The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Alert: the book is not the TV series, and vice versa. Each will have to be judged on their own merit. As for the book, the first half (roughly) is filled with detail about the origins of AL Qaeda and radical Islamist movements. I found this history, often giving depth to what we heard on the news, very informative, albeit a little overwhelming. Then the author chillingly reveals why the US intelligence agencies failed to prevent 9/11. The bureaucratic jealousy, the individual "scores" to be settled, and the stifling lack of individual courage among all but a few of the government actors, is maddening. Notwithstanding the creation of DHS in the wake of the failures chronicled in the book , this work leaves one skeptical of any really significant improvement just from moving the players around.. It is not and easy read because the names of the many Middle Eastern players is mind-boggling and the material is loaded with detail (The author tries to assist with a useful Appendix of the names.)
This is a well-researched, temperate account of how various modern fundamentalist Islamic movements coalesced under different leaders and became juggernauts moving toward various bombing attacks and finally – 9/11.
If you often just listen to the news casually, as background “Newsack,” you might not really understand the difference between such groups as Hamas, al Jihad, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. This book distinguishes those groups by region, history, and leadership so that readers can approach currently unfolding news stories more intelligently.
“Looming Tower” starts in the early1950’s with Egyptian Sayyid Qutb, telling how his ultimate martyrdom gave impetus to much of modern terrorist activity. Wright proceeds through the formation of the Taliban in the wake of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and on to bin Laden’s activities under the al-Qaeda banner. He tells how the latter became in effect, “a death-cult.” Enough biographical information is given about each of these leaders to convey a sense of who they were in their personal lives – of the frequent disjunction between what they did publicly and how they lived privately. There isn’t a huge amount of psychological analysis of how presumably religious people arrived at the point of justifying mass murder and suicide, but Wright does provide some insights into the process of transformation away from simple, often happy childhood days.
This book is written in straight-forward reportorial style. But it includes enough telling metaphor to graphically illustrate many points. For example, Wright tells how some factions fell away from having a centralized leadership and instead organized themselves into cells. This gave them a “spongy quality, clandestine, hard to combat.” With that one word “spongy,” Wright conveys the difficulty that U.S. and allied military forces have been up against.
The narrative includes some really surprising details about how Western and Middle Eastern cultures can differ in their interpretation of events. I had no idea how the Monica Lewinsky/President Clinton scandal was interpreted by many in the Middle East – and how it served to fuel further terrorist activity. Wright also tells of other instances where our failure to speak the language and realize cultural differences led to serious diplomatic and military miscalculations.
The last third of the book moves quickly, almost too quickly, towards 9/11. A lot of it is told from the perspective of FBI investigator John O’Neill. There isn’t quite the measured detail here that there is the first part of the book. I felt a little hurried along. Of course, events themselves were rapidly sweeping towards the terrorists’ fearful culmination. But I would have liked to have known somewhat more about how vital information that might have forewarned us got lost in the jostling egos of FBI and CIA operatives. Well, more detail on that score might have made this book too long and was perhaps better saved for separate books.
“Looming Tower” was first published in 2006, and includes an “Afterword” written in 2011. In that afterword, Wright expresses some optimism that a partial, peaceful resolution might be possible – an optimism that unfortunately doesn’t seem justified in light of recent developments.
There’s a map at the front of the book showing Middle East countries’ relationships to each other, and the location of key bases of activity. Wright also provides a list of “Principal Characters” at the back of the book, reminding the reader who’s who. Despite the many names in this book, I found that I didn’t often have to refer back to that reference section. Wright provides such a clear, chronological account, it was easy to keep track of the key players.
Who didn't see the tragedy of 9/11? Not many. However, " The LoomingTower " provides astonishing insights into what the government knew prior that infamous morning. Just as interesting is the summary of the genesis of Islamist Jihadism. The crucible of the terror/nationalist movement, Egypt, successfully controlled the the movement founders in their own country which forced the fanatics to other Middle Eastern countries. The relocation of the movement stakeholders subsequent to WW II is fascinating. The Russian invasion and then retreat from Afghanistan motivates the rebel groups to export their organized terror around the world in support of their twisted interpretation of the Koran. This fascinating story demonstrates how ignoring unique hard to piece together known information sealed the fate of the unfortunate innocents working in the twin towers, the Pentagon and the innocent passengers on the four airplanes that morning. If you think you have 9/11 fatigue you won't feel that way if you choose to ready " The Looming Tower ". This is a contemporary must read
This is the book that served as the source material for the series on Hulu of the same name. If you have seen the Hulu series you know that the focus of that was on the FBI and CIA infighting, lack of information sharing, and was largely set around John O'Neil and Ali Soufan. The book, on the other hand, focuses mainly on the rise of radical Islam and told the story of how the various splintered groups eventually came together to form what would be Al-Qaeda. The first 200 pages or so are devoted solely to the history of the major events and players in that world, and laid out how Osama bin-Ladin came to power, basically lost his fortune (he was nowhere near as wealthy as he was made out to be), and then managed to cobble together the force that would eventually attack the United States. Later in the book much of what the focus of the Hulu series plays out, including a lot of detail about what the CIA and FBI did and did not know, how if they actually worked together instead of against each other, the 9-11 attacks could have very likely been averted.
The main part of the book is just over 400 pages, then there is a glossary giving the backgrounds and current status of the major people mentioned throughout the book, and endnotes that flesh out the details in the book. The only picky point on the notes is that they are not actually referenced in the text of the book so there is no way to easily match up the note with what part of the text it is referencing (for the handful of people that would care to do so). As was the case with the series, the book does not focus much on the events of 9-11 itself. While the book does include a bit of detail about what was happening in and around the towers, that was relegated to just a part of the last chapter. The book finishes with the interrogation of Abu Jandal by Ali Soufan which was pretty much the climax of the series. Overall it serves as a good backstory of what led up to the attacks and the reasoning and justifications the terrorists used for launching suicide attacks against innocent civilians. It also does a very good job of detailing some of the dysfunction of the government agencies which failed to put together pieces and tied threads that could have stopped the attacks from happening. It is definitely worth the read.
This is a thoroughly researched book that describes the family background, recent history, and influences on Osama bin Laden, the beginning of al-Qaeda, and the events that led to the attacks of September 11, 2001. This book took me so long to read because it is so chock-full of information and threads of events I either didn’t know about, or didn’t realize were connected, I ended up buying a used copy once I started reading my library check-out, just so I could highlight passages that were critical to understanding (I also needed to buy another highlighter when my first one ran out of ink), so this kind of slowed me down a bit. Since there are so many names of people involved, many with similar names, or people who disappear only to pop up again sometime later, I was very grateful for the detailed playlist of principle characters provided, in addition to a map of the region, an index, and a bibliography.
The author describes bin Laden’s father, Mohammed bin Laden, a wealthy and well-connected man responsible for building a ramp to the Royal palace and a previously unattainable road over the al-Sarawat Range, which united the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thus garnering favor with the Royal family, who subsequently appointed him honorary minister of public works. His growing reputation and Royal connections allowed for him to expand his businesses throughout the country, and at a time of financial difficulty, he loaned a substantial amount of money to the Royal family when the banks would not, further solidifying his relationship with the Royals.
Growing up in this privileged life, his 17th son, Osama bin Laden, also enjoyed a close relationship with the Royal family. Since he was further down the ladder in the order of sons, there were no positions of power within his father’s companies for him to assume, so he was left to “make his own way”. Of course, he was also provided a monthly stipend, so he never actually had a job, and this would be his primary source of income and how he financed his terrorist organization for much of his life. Surprisingly, he comes across as rather aimless and ineffective, lacking ambition or his father’s keen business sense. Without his father’s money to support him and his endeavors, it seems to me he would have become an unknown farmer, pontificating to his wives, children, and neighbors about the presence of Americans in the Middle East. It is only due to his father’s money and his willingness to spend it on the disillusioned masses that he found an audience for his disgruntled rantings and financially supported their destructive, rage-fueled fantasies of Islamic dominance.
While the book initially includes various events that occurred overseas, the author points out that bin Laden hadn’t really done anything at that point, and the events he publicly took credit for were events he had little to nothing to do with, so for some time, his reputation was being built on exaggerations or flat-out lies. His organization did continue to grow, but ignoring the aid of hindsight, there truly does not appear to the average reader to be a connection to the US that was overlooked by the authorities. There were, however, a handful of fastidious US intelligence agents who monitored bin Laden and those he financed throughout the 1990s, and they did see connections, but when they alerted others to the potential dangers posed by the largesse of this largely unknown man, without a direct or specific threat to the US, they were ignored. This error was further compounded by the folly of American bureaucracy and the unwillingness of the FBI, CIA, and NSA to work together and share information, which resulted in several missed opportunities. This is what I believe to be the crux of the “road to 9/11”: our intelligence agencies provided the unobstructed path with their lack of communication and teamwork. If each agency had not been so busy trying to keep any information they had away from the other agencies, they would have realized that they each possessed pieces of information that, when fit together, would have provided them with a better idea of what was going on, and could have led to the capture of key al-Qaeda members that would have thwarted their plans. Instead, their continued secrecy and stubbornness allowed known al-Qaeda members to enter the US and without hindrance, they were free to develop their plans.
On another disconcerting note, the author also points out that bin Laden knew he could not win a fight with Americans on US soil, and sought to devise a plan that would bring the fight to him, on “a large-scale front which it cannot control”, where American soldiers “cannot stand against warriors of faith who do not fear death”. Since Islamic extremists believe that jihad never ends, they would have generations of radical, resentful, and repressed Muslims, mesmerized by the myth of martyrdom, to fight the “eternal war” to defend Islam. We played right into his hands, waging war on their soil, where we have been for well over a decade now, without an exit strategy or an end in sight.
The author has done a fantastic job of writing a comprehensive history that creates a broader picture for the average reader to get a better understanding of how events that occurred a continent away would have rippling effects here in the US years later. This should be required reading for all.
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This Pulitzer Prize winner is the basis for the upcoming Hulu series starring Peter Sarsgaard, Jeff Daniels, and Tahar Rahim.
A gripping narrative that spans five decades, The Looming Tower explains in unprecedented detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Lawrence Wright re-creates firsthand the transformation of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri from incompetent and idealistic soldiers in Afghanistan to leaders of the most successful terrorist group in history. He follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O’Neill as he uncovers the emerging danger from al-Qaeda in the 1990s and struggles to track this new threat. Packed with new information and a deep historical perspective, The Looming Tower is the definitive history of the long road to September 11.
National Book Award Finalist
Updated and with a New Afterword
Fascinating and well researched book written by Lawrence Wright, depicting the actions of al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, CIA, FBI, and US State Department, during the years leading up to the 9/11 attacks in 2001. This is one of the most important books that I have ever read. The details in this book gave me a clear picture of the history of events that led to 9/11. And I could not put this great book down.
Al Qaeda and al-Jihad were both poorly operated and barely competent. But they survived early mistakes because the US had very little cooperation between the CIA, FBI, and State Department. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda could have been stopped. But the big three in the US were just as bumbling and stumbling as Bin Laden and his network were in the 1990's, albeit for different reasons. The rivalry between the CIA, FBI, and US State Department was a deadly one. It allowed Bin Laden's network to continue to thrive. The CIA committed the gravest sin because they had the pieces of the puzzle that would have destroyed Bin Laden and his network. But they refused to share this info with the FBI and US State Department, and our country paid a heavy price for it.
Unbelievable insight into the world of Islam. Emanating from Saudi Arabia outward like concentric circles a picture of a miserable, violent, murderous, people emerges. We helped immeasurably the Muslims via Bin Laden to eject the Russians from Afghanistan. Immediately after the Russians left that country descended into a murderous civil war. Bin Laden was there. Women and children rounded up village by village raped and murdered. Many sold into slavery. The year is 2010. Not some Ancient history. The notion of some great Caliphate under the Ottoman's called a Golden Age is fantasy. From 622 A.D. under Muhammad onward for six hundred years as Islam spread "Murder" was the most notable aspect Of Islam. Village by village be-headings of village elders, the kidnapping of all boy's under age eleven from their parents to be raised in Islamic military schools never to see
their parents again. They did have art work, mathematics, and some architecture. Every village that they slaughtered was graced with a Mosque and the people left alive were forced into Sharia. Women were valued lower than goats. No female births were recorded. Nor their birthdays. Nor deaths. But for Isabella of Spain and the Crusades the violent Theocracy would have engulfed Europe and Asia. I could not put the book down. It will frighten and enlighten.
I'll answer some of the questions I had before I bought this book.
1. Is this the best book to learn about everything that happened on 9/11?
Actually, no. This book doesn't spend a lot of time covering 9/11, surprisingly. In fact, it doesn't mention it much until the final chapter or so. But it doesn't really claim to either. The subtitle is 'Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11.' This book is the buildup to 9/11. The why, more than the what. Why Al-Qaeda was formed? Why was America the target? Who was Osama bin Laden, really? If you are looking to find details of the hijackings, the planning and stories surrounding 9/11/2001, this is not your book.
2. Will this information heavy book be able to keep me interested?
Absolutely, yes. This book is extremely readable. It was the rare book that I never wanted to end. I would find myself closing it early because I wanted to save more for later. The growth of Al-Qaeda and bin Laden is fascinating. As atrocious and unforgivable as their actions were, I could find myself sympathizing for their cause at times. Minus a few unfortunate events, everything could have turned out so differently. But I guess that's how the past always seems.
3. Is this book deserving of the Pulitzer?
In my humble opinion, yes. It blows my mind to think about how the author managed to get all of this information. It's so detailed, so interesting. He must have some great contacts. And the book is written in a very matter-of-fact style. It never gets opinionated which is refreshing considering how tempting it must be due to the subject matter. Some books I read, and forget the author's name a couple of weeks after I finish it. Lawrence Wright is one I won't forget and will check out again. ('Going Clear' is great too, actually.)
To sum things up, this was not the book I was looking for, but it was great regardless. If you have any interest in the history of Al-Qaeda, definitely pick up this book.
I have been a fan of The New Yorker Magazine for some time so I was already acquainted with the writing of Lawrence Wright (and I believe I read some of his pieces about Al-Queda in the magazine as well), but I was watching the TV series based on his book, The Looming Tower (2006) when I decided to read it. I was under the impression that there would be more context in the book and of course there was. However, i surprised to find some of the details were taken form the book not made up for the series-John O'Neill's many lovers for one and Ali's retching after he found out that the CIA knew some of the members were in the US and did not share the information with the FBI. I always enjoy history books written by journalist, because they are well researched but the are also compelling narratives since they know how to weave a narrative rather than just put forth research as academics often do with history subjects. I particularity found the first section, "The Martyr" about Sayid Qutb and how the Egyptian jails were the birthplace of the modern jihadist terrorists due to t he torture they endured form FBI trained torturers. Wright makes informed observations throughout such as: "Radicalism usually prospers in the gap between rising expectations and declining opportunities. This is especially true where population is young, idle and bored; where entertainment -movies, theater, music-is policed or absent altogether; and where young men are set apart from the consoling and socializing presence of women." An impressive depiction and compelling narrative of the eve
This book details the origins of the idea that many Muslims felt that their religion was not strict enough and that this movement led to the origins of people who were looking for leader who interpreted the Koran in a conservative way. It also details bin Laden’s rise to power as he uses his influence and family wealth to fight the Russians in Afghanistan. The book also tells the story of how bin Laden points to the west and specifically the United States as the enemy of the Muslim world. As bin Laden builds his terrorist network our government agencies miss many opportunities to identify and catch those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. This is an excellent book full of details about the terrorist organizations and their leaders who have changed the world in a negative way. It is all here in vivid details and excellent writing. I enjoyed this book but it leaves you with a sense of sadness for those that we lost on 9/11 and the amount of hatred that exists in our world today.
