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The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader Audiobook
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(3.10) - 171 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
No one knows more about Osama bin Laden than Peter Bergen. In 1997, well before the West suddenly became aware of the world's most sought-after terrorist, Bergen met with him and has followed his activities ever since. Today, years after President Bush swore to get him dead or alive and despite haunting the popular imagination since September 11, 2001, bin Laden remains shrouded in mystery and obscured by a barrage of facts, details and myths. With numerous never-before-published interviews, The Osama Bin Laden I Know provides unprecedented insight into bin Laden's life and character drawing on the experiences of his most intimate acquaintances. This timely and important work gives readers their first true, enduring look at the man who has declared the West his greatest enemy.
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"A unique perspective of Osama bin Laden in that all accounts are first-hand. A good place to start if you are interested in studying Al Qaeda's history -- after reading this book, it's much easier to recognize names and dates because of the more personal story depicted. "
— Kristin (4 out of 5 stars)
The Osama bin Laden I Know Listener Reviews
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" Bob and I listened to this in the car while driving from Boston to Florida. It is a thick detailed book, but well worth reading (or listening to.) "
— Ellen, 11/23/2013 -
" I thought some of the accounts were a little repetitive and long-winded, but that aside, this book really broadened my understanding of bin Laden and terrorism as a whole. I also appreciate that Bergen kept his commentary politically neutral. "
— Spencer, 10/26/2013 -
" Interesting, but not that cohesive - Bergen's use of documents, interviews, etc. is good for getting a multi-faceted picture of bin Laden's life, but not so good for making the book flow... "
— Karen, 9/16/2013 -
" I'm listening to the on tape. Excellent introduction to Bin Laden and his transformation into a jihadist. It is based on actual interviews and testimony of people who know him personally. "
— Holly, 7/18/2013 -
" It was quite interesting and mysterious.The author is worthy to praised. "
— Muhammad, 5/28/2013 -
" A series of interviews with individuals that have personally dealt with the worlds most wanted terrorist. Well done. "
— Rich, 4/21/2013 -
" Fascinating and terrifying at the same time...only because it's all true. Peter Bergen is the only Western journalist to have interviewed bin Laden and the whole book is built on a compilation of his interviews and research. "
— Ashbam, 1/28/2013 -
" Rather long, and drawn out. But very informative. I struggled to finish it. My interest in foreign policy only goes so far I guess. My problem was I listened to it on tape, and I have a hard time pay attention to books on tape. "
— Lesli, 12/28/2012 -
" Book describes Osama bin-Laden with biographical and operational information. "
— Dan, 12/21/2012 -
" Peter Bergen is a genious! "
— Blair, 12/14/2012 -
" Fascinating book packed with primary sources and interviews. Despite being written in 2006, it still upholds well with only a coupe exceptions. Overall the book is highly readable and informative. "
— Page, 9/10/2012 -
" A unique perspective of Osama bin Laden in that all accounts are first-hand. A good place to start if you are interested in studying Al Qaeda's history -- after reading this book, it's much easier to recognize names and dates because of the more personal story depicted. "
— Kristin, 8/3/2012 -
" Can't get this insight anywhere else. Little tough to read in parts. "
— Luigib, 5/10/2012 -
" I actually really enjoyed this; a guilty pleasure. "
— Sues57, 2/20/2012 -
" It was okay, although a bit hard to get into. After it got to the 1990s it was more interesting. I think it would be better read than listenedto given the large amounts of quotations from interviews, letters, etc. "
— Lara, 6/22/2011 -
" Can't get this insight anywhere else. Little tough to read in parts. "
— Luigib, 12/27/2010 -
" I thought some of the accounts were a little repetitive and long-winded, but that aside, this book really broadened my understanding of bin Laden and terrorism as a whole. I also appreciate that Bergen kept his commentary politically neutral. "
— Spencer, 10/5/2010 -
" I'm listening to the on tape. Excellent introduction to Bin Laden and his transformation into a jihadist. It is based on actual interviews and testimony of people who know him personally. "
— Holly, 11/20/2009 -
" Interesting, but not that cohesive - Bergen's use of documents, interviews, etc. is good for getting a multi-faceted picture of bin Laden's life, but not so good for making the book flow... "
— Karen, 9/18/2008 -
" Fascinating and terrifying at the same time...only because it's all true. Peter Bergen is the only Western journalist to have interviewed bin Laden and the whole book is built on a compilation of his interviews and research. "
— Ashbam, 1/29/2008 -
" Rather long, and drawn out. But very informative. I struggled to finish it. My interest in foreign policy only goes so far I guess. My problem was I listened to it on tape, and I have a hard time pay attention to books on tape. "
— Lesli, 12/2/2007 -
" Bob and I listened to this in the car while driving from Boston to Florida. It is a thick detailed book, but well worth reading (or listening to.) "
— Ellen, 10/13/2007 -
" A series of interviews with individuals that have personally dealt with the worlds most wanted terrorist. Well done. "
— Rich, 8/22/2007
About Peter L. Bergen
Peter L. Bergen is the author of Holy War, Inc., which has been translated into eighteen languages, and The Osama bin Laden I Know. They were both named among the best nonfiction books of the year by the Washington Post, and documentaries based on the books were nominated for Emmys. Bergen is CNN’s national security analyst and a fellow at the New America Foundation and New York University’s Center on Law & Security. He is a contributing editor at the New Republic and has worked as a correspondent for National Geographic television, Discovery, and CNN. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Time, Vanity Fair, and other publications.
About George Guidall
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.