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The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
The world’s leading expert on Osama bin Laden delivers for the first time the definitive biography of a man who set the course of American foreign policy for the 21st century, and whose ideological heirs we continue to battle today.
In The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden, Peter Bergen provides the first reevaluation of the man responsible for precipitating America’s long wars with al-Qaeda and its descendants, capturing bin Laden in all the dimensions of his life: as a family man, as a zealot, as a battlefield commander, as a terrorist leader, and as a fugitive. The book sheds light on his many contradictions: He was the son of a billionaire, yet insisted his family live like paupers. He adored his wives and children, depending on two of his wives, both of whom had PhDs, to make important strategic decisions. Yet he also brought ruin to his family. He was fanatically religious, yet willing to kill thousands of civilians in the name of Islam. He inspired deep loyalty yet, in the end, his bodyguards turned against him. And while he inflicted the most lethal act of mass murder in United States history, he failed to achieve any of his strategic goals.
The lasting image we have of bin Laden in his final years is of an aging man with a graying beard watching old footage of himself, just another dad flipping through the channels with his remote. In the end, bin Laden died in a squalid suburban compound, far from the front lines of his holy war. And yet despite that unheroic denouement, his ideology lives on. Thanks to exclusive interviews with family members and associates, and documents unearthed only recently, Bergen’s portrait of Osama will reveal for the first time who he really was and why he continues to inspire a new generation of jihadists.
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In Twilight Warriors, award-winning foreign correspondent James Kitfield introduces us to the tight-knit brotherhood that strives to keep the United States safe from the dimly understood threats it now faces. Together these men have broken down the boundaries between their respective agencies to engineer a network-centric way of fighting using a seamless web of intelligence analysts, information networks, FBI forensics experts, and Special Forces units to take the fight to America's enemies as never before.
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South African Perspectives
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American Cipher
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The explosive narrative of the life, captivity, and trial of Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who was abducted by the Taliban and whose story has served as a symbol for America's foundering war in Afghanistan.
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An epic he had written in his imagination...
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The Quiet Americans
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At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear—to some—that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling their fascinating lives, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies. Despite their ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government.
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A Tragedy for One
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The Black Banners (Declassified)
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Widely heralded on publication as a “must-read” (Military Review) and “important window on America’s battle with al-Qaeda” (Washington Post), Ali Soufan’s revelatory account of the war on terror as seen from its front lines changed the way we understand al-Qaeda and how the United States prosecuted the war — and led to hard questions being asked of our leaders.
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Magnificent !
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Ghost Wars
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The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
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An Exceptional Accomplishment
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In Anatomy of Terror, former FBI special agent and New York Times best-selling author Ali Soufan dissects bin Laden's brand of jihadi terrorism and its major offshoots, revealing how these organizations were formed, how they operate, their strengths, and - crucially - their weaknesses.
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What every human on the planet needs to know!
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The Finish
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Listen to No Easy Day...much better
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Mosul
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Taking us from the suburbs of Western Sydney and Australia's military army bases, to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, this is a remarkable audiobook that reveals the as-yet untold story of the battle for Mosul and the secret involvement of Australians on both sides of the war - both our commandos and Australian ISIS fighters. Mosul details the rise of ISIS influence in Australia, the Iran and Australia allegiance to fight Daesh and shows what led up to the battle and the ramifications that are still being felt at home - by our soldiers and the victims of that war.
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A Pretext for War
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This book says outright what many have merely hinted at: that President George W. Bush knowingly misused the findings of the erroneous and incompetent U.S. intelligence community to provide a pretext for war with Iraq. The author hones in on the systematic weaknesses of the intelligence agencies that caused them to ignore the crucial signs leading up to the attacks of 9/11.
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A must read before you vote
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ISIS
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Initially dismissed by US President Barack Obama, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has shocked the world by conquering massive territories in both countries and promising to create a vast new Muslim caliphate that observes the strict dictates of Sharia law. In ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, American journalist Michael Weiss and Syrian analyst Hassan Hassan explain how these violent extremists evolved from a nearly defeated Iraqi insurgent group into a jihadi army of international volunteers who have conquered territory equal to the size of Great Britain.
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Dunce Hat, Please...
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This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For the last 60 years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America's confidence.
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Flawed but Important
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Listen to No Easy Day...much better
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sorry about spelling
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Listen to No Easy Day...much better
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sorry about spelling
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What listeners say about The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- TMSOD
- 09-10-21
We lost in Afghanistan before we started,
Fighting a war in a country whose culture, traditions, history, religions and multiple languages we do not understand was a foolhardy mistake. Osama bin Laden accomplished his wildest dreams. Osama manage to destroy the democracy of the United States and make the United States on of the least trusted countries in the world. Our politicians and military leaders became accustomed to lying to the citizens of the United States and our former friends and allies around the world.
Everyone in the world should all thank President Biden for withdrawing the United States from Afghanistan. Going into Afghanistan was a mistake. Staying Afghanistan under Bush, Obama and Trump was a mistake. It took 20 tears and thousands of lives and trillion of wasted dollars for us to lean from our mistake. Leaving Afghanistan was inevitable.
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- Nancy
- 08-19-21
Well written and exciting
The reader was clear , well modulated. I read reputable newspapers yet gained much knowledge and insights from the book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ray
- 09-04-21
RIVETING
Bergen's Holy War Inc next! Happy he will narrate. This narrator intonation wrong; too sing-song.
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- Irwin
- 09-15-21
well done; well read
How the mighty are brought low. Bin Laden was rendered powerless by the us response.
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- K Martin
- 09-16-21
Not great narration
I found the narration too emphatic, too much intonation or something, for what is actually a very low key account.
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- Doc K
- 04-17-22
Great history lesson
Just coming into adulthood during the 911 years I remember the events well. But sadly most people will never have this insight into the history. This is a sobering look well beyond the level of Facebook knowledge most will have. I thoroughly enjoyed the content.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mohamed Imthiyaz
- 08-07-21
I think it was great
Waited to read about the great terrorist, listened to the full story in on stretch without sleep.
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2 people found this helpful
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- GM
- 08-12-21
Outstanding!
Brilliant, authoritative, engaging. But an embarassing mistake should be fixed--Barak Obama was inaugurated in January (NOT June) of 2009.
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1 person found this helpful