The Secret History Of Al-Qa'Ida
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Beneath the surface of global headlines and government intelligence briefings lies a world few outsiders have ever penetrated — and Abdel Bari Atwan, one of the last journalists to interview Osama bin Laden face-to-face, chronicles that world with unrivalled authority in The Secret History of Al-Qa'ida. The book presents a meticulously researched account of the origins, ideology, structure, and global reach of Al-Qaeda, tracing the organisation's evolution from its roots in the Soviet-Afghan War through its transformation into a decentralised, borderless network capable of striking at the heart of the Western world. Atwan details the theological frameworks, recruitment strategies, and geopolitical grievances that fuelled the movement, offering readers an insider's perspective that is as unsettling as it is illuminating. What distinguishes this work is Atwan's rare combination of journalistic access and analytical rigour, drawing on firsthand encounters and decades of reporting across the Arab world to construct a portrait of Al-Qaeda that is far more nuanced than the one typically presented in Western media. Written with a tone that is measured yet urgent, the narrative argues that without a clear understanding of the organisation's internal logic and global appeal, any strategy to counter it is fundamentally flawed. A landmark work in the literature of modern terrorism, it leaves the reader confronting one deeply unsettling question: how much do we truly understand about the forces reshaping our world?
Author: Abdel Bari Atwan
Format: Hardback
Published: 2006, Saqi
Genre: Politics & law
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Beneath the surface of global headlines and government intelligence briefings lies a world few outsiders have ever penetrated — and Abdel Bari Atwan, one of the last journalists to interview Osama bin Laden face-to-face, chronicles that world with unrivalled authority in The Secret History of Al-Qa'ida. The book presents a meticulously researched account of the origins, ideology, structure, and global reach of Al-Qaeda, tracing the organisation's evolution from its roots in the Soviet-Afghan War through its transformation into a decentralised, borderless network capable of striking at the heart of the Western world. Atwan details the theological frameworks, recruitment strategies, and geopolitical grievances that fuelled the movement, offering readers an insider's perspective that is as unsettling as it is illuminating. What distinguishes this work is Atwan's rare combination of journalistic access and analytical rigour, drawing on firsthand encounters and decades of reporting across the Arab world to construct a portrait of Al-Qaeda that is far more nuanced than the one typically presented in Western media. Written with a tone that is measured yet urgent, the narrative argues that without a clear understanding of the organisation's internal logic and global appeal, any strategy to counter it is fundamentally flawed. A landmark work in the literature of modern terrorism, it leaves the reader confronting one deeply unsettling question: how much do we truly understand about the forces reshaping our world?