Rating: 
Summary: Still one of the best
Review: Written before 9/11 and quickly updated for mass marketing, Bergen has done a remarkably good job that still stands up to scrutiny.
Rating: 
Summary: Osama & Company
Review: I've been trying to read books on the middle east since September 11 changed all of our lives, and this is one of the books I picked up in that effort. It's better than some of the others I've read: better written than Bodansky's book on Osama, for instance, and with a premise that's easier to understand, and agree with, than Barber's silly Jihad vs. McWorld.Peter Bergen has actually met Osama bin Laden once. He did an interview with him (along with Peter Arnett) in a cave in Afghanistan in the mid '90s. In this book he builds on that, and recounts what is known of Osama's life, family, actions, and character. He only once or twice ventures into the "we have to understand why he's mad at us" idiocy that pervades so much of the left and the media, and he actually talks intelligently about the Arab world. The book does have a reportorial style more suitable to a long magazine article, perhaps in Newsweek or Time, than a book. This leads the author to recount tidbits and anecdotes from most of the middle east during his various visits there. These are interesting, or annoying, depending on your point of view. I found them for the most part fun, and occasionally informative, as in when the author has to fill out forms before he can order drinks in the hotel bar in Islamabad. Given that Bergen is a reporter, this is a very good book in terms of information, and I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Tea With Bin Laden
Review: Bergen is one of the few Westerners to have sat down and had a conversation with the #1 most wanted man in the world. And man! What a moment! Bin Laden seems almost courteous, gentle and soft spoken. Even when he's justifying killing American civilians. A lot of the information in this book is known to people who watch the news these days. You know, the stuff about Al-Qaeda, the hijackers, 9-11 and so fourth. So unless you've been living under a rock for the last year and a half, this book isn't going to tell you what you don't already know or have read about. But that conversation with Bin Laden, wow. Yeah, wow, that's about all I can muster. I recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new but a good overniew of Al Queda
Review: I enjoyed this book, but for me, it didn't shed new light on the issue. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know about Bin Laden and Al Queda. It provides a summary of the basic knowledge and key figures and connections.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: This is a great book by Peter Bergen. If you want to learn more about the terrorists who perpetrated the attacks on 9/11, and about the draconian Taliban regime, and the role of other countries in the war on terror, this is one book you want to read. Bergen has done excellent research:This book is an example of brilliant journalism.
Rating:
Summary: Good overview, well-written, and occasionally humorous
Review: Grim topic well-treated, with occasional flashes of dark humor. The book works not only as an in-depth look at fundamentalist terror, but also as a travelogue. This is where the humor comes in. I found myself laughing, out loud, at Bergan's dry wit when he describes virtuous inanities of travel in some pretty horrible places. It is rare for me to laugh while reading, and in this case, it's a healthy break, because the book depicts some pretty nasty situations and characters.
Rating:
Summary: For beginners...
Review: This book is definitely for those new to the subject of militant Muslims. Since the author was reporting on Laden and Al queda long before Sept 11th, he is able to weave together a background/setting for the reader so that they are better able to understand the events that have taken place. But as far as the book explaining "why they hate us so much?", I think this book has a superficial answer.
Rating:
Summary: JOURNALISTIC CHASES ELUSIVE TERRORIST
Review: This is a mildly exciting book if you accept a few facts in advance: 1) This is NOT a biography of Bin Laden so do not expect one; 2) This is written by a television journalist on his way up in his media career so you better like the author as a person because you are going to be spending a lot of time with him. This is a fluidly written but rather disjointed and anecdotal account of one journalist's pursuit across Southwest Asia of Osama Bin Laden for the purpose of interviewing him. Like many media types who get a book contract, the story line consists of a lot of gritty details about the food, scenery and personalities one meets while traveling through the back roads of Pakistan and so on. Bin Laden appears rarely in the book but is spoken of often in sometimes mysterious tones. Is this book entertaining? Yes. Is it well written? Well, it is easy to read but the organization (if you can call it that) leaves something to be desired. Is it informative? Generally yes but it breaks no new ground either about Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda. If you are looking for a book about Bin Laden I recommend "Osama Bin Laden: A Psychological and Political Portrait" by Anthony J. Dennis (also available on Amazon). Bodansky's book "The Man Who Declared War on America" is also worthwhile but I rate it after Dennis's book since Bodansky focuses more on the terrorist infrastructure of al-Qaeda and doesn't give you a lot of insight into Bin Laden.
Rating:
Summary: UBL has declared war on YOU
Review: The Washington Post is right - if you're only going to read one book on AQ, this is it. It will impart a better understanding of who these villains are, what their organization does, and the perversion they extol to justify their terror. Not nearly enough Americans appreciate the death sentence UBL wishes to inflict upon them - no matter who or where they are - perhaps after reading this book they will.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: This is the best book on this subject I have seen. Peter Bergen shows us the inside of the terrorist network and explains the tough questions in simplistic terms that even Americans can understand, such as what motivates Osama Bin Laden. While its journalistic style reads like a novel, he remains objective and does not take sides on the issue. A great read.
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