Peter Bergen’s thoroughly researched biography of the notorious Islamist reveals his strikingly mundane, human side
Just over 10 years ago, US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in the house in northern Pakistan where he had been living for several years. The successful operation ended the biggest manhunt in history and is the penultimate chapter of this fine, rigorous and riveting account of the life of the founder of al-Qaida and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks of 2001.
Peter Bergen was among the first journalists to understand the threat Islamist extremism posed and has since written a series of books on the topic, as well as the US reaction to it. He draws on a wealth of first-hand reporting over 25 years, hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents for this new work. Among the last is new material scooped up during the raid that killed Bin Laden, which has only recently been released.
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