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The Looming Tower |
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Based on five years of research, "Tower" recounts the events leading up to the 2001 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
Knopf, 480 pages
08/08/2006
$27.95
ISBN: 037541486X
Nonfiction
Current Events & Politics
All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...
The average user rating for this book is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Rick K gave it a9:
Mr. Wright, who is fluent in Arabic, interviewed many of the actors involved in this crime. Contrary to Mr. Anonymous, his book undermines much of the propaganda put out by both Government and non-Goverment actors. Mr. Anonymous rather would cling to his dark conspiracy beliefs then accept Al Qaeda's ability to wreck chaos on our technically vulnerable civilization. As Wright accurately portrays it, our Government is now so incompetent it could not run a two car parade, little lone a vast conspiracy to destroy the two towers.
James G gave it a9:
Did the anonymous reviewer even read the title page? What an idiot! This book is hardly a repackage of anything. Lawrence actually took the time to INVESTIGATE rather than use google to write a book like so many people are doing these days. A must read!
Andrew V gave it a10:
An incredible piece of work. Great research and a fascinating read as well.
sherwood w gave it a10:
outstanding. represents the best kind of reportage of those dreadful events.
[Anonymous] gave it a0:
Sadly, Wright fails to do more than repackage the propagada of the media and government.
Paul S gave it a10:
Lawrence Wright's account of the events leading to 9/11 (including those which happened 60 years ago) is undoubtedly the most important book on the origins and fidelity of Islamist beliefs. Where previous books fail, Wright succeeds. His facts are based on personal interviews, newspaper articles, scholarly journals, and many other relevant sources, which 5 years of history has allowed him to unearth. While I am not in favor of the public deception and manipulation of intelligence which lead to America's involvement in Iraq, I believe our presence in that country is necessary. America must have a foothold in the Middle East, especially given its fragile relationship with Saudi Arabia and its support of Isreal (the ostensible source of Islamist bitterness which is discussed in great detail in Wright's book). With that said, it is essential for any American with an interest in her future to understand the reasons for Islamist hostility - some of which is based on legitimate dissaproval of America's ego-centric foreign policies, while most has modernity and American support of Israel at its core. The Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan Congressional commission, recently released a report on the situation in Iraq and offered some recommendations for the future. While most of the recommendations are a bit unrealistic, every American should read the first 40 pages of the Report. They offer a surprisingly candid description of precisely what is happening in that country. As someone with a B.A. in Political Science and a specialization in Middle Eastern Politics, I highly recommend this book and all further study on the Middle East to everyone.
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