The Looming Tower

About “The Looming Tower”

The Looming Tower is a non-fiction work by Lawrence Wright that spans five decades, detailing the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures leading to the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The book re-creates the transformation of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri from soldiers in Afghanistan to leaders of al-Qaeda. It also follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O'Neill as he attempts to track the emerging threat of al-Qaeda in the 1990s. Based on extensive research, the book provides a detailed historical perspective on the events leading up to September 11. It was a National Book Award finalist and named a best book of the year by several publications.