The Terror Years
From al-Qaeda to the Islamic State
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Narrated by:
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John H. Mayer
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Lawrence Wright
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By:
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Lawrence Wright
About this listen
Ten powerful pieces first published in The New Yorker recall the path terror in the Middle East has taken from the rise of al-Qaeda in the 1990s to the recent beheadings of reporters and aid workers by ISIS.
With the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright became generally acknowledged as one of our major journalists writing on terrorism in the Middle East. This collection draws on several articles he wrote while researching that book, as well as many that he's written since, following where and how al-Qaeda and its core cult-like beliefs have morphed and spread. They include an indelible impression of Saudi Arabia, a kingdom of silence under the control of the religious police; the Syrian film industry, then compliant at the edges but already exuding a feeling of the barely masked fury that erupted into civil war; and the 2006-11 Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, a study in disparate values of human lives. Others continue to look into al-Qaeda as it forms a master plan for its future, experiences a rebellion from within the organization, and spins off a growing web of terror in the world. The American response is covered in profiles of two FBI agents and a chief of the CIA. It ends with the recent devastating piece about the capture and beheading by ISIS of four American journalists and aid workers, and how our government failed to handle the situation.
©2016 Lawrence Wright (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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The key to understanding the calamitous Afghan war is the complex, ultimately failed relationship between the powerful, duplicitous Karzai family and the United States, brilliantly portrayed here by the former Kabul bureau chief for The Washington Post.
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Fabulous
- By Charles S. on 10-23-23
By: Joshua Partlow
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Killing a King
- The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel
- By: Dan Ephron
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin remains the single most consequential event in Israel's recent history and one that fundamentally altered the trajectory for both Israel and the Palestinians. Killing a King relates the parallel stories of Rabin and his stalker, Yigal Amir, over the two years leading up to the assassination, as one of them planned political deals he hoped would lead to peace - and the other plotted murder.
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Tragic history well presented.
- By Mmday on 02-28-16
By: Dan Ephron
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The Butcher's Trail
- How the Search for Balkan War Criminals Became the World's Most Successful Manhunt
- By: Julian Borger
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Written with a thrilling narrative pull, The Butcher's Trail chronicles the pursuit and capture of the Balkan war criminals indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Borger recounts how Radovan Karadžic and Ratko Mladic - both now on trial in The Hague - were finally tracked down and describes the intrigue behind the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic, the Yugoslav president who became the first head of state to stand before an international tribunal for crimes perpetrated in a time of war.
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The most comprehensive and unbiased account of ICTY’s inception and development to date
- By AR on 04-18-22
By: Julian Borger
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Preachers of Hate
- Islam and the War on America
- By: Kenneth Timmerman
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Like no book before it, Preachers of Hate uncovers an ancient hatred that threatens the life and livelihood of every American. The "new" anti-Semitism targets not only Jews, but Americans specifically and the West in general. It targets our values, our lifestyle, and our freedoms. It is the single most important issue we face when trying to make sense of the Arab world.
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This is an EXCELLENT.... EYE OPENING read!
- By Jon on 11-23-03
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The Longest War
- America and Al-Qaeda Since 9/11
- By: Peter L. Bergen
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Longest War, Peter Bergen offers a comprehensive history of this war and its evolution, from the strategies devised in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to the fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond. Weaving together internal documents from al-Qaeda and the U.S. offices of counterterrorism, first-person interviews with top-level jihadists and senior Washington officials, along with his own experiences on the ground in the Middle East, Bergen balances the accounts of each side.
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More Bush bashing..yes, but still worth reading.
- By Dennis on 01-18-11
By: Peter L. Bergen
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The Last Refuge
- Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia
- By: Gregory Johnsen
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Far from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States and al-Qaeda are fighting a clandestine war of drones and suicide bombers in an unforgiving corner of Arabia. The Last Refuge charts the rise, fall, and resurrection of al-Qaeda in Yemen over the last 30 years, detailing how a group that the United States once defeated has now become one of the world’s most dangerous threats. An expert on Yemen who has spent years on the ground there, Gregory D. Johnsen uses al-Qaeda’s Arabic battle notes to reconstruct their world as they take aim at the United States and its allies.
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bin laden.
- By Rhea on 07-15-13
By: Gregory Johnsen
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A Rope and a Prayer
- The Story of a Kidnapping
- By: David Rohde, Kristen Mulvihill
- Narrated by: David Rohde, Kristen Mulvihill
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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The compelling and insightful account of a New York Times reporter's abduction by the Taliban and his wife's struggle to free him. Invited to an interview by a Taliban commander, New York Times reporter David Rohde and two Afghan colleagues were kidnapped in November 2008 and spirited to the tribal areas of Pakistan. For the next seven months, they lived in an alternate reality, ruled by jihadists, in which paranoia, conspiracy theories, and shifting alliances abounded.
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A History Lesson
- By Ed on 12-31-10
By: David Rohde, and others
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Into the Hands of the Soldiers
- Freedom and Chaos in Egypt and the Middle East
- By: David D. Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: David D. Kirkpatrick
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Egypt has long set the paradigm for Arab autocracy. It is the keeper of the peace with Israel and the cornerstone of the American-backed regional order. So when Egyptians rose up to demand democracy in 2011, their 30 months of freedom convulsed the whole region. Now a new strongman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is building a dictatorship so severe some call it totalitarian. The economy sputters, an insurgency simmers, Christians suffer, and the Israeli military has been forced to intervene. But some in Washington - including President Trump - applaud Sisi as a crucial ally.
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may get better, but presentation is off putting
- By Fruggs on 08-28-18
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Enemies Within
- Inside the NYPD's Secret Spying Unit and bin Laden's Final Plot Against America
- By: Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In Enemies Within Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman lay bare the complex and often contradictory state of counterterrorism and intelligence in America through the pursuit of Najibullah Zazi, a terrorist bomber who trained under one of bin Laden's most trusted deputies. Zazi and his coconspirators represented America's greatest fear: a terrorist cell operating inside America. Apuzzo and Goldman lift the veil of secrecy to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of our counterterrorism measures.
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Very in depth. I highly detailed account.
- By Patrick on 10-08-20
By: Matt Apuzzo, and others
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The Man with the Poison Gun
- A Cold War Spy Story
- By: Serhii Plokhy
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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In the fall of 1961, KGB assassin Bogdan Stashinsky defected to West Germany. After spilling his secrets to the CIA, Stashinsky was put on trial in what would be the most publicized assassination case of the entire Cold War. The publicity stirred up by the Stashinsky case forced the KGB to change its modus operandi abroad and helped end the career of Aleksandr Shelepin, one of the most ambitious and dangerous Soviet leaders.
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Long…but excellent
- By Shawna Hanley on 10-16-23
By: Serhii Plokhy
What listeners say about The Terror Years
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John
- 05-08-17
Factual, but soft
Prior to this book, I listened to "Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS". I found both books to be similar in that they both distill a lot of information into a well put together linear narrative. They both seem very well researched, well written, and very informative. However, where I found them to be different was that this author seemed to have written in the style that came across as attempting to be somewhat persuasive. And books like this I always prefer an informative, neutral account I have no problem with his humanizing Siri and civilians, but found some of his word choices to be a bit soft in regards to the scribing accounts of terrorist activities, Terrorists themselves, and Fidel Castro in the epilogue.
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- Good Listener
- 03-20-19
Compelling book that skips analysis for narratives
I did enjoy the book, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The first 5 chapters are abridged histories of the principals, be they a group or individual, that held pivotal roles up to 9/11 attacks. Then the book shifts to in depth descriptions of geopolitics and providing additional details on select stories that support the previously described layout.
I was looking for more analysis and details on the completed operations of ISIL and the impact in the region and counterterrorism. I guess I will look elsewhere.
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- Rampy
- 01-08-17
All was well but in prologue was bad
Overall okay and well researched but you can see the prejudice coming out in few places
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- Roc Liggins
- 07-13-19
Not the Looming Tower but stands it's ground
Lawrence Wright is brilliant as always. The only consciencious I could have a conversation with.
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- reyrey347
- 11-11-16
cia did not create the internet.
lotts of good information. Historical perspective is much appreciated. A few mistakes i think but overall a very informative book.
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- R. Hart Miller
- 11-19-16
Terrorism can be understood.
A fearsome education becomes reality as we learn the A - Z'S of fear mongering on the world stage.
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- Keenen foster
- 04-10-24
Subject Matter Expert
The Author conveys a phenomenal wealth of knowledge both though, first hand experience and Indepth reporting. His centrist point of view lends great authority to the subjects at hand as he at times appears sympathetic with both causes while being equally critical to them. This is a great book for all interested in Middle East foreign relations.
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- Stephen
- 09-01-16
Still great, but not quite Looming Tower
Would you listen to The Terror Years again? Why?
Maybe, if I have questions regarding the subject matter and I want to review.
What did you like best about this story?
Incredibly well researched, nobody does their homework better than Wright.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When the surviving hostages explained their experiences and how they felt about the people who were left behind and eventually killed.
Any additional comments?
I was hoping for more information regarding the founders of ISIS similar to what Wright did with Looming Tower.
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- Jameson
- 05-03-17
Reporters experiences
There's were parts of this book I enjoyed more than others. I thought it would be more historical, which it is, but it's more stretches of the authors personal experience mixed in with stretches of pure nonfiction, historical record. Some useful information to take away and learn about the region, but it bounced around a bit as a result.
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- Sachin Dalal
- 09-01-16
Great Book!
Very informative book outlining different aspects of the War on Terror. Easy to listen to!
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