Bin Laden: Behind the Mask of the Terrorist

by Adam Robinson

A zealous freedom-fighter who has galvanised Islamic fundamentalists worldwide into a fighting force capable of toppling evil western civilisation. A simple man, pious, upstanding and principled; the moral leader of the faithful. This is the image that Osama bin Laden wishes to project to the world. Now, for the first time, Bin Laden: Behind the Mask of the Terrorist blows the lid off the inside story. The first real insight into the life of the renegade phophet of the apocalypse reveals a past laced with prostitutes, hedonism, and lengthy periods of alcohol abuse. Beneath the self-styled propaganda is a hypocrite whose personal mission is nothing less than the destruction of the United States and her allies in the name of Islam. This is the man who deftly manipulates the institutions he claims to despise in order to further his own ends; who condemns depravity while keeping a hand in the opium and heroin trade. With new information provided by members of his family, the book traces the roots of his dicontent, exploring his privileged childhood riven by jealousies and family polotics. It paints the picture of a youth desperately seeking acceptance and a man whose need for attention and adulation set him upon an unbelievable course.

Genres: Biography

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2001

Reviews

[Neha Nagda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing journey of a young man who decides the fate of a nation. What starts off as a simple curiosity to know what goes on in the head of a terrorist becomes a journey through the maze of his mind and his evolution. Very underrated but absolutely brilliant!

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published the same year that 9/11 devastated America and shocked the Western world, this book does not offer a finalised biography of Osama bin Laden's entire life. What it does offer, though, is a comprehensive account of his youth and background, and indeed a detailed history of his doings up to 2001. On top of this, it has a sense of urgency, being written so shortly after "September 11", when Bin Laden was at large, and nobody knew what else he might do.

Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It provides an engaging insight into Bin Laden's motivations, as well as his obvious ingenuity, but also a revealing glimpse into the privileged world he was born into, as the son of a wealthy construction tycoon in Saudi Arabia. It must be said: the editing is pretty atrocious. There are so many typos in this book, it isn't funny. And it has other flaws. It lacked structural unity, feeling like sections were written between large gaps in time, and connections that were already known to the reader are reintroduced as if they reader isn't already filled in on the background. I think Mr Robinson wasn't bothered with doing that final proof-read.

Also, his occasional attempts to make a psychological assessment of Bin Laden were a bit pathetic - often revolving around lazy, repeated insinuations that all the men he closely allied himself with took on a fatherly or even "homoerotic" figure for him. Putting aside its flaws though, I greatly enjoyed this. Kind of messy, but also fascinating and entirely accessible - so much so that its faults can be forgiven.

[Ramakrishnan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book, detailing the biography of Osama Bin Laden (who needs no introduction).
I found the entire story of his growth – his august background, his earlier interests in life, his moving to fundamental views, etc. very intriguing. The whole financial network he had built was really interesting; in fact, the whole “corporate” approach he used in strengthening his terror network is really shocking.
While I cannot comment on the accuracy of all the details, I certainly found the book very gripping – the pace and narration maintained a steady pace; also the details of people, entities, chronology of events, etc. were all quit remarkable.
Overall – strongly recommended.

[Syed · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a good book, reflecting how politics is creating people like Osama!!!

[Tserzang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so good.However, it gives you a good insight of his life.

[Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book