
The Osama bin Laden I Know
An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader
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Narrated by:
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George Guidall
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By:
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Peter L. Bergen
About this listen
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Critic reviews
"A detailed, well-researched narrative that persuasively answers dozens of questions that are still painfully relevant today." (The Washington Post)
What listeners say about The Osama bin Laden I Know
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- JohnInNC
- 11-21-10
Interesting, but with mistakes
I enjoyed the book, but was really turned off when the reader states that Fort Bragg is in South Carolina. This is incorrect, Ft Bragg is located in the center of North Carolina, near Fayetteville, NC. Makes me wonder how accurate the rest of the book is.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Keith
- 12-05-08
Excellent Oral History
As a person who has long tried to understand how this person could be a part of the horrible things he did, this book is very revealing. Through the use of first-hand accounts from people who interacted with bin Laden at different phases of his life, the reader sees how a person very strict muslim views are radicalized to the point where killing innocent people becomes a real option. Mr. Bergen's work is pretty rigorous and he's to be commended for it.
I purchased the audio version of this book and I thought he did a good job, although I could have done without some of the inflection he used to differentiate between Bergen's words and the first-hand experiences of those interviewed.
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Overall
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- Drew Berning
- 06-23-23
Good book
I think what bin Laden did was very bad, he should apologize for 9/11.
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Overall
- Miroslaw
- 11-06-08
Fearful reading ...
If you want to keep yourself faithful in the human goodness, good faith and all important virtues of the human race - do not read this book.
The book I write about is "The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader". The book is written cold. It is mostly based on press reports and the existing relations about Osama and its life in Saudi Arabia, in Afganistan, Pakistan. Almost all of us have heard stories about this most wanted terrorist and declared enemy of the free world. But what ones feel when slowly going through this book is hard to describe. It's really hard to comprehend, to grasp, that there are people so dedicated to kill other innocent people, and what is more - to do it in the name of G-d. One of the most shocking fact revealed by the book is potential psychological link of the fatwa issued by Sheikh Omar Abdur Rahman and the later 9/11 act. I do not want to go into details in this review. The book shows the dark side of humanity, hatred and false believe in one's own right to judge - not only ourselves but also the entire world. I still hope that this is a book about a deviation or rather aberration from what really Islam teaches ....
It is a very good book, very well written and really fascinating - but for goodness sake - if you do not want to loose your faith in humankind - do not read it ....
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Robert
- 04-28-06
Disappointed
The title of this book is a bit curious, as Mr. Bergen shares little personal insight about Osama bin Laden. Frankly, the book is little more than a succession of quotes about bin Laden that Mr. Bergen simply compiled and regurgitated from other sources. It gets old rather quickly.
After I bought this audiobook, I saw a special about Osama bin Laden on the Discovery Channel. It presented the same types of insights about Osama bin Laden as Mr. Bergen does in his book, but in a more efficient and interesting fashion. And, of course, it was free. Look it up, Tivo it, and don't waste your time or money on this book.
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11 people found this helpful