The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century
by Steve Coll
List Price:
Our Price: $5.10
You Save: $34.85 (87%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.00 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Steve CollContributor: Erik Singer
Edition: Music CD
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
Published: 2008-04-01
ISBN: 0143143239
Number of pages: 11
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Book Reviews of The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century
Book Review: Fascinating, but should have covered Saudi Arabia itself more
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bin Laden family and their rise to prominence is covered in great details in this book. The founding father and two sons who succeeded him are thoroughly covered. More interesting, really is the sideways glances we get of Saudi Arabia itself. Or rather, the Saud family. The coverage of the family is, all in all, fairly sympathetic. They got a very raw deal from their black sheep.
Saudi Arabia's ruling class gets me pretty close to being being racist. More exactly, their sloth, hypocrisy and decadence and the mess they have made with their wealth. Odd how they could manage to build so many palace without providing for basic necessities for their subjects. Later on, that changed to modern day bread and circus: don't vote, don't criticize. In return you won't have to work.
And just in case not enough citizens agree, they bribe one of the most intolerant branches of Islam to declare that the alcoholic Al Sauds kings are Defenders of the Faith against all the godless heathen everywhere. Bit like Jerry Falwell declaring Bush the ruler of all (he probably did). I would have loved to learn more about that devil's bargain and the reasons behind it.
The common people of Saudi Arabia are almost entirely ignored. Yet, you get the feeling that, ruled by a traditional 18th century royal court of lazy bums, they could hardly be expected to be happy with the world at large.
In short, I would have welcomed more coverage of Saudi Arabia (perhaps so dispelling my prejudices) rather than endless details about Salem Bin Laden's flying skills. As it is, this definitely a family biography.
And Osama in all this? He's mostly off stage, because there was little in the way of written records (and probably because Mr. Coll didn't get all the access he might have wished for). Mr. Coll describes him in an fairly condescending way: he's pious and competent, but hardly an brilliant figure. For example he's described as a strictly so-so businessman. In fact, Steve Coll covered him better in Ghost Wars.
Is it wise to describe a successful enemy as a second rater? Not necessarily, but it is customary. Would it have been smart to sing the praises of Osama's organizing skills, if any? Certainly not.
Despite its focus on the family itself this book remains a fascinating and highly readable account of one facet of the 9/11 events. And I can now watch Fahrenheit 911 reasonably confident that I can catch on to Mr. Moore's more obvious distortions of events about the handling of the Bin Laden's evacuation.
General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in General Books
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp
Harper Perennial; Published: 2008-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.85
Price in other shops:
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dreamby Barack Obama
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2007-11-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.62
Price in other shops:
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Standsby Chelsea Handler
Bloomsbury USA; Published: 2005-06-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.70
Price in other shops:
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesiaby Elizabeth Gilbert
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.40
Price in other shops:
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelseaby Chelsea Handler
Simon Spotlight Entertainment; Published: 2008-04-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.75
Price in other shops:
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journeyby Jill Bolte Taylor
Viking Adult; Published: 2008-05-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.73
Price in other shops:
sTORI Tellingby Tori Spelling
Simon Spotlight; Published: 2008-03-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.72
Price in other shops:
Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sonsby Tim Russert
Random House Trade Paperbacks; Published: 2007-05-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.97
Price in other shops:
Big Russ and Me: Father and Son: Lessons of Lifeby Tim Russert
Miramax; Published: 2005-05-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.65
Price in other shops:
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Timeby Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.04
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asiaby Ahmed Rashid
Viking Adult; Published: 2008-06-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.15
Price in other shops:
Counselor: A Life at the Edge of Historyby Ted Sorensen
Harper; Published: 2008-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.00
Price in other shops:
The Bush Tragedyby Jacob Weisberg
Random House; Published: 2008-01-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.85
Price in other shops:
Lush Life: A Novelby Richard Price
Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Published: 2008-03-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.35
Price in other shops:
McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld (Borzoi Books)by Misha Glenny
Knopf; Published: 2008-04-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.13
Price in other shops:
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIAby Tim Weiner
Anchor; Published: 2008-05-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.56
Price in other shops:
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Idealsby Jane Mayer
Doubleday; Published: 2008-07-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.75
Price in other shops:
Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle Eastby Robin Wright
Penguin Press HC, The; Published: 2008-02-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.50
Price in other shops:
The Post-American Worldby Fareed Zakaria
W. W. Norton; Published: 2008-05-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.39
Price in other shops:
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001by Steve Coll
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2004-12-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.53
Price in other shops: