It is a page-turner that weaves back and forth between the man and the terrorist, providing poignant glimpses of key figures and carefully chronicling all the missed opportunities, ignored warnings and strategic blunders of the United States ... Bergen had access to the 470,000 files taken during the raid, and he uses this material lightly, writing with the lucidity of an experienced journalist ... Rather than try to explain where bin Laden’s self-confidence came from, Bergen simply describes it. It is all the more fascinating as a result ... Bergen’s narrative illustrates some of the iron laws of terrorism and counterterrorism.
... intimate and detailed ... Bergen is particularly perceptive about the American government’s reaction to the rise of bin Laden and the jihadist phenomenon ... intelligence officers such as Gina Bennett and Michael Scheuer, who rightly deserve the praise Bergen gives them ... There is a lesson in this history as we seem to be embarking on a new cold war with China.
Bergen...deepens readers’ understanding of Osama bin Liden, founder of the terrorist group al-Qaeda and the force behind the 9/11 attacks ... Bergen meticulously describes bin Laden’s youth, family, and radicalization. The narrative gains speed and suspense as Bergen recounts bin Laden’s ruthless rise to power, al-Qaeda’s early successes, and bin Laden’s last bitter years, leading to an excellent summary of bin Laden’s effect on American and international politics .... Bergen’s detailed, incisive, and clarifying biography is an invaluable work marking 9/11’s twentieth anniversary.
CNN national security analyst Bergen...adds intriguing new details to the story of Osama bin Laden in this solid, well-sourced biography ... Surprising insights (as a young man, bin Laden loved Bruce Lee movies and drove a white Chrysler with red leather seats) and fluid prose enrich this authoritative portrait of the terrorist leader and the movement he inspired. Foreign affairs buffs will be fascinated.
... a compelling, nuanced portrait of America’s erstwhile public enemy No. 1 ... Throughout, Bergen turns up revealing details and sharp arguments against received wisdom ... Essential for anyone concerned with geopolitics, national security, and the containment of further terrorist actions.
