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Published Oct 2009
320 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
A true story that few ever believed would come to light, Growing Up Bin Laden uncovers startling revelations and hidden secrets carefully guarded by the most wanted terrorist of our lifetime, Osama bin Laden.
"I was not always the wife of Osama bin Laden. Once I was an innocent child dreaming little girl dreams…"
Thus begins this powerful story as Najwa bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden at the age of 15 to become his first wife and the mother to eleven of his children, and her son, Omar bin Laden, the fourth-born son of Osama bin Laden. Together, mother and son tell an extraordinarily powerful story of a man hated by so many, yet both loved and feared by his family, with spine-tingling details about the life and times of the man they knew as a husband and father, including:
Since September 11, 2001, journalists have struggled to uncover carefully guarded information about Osama’s private life. Until now, Osama Bin Laden's family members have not cooperated with any writers or journalists. Now, with unprecedented access and insight, Jean Sasson, author of the bestselling Princess: A True Story Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, takes us inside the secret world of Osama bin Laden.
"Always interesting and highly readable, this is recommended for the many people who will wish to learn more about this man." - Publishers Weekly
"A middling as-told-to memoir, but of some interest to students of recent history - and to intelligence experts, who might want to have a chat with the authors about the layout of the Tora Bora caves." - Kirkus Reviews
"As the first book written about Osama bin Laden with help from anyone in the bin Laden family, Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World (St. Martin's Press) is a valuable — if limited — glimpse into the personal life of the world's most wanted man. In recollections from Omar and his mother Najwa bin Laden (the first of Osama's five known wives), and with the assistance of American author Jean Sasson, the book paints a picture of Osama as a towering figure whose noble demeanor inspired fierce loyalty, but also an absolute authoritarian who wanted as many wives and children as possible in order to have foot soldiers for Islamic jihad." - Time
"While some may question their motives for speaking out, it is certainly fascinating, if deeply unnerving, to read such vivid first-hand accounts about life within Osama bin Laden's family. Their version of events sheds light on how the son of Saudi millionaires turned his back on a life of fast cars and affluence to become a terrorist mastermind, obsessed with the idea of waging a religious war, Jihad, against the West." - Daily Mail
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