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416 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
Former Washington Post foreign correspondent Randal admits up front that he never met the subject of his book. To bridge that understandable gap, he calls on 40 years' worth of sources and contacts to elucidate bin Laden's life and, even more, the world that shaped it. The author eschews journalistic neutrality, favoring a judgmental stance towards the failings of U.S. policy in the Middle East. This stance sounds a dull, tired note for many critics, as does the disingenuous title: Osama bin Laden appears less a subject than as a means to understand the foundations of today's terrorist culture. However, Randal's informed, nuanced presentation of the Islamic world makes the book a worthwhile read.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.