaeda, that is hell-bent on destroying America and spreading Islamofascism throughout the world. His superiors find Coleman's claims "too bizarre, too primitive and exotic" and fail to take action. In other words, the Western imagination cannot comprehend the Islamofascist mentality. It is Wright's objective to get inside, to the very core, of Al-Qaeda's chief figures and show us how they feel humiliated by the successes of the West, including Israel, and how this humiliation, plus a great deal of sexual repression, animates their obsession with becoming "martyrs for Allah." Lawrence Wright achieves his objective masterfully and leaves a terrifying, indelible imprint on the reader. Having read dozens of "9/11" books, I can say this is my favorite. The book succeeds for several reasons. First, it shows the failure of American imagination in dealing with terrorism. Second, Wright's narratives leading to 9/11 are effortlessly woven with concrete (never academic) concrete psychological profiles of the seeds of Al-Qaeda: We see the fastidious, sexually repressed Egyptian anti-Semite religious scholar Sayyid Qutb as he navigates post World War II America. He is disgusted by our freedom and equality for women and his disgust radicalizes him so that he returns to Egypt to support a radical theocracy movement that thrives to this day. We see Bin Laden's number two man, Al-Zawahiri, one of Qutb's acolytes, a complex intellectual who consolidates all his brilliance and energies to become a cold-blooded killer. We see of course Bin Laden himself and the historical roots of his hatred for the West. A complex, nuanced intelligent book, The Looming Tower does not demonize Islam. To the contrary, it shows that mainstream Islam has struggled against extremists spawned by the post World War II writings of militant Islam jihadist founder Sayyid Qutb. What is most amazing about this book is that Wright's ability to get inside the head of a terrorist with the narrative speed of thriller novel allows us to comprehend the terrorist's motivations and to wake up from a deep sleep that has imperiled us.

144 of 173 people found the following review helpful: The Plot Against The World Trade Center, August 8, 2006 Reviewer: C. Hutton "book maven" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews       There has been a numerous books published on the events concerning 9-11. Three of the best were published in 2002 : 1). "The Age of Sacred Terror" by Daniel Benjamin & Steve Simon; 2). "Out of the Blue" by Richard Bernstein; and 3). "The Cell" by John Miller. The first explored Islamic fundamentalism while the latter two examined the actual 9-11 plot and America's institutional failings. All three had the drawbacks of being "instant history." Mr. Wright has the advantages of five years perspective with more information available to him. "The Looming Tower" follows the well-known facts of the 9-11 plot -- where it differs is in the amount of detail provided by his interviews and research in fleshing out the 9-11 plot. At nearly 500 pages, it is longer than most other 9-11 books but written in a readable, can't-put-it-down style. Mr. Wright presents the best portrait of the doomed FBI agent John O'Neill since "The Cell." This book is one to have on your bookshelf.

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An insightful and fascinating glimpse into Al-Qaeda, February 27, 2007 Reviewer: S. Shore (Clarksville, TN) - See all my reviews    This book is one of the most interesting books I have read in years. It's a must read for anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of the lives of the men who founded and currently lead Al-Qaeda and understand what motivates them to hate the west and America in particular.

A chilling read, February 25, 2007 Reviewer: Ken Salisbury (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews Everyone who wants to understand the underlying facts on the current war on terror should read this book. Wright does a great job describing the history of Al Qaeda and its important personalities. The fact that Al Qaeda was an organization that went bankrupt at one time and if the US had taken them seriously could have crushed them at the childhood is shocking. The book reads like a novel and it's really a page turner. Two other books that could help the readers: 1) Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present 2) America Misunderstood: What a Second Bush Victory Meant to the Rest of the World.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: The looming tower, February 24, 2007 Reviewer: N. Edwards - See all my reviews    This is an awesome book. It is very informative, page-turning, and insightful.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: This is a 'must read'., February 24, 2007 Reviewer: cdb (Nebraska) - See all my reviews Anyone wanting a better understanding of how and why the middle east is the way it is today should read this very well written book.

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• Subjects > History > Americas > United States > 21st Century
• Subjects > History > Americas > United States > General
• Subjects > History > Americas > United States > State & Local > Southwest
• Subjects > History > Middle East > General
• Subjects > History > World > 21st Century
• Subjects > History > World > General
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Current Events > General
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Current Events > September 11
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Current Events > Terrorism
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Islamic
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Politics > Freedom & Security > Intelligence
• Subjects > Nonfiction > Politics > General

Politics/International Relations
United States
Political Science
Islamic Philosophy
Political Terrorism
History - U.S.
Terrorism
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence
United States - 21st Century
Current Events / General
Intelligence service
Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism
Government policy


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...