jihad

An account of the author's transition from being an Afghan refugee to becoming a devout Muslim and resistance fighter struggling against the Soviet occupation in the late 1980s and eventually a Harvard University student as he found a path away from extremism.

Discusses the Islamic organization known as Al-Qaeda, focusing on its presumed role in the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

The author, a terrorism analyst for the CNN network, profiles the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, discussing how Bin Laden lives, how earlier attacks in Africa were planned, and how his terrorist group blends twenty-first century technology with a radical brand of Islam.

Traces the history of Islamic imperialism and argues that the region's history has been influenced more by long existing indigenous trends, patterns of behavior, and Islam's imperial tradition more than global power politics.

Explains why it is important for the Western world to understand who the jihadists are and what their mission is, and to realize that not all jihadists use violence and terrorism as a way spread their message.