Comments on: What I’m Reading II

By: Fat Man

Fat Man — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:46:33 +0000

I was disappointed by Looming Tower. I thought that Wright was insufficiently skeptical about the veracity and bias of his sources. I also thought he was not tough enough on the CIA nor the FBI, nor on the Clinton Administration Justice Department and the “wall” it erected between the agencies.

I also thought he did not explain what happened between the early days of Al-Qaeda and the late 90s that transformed them from the gang that couldn’t shot straight into the deadly outfit that pulled off the East Africa embassy bombings, the Cole attack, and the 9/11 attacks.

By: ElamBend

ElamBend — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:39:10 +0000

Just finished Black Swan. Next up for me is House to House and Hog Pilots.

By: strategist

strategist — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:46:03 +0000

I’ve also read ‘The Looming Tower’ and thought that it was excellent. His discussion of the ideological and theological roots of al-Qaeda provided great depth and understanding to the story of al-Qaeda’s rise.

By: Lexington Green

Lexington Green — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:25:41 +0000

Hog Pilots is indeed excellent.

God and Gold is brilliant. First third is the best part, it falls off after that. But Mead is always solid. Probably the best book on the reality of the Anglosphere since Bennett’s book, The Anglosphere Challenge.

I will have to read Looming Tower.

By: ElamBend

ElamBend — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:20:39 +0000

I saw Wright speak recently at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs event. He was good, though most of what he said I had heard in interview. The highlight of the event was the intelligence of the questions from the audience (They were real questions, as opposed to the Statement+ Do you agree, format that is common at such things).

The Council is also hosting Mead in a couple of weeks and I plan on attending. I look forward to it.