num_pages: 541
description: A gripping narrative that spans five decades, The Looming Tower explains in unprecedented detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Lawrence Wright re-creates firsthand the transformation of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri from incompetent and idealistic soldiers in Afghanistan to leaders of the most successful terrorist group in history. He follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O’Neill as he uncovers the emerging danger from al-Qaeda in the 1990s and struggles to track this new threat. Packed with new information and a deep historical perspective, The Looming Tower is the definitive history of the long road to September 11.--back cover
language: English
title: The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
titlecomplete: The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
genres: Terrorism, History, Politics, American History, Religion, War, Islam, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Audiobook
ratings_count: 31601
awards: awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Pulitzer Prize
category: General Nonfiction, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Lionel Gelber Prize, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Helen Bernstein Book Award
category: Excellence in Journalism, awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: Los Angeles Times Book Prize
category: History, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Arthur Ross Book Award, awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: Nonfiction, awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: IRE AWard, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: PEN Center USA Literary Award
publisher: Vintage Books (Random House)