The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright, gives the reader an in depth expression at the universe ‘s most ill-famed terrorists in the Islamic universe. His intent in composing the book was to educate the reader about these people ‘s lives, and the life altering events that turned them into bitter, homicidal groups that have committed some of the universe ‘s most flagitious offenses. He besides outlines the intertwined relationships and events in the terrorist webs. These terrorist webs and confederations against the West finally led up to al Qaeda terrorist web, which orchestrated one of the worst terrorist onslaughts in history against the United States. With every action, there is reaction, and this book presents to us the personal history of those who, to this twenty-four hours, terrorise the Middle East, the West, and the universe.
From the beginning, Wright tells the narrative about the United States ‘ failure to give equal attending to the male parent of the Islamic terrorists, Osama bin Laden. He sketches a distressing image of the support system for the now most wanted adult male in America. He besides develops his relationship with other influential groups throughout the books, and it is a chilling web of aberrance that would shortly act upon the universe in many ways. He is seeking to turn out that although bin Laden was on the radio detection and ranging of the United States intelligence community, the intelligence forces did non give ample attending to this suspect, and they were rather unmindful to the interior workings of his terrorist government. Had there been more force per unit area to prosecute the instance, and a higher degree of earnestness applied to the research of this person and his operations ; the events that transpired on September 11, 2001, could quite perchance hold caused lesser casualties and amendss, or possibly been prevented.
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The book is organized by subject, normally in mention to one individual. He besides does his best to maintain the book chronological. There are cases in which times overlap, hence he arranges it by who came foremost in the Islamist motion. For case, the first chapter inside informations the life of Sayyid Qutb, get downing with his visit to America, which people say wholly changed him. He was the 1 that started the modern Islamic extremist idea procedure, and popularized it among pious Moslems throughout the Middle East. Wright ‘s format serves his intent good, in that he gives a timeline history of modern terrorist act and the events and people that made it what it is today.
Chiefly, Wright uses primary beginnings, in the signifier of interviews from relations, comrades, and equals of the people he discusses. He besides uses personal testimony of the persons he discusses in the book such as Qutb, Osama bin Laden, and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Wright represents the unknown by leting us to read direct quotation marks from persons within the Islamist motion and those closely connected to it, instead than supplying lone beginnings obtained through American agencies.
Wright is from Texas and presently writes for The New Yorker magazine every bit good as free-lance plants. He was educated both in America and Egypt. He is besides a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His book was award winning and read worldwide.
Biass are non blatantly obvious in the book. He expresses the feelings of the topics he discusses, instead than come ining his personal sentiment sing the affair. The Looming Tower does, nevertheless, have a little undertone of commiseration for the major participants involved in the terrorist governments. It is as if he blames their life ‘s events for the things they did and the thoughts they possessed. In kernel, these events played functions in their tract to panic ; whether its Qutb ‘s arrant disgust with American civilization, or Zawahiri ‘s awful anguish in Egyptian prisons. There is more than merely these life-shaping events that caused them to develop extremist political orientations. Historical affairs, current events, equals and general upbringing besides adds to their hatred and martyrdom. I felt a sense of commiseration when reading about the lives of these monsters, and rather perchance the writer felt this excessively. It could hold been his clip spent in Egypt, or with the people he discussed that influenced him to portray them in a different visible radiation.
The books strength is besides its failing. Wright inside informations miniscule facets in the lives of those he writes about. It is about as if there is excessively much item, and you think to yourself, “ Okay, so when does the good material Begin? ” He spends most of his chapters speaking about upbringing, societal and professional activities, equals, partners, kids, etc. and although it is interesting information, some of it could be omitted while still keeping the books purpose. The strength in this quality of his book is that this information is rather new and unknown to the general populace. It gives the reader penetration into a universe we know small about, and the people that have influenced it. The book gives an intimate portrayal of a life unknown to the ordinary individual, and alternatively of most beginnings sing these people, shows us an unfamiliar facet of their lives. We know the ill-famed names of the people in the book: al-Banna, bin Laden, Omar, Qutb, Zawahiri ; and now we know what molded and shaped their lives.
There are n’t many skips in the text, nevertheless it is helpful to hold a general cognition of Middle Eastern history prior to reading the book. Without this cognition it is hard to understand the events and historical influence in the modern Middle East. The book was a perfect add-on to my coursework in the sense that it added the information that we were unable to cover in category. I received the basic cognition of the Middle East and the influential historical events ; and the book supplied me with an intricate expression into my concentration/interest. The full book could be introduced in category as a addendum to the nucleus course of study. The book could be rather hard to read for those who do non hold a general apprehension of the civilization and history of Islam and the Middle East.
One of the most amazing things I learned in this book was about the life of Mohammed bin Laden. Despite his polygamy and big host of kids, he seemed like a by and large good individual. His low upbringings, eventual rise to illustriousness, and his overall low nature was rather interesting ; and it amazes me that Osama bin Laden is his boy. Besides, it was appealing to happen out that Osama one time followed a more accepting signifier of Islam, and finally turned towards the extremist political orientations of Qutb.
Terrorism has ever been a topic of involvement to me, and this book truly helped me see the state of affairs in a different visible radiation. From an American position, terrorists are extremist and primitive-however ; this is how many people, such as Qutb, felt about the U.S. The book offered me a expression into the motives of the terrorists, as told by their closest comrades. It besides directed me to other stuff that could assist me understand their thoughts more ; the texts written by the members within the Islamist motion, that inspired their actions. The thing I enjoyed most about the book was the application of day-to-day talks to a subject that has ever intrigued me. Besides, I enjoy the “ confederacy theory ” manner of the intertwined lives of these sufferers. It genuinely shows the tribal facet of the Middle Eastern communities, and the connectivity within their universe.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the topic and has a thirst for larning more about the complicated universe and lives of terrorist act and terrorists.
