Steve Coll's latest book, The Bin Ladens, is an excellent successor to his previous, Ghost Wars, about the wars in Afghanistan over the last 30 years. With excellent prose and well researched documentation, Coll provides rich detail on an otherwise unknown history. Specifically, that the family that bread the terrorist who committed the worst attack on US soil has also contributed a significant amount of business development in the Middle East and the United States.

Coll's thesis is that the Bin Laden family, beginning with the family patriarch Muhammad Bin Laden in the early 20th century, created a large amount of wealth and developed multiple personalities at the same time as the United States and especially Saudi Arabia.

The Bin Laden's have leaned heavily on early connections established with the royal family of Saudi Arabia. As Saudi Arabia grew with the discovery of oil, the riches of the family also grew with the accumulation of construction contracts. As their wealth grew, they also became more interested in more cosmopolitan pursuits. And as these pursuits expanded, many of the family gravitated towards the most economically vibrant country during the Cold War, the United States.

As with any large institution, different wings grew up in the family. A religiously conservative wing of course developed, and Osama was a member of this wing. However, a liberal, open minded wing also developed.

Overall, Steve Coll has put together much research that is likely unknown to many in the west. This excellent book should be on the reading lists of many who are trying to understand how this one particular family developed the way they did, and how the roots of Osama Bin Laden are also intertwined with the incredible economic development of both the West and the oil rich Middle East.

In a style reminiscent of the Pulitzer Prize winning "Ghost Wars", Steve Coll examines the history of the Bin Laden family. In order to reveal the complex forces at work on the Bin Laden family members throughout the past century, Coll utilizes a variety of different sources. The most fascinating, in my opinion, is the information he extracts personally from interviews.

Coll explores the behavior of Bin Laden family members as it should be explored; he constructs an eloquent history of the social, political, and economic forces at work in Saudi Arabia and focuses on the Bin Laden family's primary patron and guardian: the Saudi Royal Family. Coll reveals fascinating personalities of Bin Laden family members not by rambling in imprecise terms; he describes, using annotated sources, the way they reacted to a wide range of situations and then draws calculated and enlightening conclusions based on historical fact.

"The Bin Ladens" is accurate. So are the most boring of textbooks. Accuracy, in this case, does not come at the price of overly intellectual rhetoric or cluttered prose. This book reads more like story than a history textbook, essay, or newspaper article. If you were a fan of "Ghost Wars" or are simply curious to learn more about the Bin Laden family/Saudi Arabian History/Middle Eastern Construction in general, then I think this is worth your time.

Cheers.

well, not this book actually, but a related book by Coll's colleague Parag Khanna titled The Second World.

Some of the various, and numerous, factual errors that riddle the book are relatively trivial, but suggest serious sloppiness and disregard for getting facts right. For example, Yugoslavia was not part of Warsaw pact, as Khanna states. Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was appointed to office in 1992 by Boris Yeltsin, and not by Vladimir Putin. Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Albania are not all smaller by population than Manhattan, and the death toll from the civil wars in former Yugoslavia was not greater than half a million. Other obviously wrong assertions seem to be made up simply to provide lurid background color to Khanna's travelogue: the former KGB headquarters in Moscow has not been turned into "a high-class disco," expensive Moscow malls do not charge entrance fees, and police road checkpoints in Uzbekistan do not stop and check all vehicles. And other gross misstatements of fact display a simple complete lack of understanding the history and culture of the countries of which he writes: the (Orthodox) Uspenky cave monastery in Crimea is not representative of Ukraine's "proud Catholic heritage," Zoran Djindjic was not the first democratically elected leader since World War II in former Yugoslavia , and in the 1980s Yugoslav republics like Bosnia and Macedonia were not richer than Spain. Many of Khanna's wildly wrong claims sound like local myths that he has taken at face value. I can easily imagine some misguided elderly Belgrade resident waxing nostalgically for the days "when every one of our republics was richer than Spain!"

Yet more of Khanna's assertions are not merely factually wrong, but far exceed the ludicrous. In the fast paced and dangerous Russian business world, "one is safe only in the sauna, where everyone is naked and no weapons are allowed." It was news to me to learn from Khanna that every winter "waves" of Russians and "thousands of Ukrainians" freeze to death in "crumbling heatless apartment blocks." And he employs gross mischaracterizations of fact to buttress his claims. For example, according to Khanna, in 2006 Greek GDP increased 25% when the government started to account for prostitution and cigarette smuggling in its figures. In fact, the government said it would include all unreported economic activity, mostly in construction and trade, but including a "small" amount for illegal activities such as smuggling. And this is merely a sampling of patently ridiculous claims.

And for a "foreign policy whiz-kid," Khanna makes numerous and serious analytical mistakes, showing a clear misunderstanding of economics, international institutions, and international relations. The unhedged statement, "Russia's diplomatic position is purely residual," will surely surprise diplomats from Brussels to Tokyo. Noting that Gazprom's market capitalization is $300 billion leads Khanna to the conclusion that Gazprom is one third of the Russian economy, confusing market capitalization with GDP. And his bald assertion that "[n]one of Central Asian legal systems have evolved beyond Kakfaaesque" is belied by the numerous successful legislative accomplishments of Kazakhstan and its quite sophisticated legal code, for example.


But the worst moments of Khanna's book are when he quotes conversations that seem of such dubious authenticity as to make me believe they may be fabricated, or at best the result of very selective reporting, only relating those comments that fit within his pre-existing views. "'Our pride has suffered'" explains a "Moscow intellectual over a narrow glass of [of course] ice-chilled vodka, `but this only drives our nationalism further.'" In Kiev, the locals "give lifts to strangers for a token fare." Why? "We suffered enough together, so we still trust each other." There are just too many such (anonymous) quotations that fail to ring true to trust in the author's integrity. And he also reports statements by national leaders as if they were heard in personal conversation, yet in a curiously indirect fashion that suggests otherwise.

This book covers the Bin Laden family and their rise to prominence in great detail, especially the founding father and his two succeeding songs. It is fairly sympathetic to the Bin Ladens. They got a very raw deal from their black sheep.

And Osama in all this? He's mostly off stage, because there was little in the way of written records (and probably because Mr. Coll didn't get all the access he might have wished for). Mr. Coll describes him in an fairly condescending way: he's pious and competent, but hardly an brilliant figure. For example he's described as a strictly so-so businessman. In fact, Steve Coll covered him rather better in Ghost Wars.

Is it wise to describe a successful enemy as a second rater? Not necessarily, but it is customary. Would it have been smart marketing to sing the praises of Osama's organizing skills, assuming he has any? Certainly not.

More interesting really, are the sideways glances we get of Saudi Arabia itself. Or rather, the Saud family, whom I find pretty disgusting. Their sloth, hypocrisy, decadence and the mess they have made with their wealth is appalling. Odd how they could manage to build so many palace without providing for basic necessities for their subjects. Later on, that changed to modern day bread and circus: "Don't vote, don't criticize. In return you won't have to work."

And just in case not enough citizens agree, they bribe one of the most intolerant branches of Islam to declare that the frequently terminally alcoholic Al Sauds kings are Defenders of the Faith against all the godless heathen everywhere. Bit like Jerry Falwell declaring the frat-boy era Bush the supreme guarantor of Christian morals. I would have loved to learn more about that devil's bargain and the reasons behind it.

There is one near-surrealist part in which Mr. Coll says that the royals and their Wahhabi cohorts may have paved over an archaeological dig in Medina, of Muhammad's house, in order to create a public sanitation facility.

To be honest, Abdullah, their current king seems to be of the actually temperate and serious kind and perhaps a improvement in progress.

The common people of Saudi Arabia are almost entirely ignored. Yet, you get the feeling that, ruled by a traditional 18th century royal court of lazy bums, they could hardly be expected to be happy with the world at large. In fact, I think Muslims are rather badly served by the lot, though it is not my place to judge. Bit like a period during which the Popes were pretty much all lecherous buffoons.

In short, I would have welcomed more coverage of Saudi Arabia (perhaps so dispelling my prejudices) rather than endless details about Salem Bin Laden's flying skills. As it is, this definitely a family biography.

Enough criticism though. This book remains a fascinating and highly readable account of one facet of the 9/11 events. And it certainly reads almost like a soap opera.

The Bin Laden family and their rise to prominence is covered in great details in this book. The founding father and two sons who succeeded him are thoroughly covered. More interesting, really is the sideways glances we get of Saudi Arabia itself. Or rather, the Saud family. The coverage of the family is, all in all, fairly sympathetic. They got a very raw deal from their black sheep.

Saudi Arabia's ruling class gets me pretty close to being being racist. More exactly, their sloth, hypocrisy and decadence and the mess they have made with their wealth. Odd how they could manage to build so many palace without providing for basic necessities for their subjects. Later on, that changed to modern day bread and circus: don't vote, don't criticize. In return you won't have to work.

And just in case not enough citizens agree, they bribe one of the most intolerant branches of Islam to declare that the alcoholic Al Sauds kings are Defenders of the Faith against all the godless heathen everywhere. Bit like Jerry Falwell declaring Bush the ruler of all (he probably did). I would have loved to learn more about that devil's bargain and the reasons behind it.

The common people of Saudi Arabia are almost entirely ignored. Yet, you get the feeling that, ruled by a traditional 18th century royal court of lazy bums, they could hardly be expected to be happy with the world at large.

In short, I would have welcomed more coverage of Saudi Arabia (perhaps so dispelling my prejudices) rather than endless details about Salem Bin Laden's flying skills. As it is, this definitely a family biography.

And Osama in all this? He's mostly off stage, because there was little in the way of written records (and probably because Mr. Coll didn't get all the access he might have wished for). Mr. Coll describes him in an fairly condescending way: he's pious and competent, but hardly an brilliant figure. For example he's described as a strictly so-so businessman. In fact, Steve Coll covered him better in Ghost Wars.

Is it wise to describe a successful enemy as a second rater? Not necessarily, but it is customary. Would it have been smart to sing the praises of Osama's organizing skills, if any? Certainly not.

Despite its focus on the family itself this book remains a fascinating and highly readable account of one facet of the 9/11 events. And I can now watch Fahrenheit 911 reasonably confident that I can catch on to Mr. Moore's more obvious distortions of events about the handling of the Bin Laden's evacuation.

The pieces of the Bin Laden family puzzle have been scattered across numerous continents and decades. With a doggedness that has already won him two Pulitzers, Steve Coll attacks the challenge of bringing these pieces together to form the definitive history of this enigmatic family. From published works to countless interviews with Bin Laden family and associates to long sequestered State Department documents, Coll assiduously mines the data and develops a portrait of one of the most recognizable names in the world. This portrait is immediately recognizable to everyone: money, political power, excess, self-destruction, contradiction, hypocrisy. The lives of the fifty-four children of Mohamed Bin Laden would not be out of place in the pages of the National Enquirer, People, or Forbes. One gets a sense of humanity from this all-powerful Saudi Arabian family. Unfortunately, even with all of this research, Coll's portrait still contains holes, and is far from being the definitive word on the Bin Ladens.

While the collected evidence does flesh out many previously unknown details, it remains thin in those areas that will be of most interest to scholars and casual observers alike. Stories about the Bin Laden's love of flying and ownership of property or the latest gadgets are entertaining, but most readers are going to come to the book expecting a clear understanding of how the most famous Bin Laden fits into the dynamic. Granted, being the relative of the mastermind of the worst terrorist attack in history is bound to shut up even the most chatty individual. Throw in the added dimension of the potential loss of a family fortune through lawsuits related to said person, and the prospects for obtaining any real data becomes thin. Coll acknowledges this throughout The Bin Ladens, but it doesn't lessen the impact. By the end, the reader is left with just as many questions as when they started.

Publicly, the Bin Laden family repudiated and disowned Osama in the early 1990s when he was primarily making trouble in Saudi Arabia. This repudiation only intensified as Osama's terrorist actions increased. Privately, however, the picture is murky. Coll tantalizes with snippets and anecdotes that certain elements of the family may have supported Osama, either tacitly or directly via financial means, but they ultimately end up going nowhere. For instance, near the end of the narrative, he throws out the comment from one of Osama's nieces that "some of the young people at the Bin Laden compound [in Jeddah] openly celebrated the September 11 attacks," but fails to add anything more. Peppered throughout the book are countless examples such as this where the author ultimately has to state that "the record is uncertain" or "the evidence just isn't there."

Even more puzzling is the role that the governments of Saudi Arabia and even the United States played in supporting the Bin Laden family over the years. Why did Saudi Arabia issue diplomatic passports to non-governmental charities suspected of funneling cash to Al Qaeda? Did the FBI treat the issue of terrorist financing so gently because the CIA wrongly estimated its importance as being low, or was there political pressure from on high? What about Bush family friend, Jim Bath's, wild assertion that he ran supplies to Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan for the CIA during a time that the CIA has repeatedly claimed it did not have any contact with Osama? In the end, such unanswered questions leave the book feeling sparse and unfinished.

All in all, though, one does get the impression that many of the deficiencies were caused by stonewalling from those who hold the puzzle pieces as opposed to any deficiencies on Coll's part. This being the first real, in-depth look at such a broad subject as this huge, secretive Saudi Arabian family, The Bin Ladens is an excellent starting point. Researchers will no doubt return to it and use it as the foundation for future treatises on Osama and the larger topic of the Global War on Terror. For that, it most certainly must be praised.

Yes, this is a long book; worth every minute. The depth of research is mind-boggling, but it is written with a clear, quickly-moving presentation. It is long on detail, extensive and interesting, short on editorializing: Coll leaves that up to the reader. Given the opacity of the Saud and bin Laden families' entrepreneurship, one is certainly left wondering! My favourite line actually appears at the very end: "...in the meanwhile, each time his audio- or videotapes reached Al-Jazeera or CNN, Osama reemphasized, like a Barbary pirate with a marketing degree, the impunity that he still enjoyed, as well as his continuing capacity to plan and inspire mass violence by exploiting the channels and the ethos of global integration." Another Pulitzer for Coll?

Picked up this book after hearing the author interviewed on PBS. Given the family's aversion to publicity this represents an exhaustive effort to pry out detail. Coll tracks the family history from their humble beginnings in Yemen to the patriarch's rise in business association with the Saudi royal family, and to the present day. Usually after finishing a book this size I am ready to switch to something els, but at the end of this 575-page volume I found myself going back to reread the first few chapters. This held my interest and is worth the time.

What an insight Mr. Coll gives to the Bin Laden family...I highly recommend this book!

Peterson's review is very good and captures the essence of the book. There is a good deal of information about the Saudi Monarchy in this book that can fill out reading from other sources. It's a poignant story at times evoking the normal tragedies of life in the early deaths of Mohamed, the founder of the dynasty and his heir, Salem. Mr. Coll has a gift for narrative non-ficiton and weaves the constant theme of aviation into the Bin Laden story as well as the destructive side of their construction business. It is a fascinating study of the Bin Ladin family and of Saudi Arabia as it grew into the twentieth century. As he did with Ghost Wars, Mr. Coll has produced another great book.

I will plug Frontier of Faith here for a further study of where the battle formed and rages between Islam's radical arm and the West.

Peterson's review is very good and captures the book. There is a good deal of information about the Saudi Monarchy in this book that fills out reading from other sources. The interconnected thread of the Bin Laden family and both the Saudi Monarchy and America would be the two guiding principles if you are looking to improve your knowledge of world affairs. It's a poignant(sp!) story at times and evokes sympathy for both Mohamed the founder of the dynasty and his heir, Salem. At the least it is a fascinating study of the Bin Ladin family and of Saudi Arabia as it grew into the twentieth century. I will plug Frontier Mullahs here for a further study of where the battle has been formed and now rages between Islam's radical arm and the West.

Must read for all Americans, gives a detailed history on living and growing up in the Middle East, most American have little understanding fo the culture and lifestyle in these countries.

Short and sweet, this is a book every American should read. It offers an insight to Saudi Arabia, the house of Al-Saud, the Bin Laden family, and the middle east as a whole. This book might be long, but it is an easy and enjoyable read.

Muhammad bin Laden was a poor construction worker from Hadhramawt Yemen, who was forced into exile to find work and prosperity. What he discovered was a gold-mine of work opportunity with the Saudi royal family, and connections that would allow him to renovate the holy mosques in Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. With 54 children and over 100 living descendants, the task of writing a family history of the Bin Laden family is quite daunting. Nonetheless, Steve Coll does an exceptional job in telling not only about the most famous Bin Laden, Mohammed, but also about the most infamous, Osama, as well as some of his prominent elder brothers, such as Salem (the eldest), Bakr, Yeslam, as well as some of the female family members and in-laws, Randa and Carmen. Coll's book is an expansive history of two generations, Muhammad and his children, with some attention to the third generation, as well as insight into their relationship with the Saudi royal family. Highly recommended to those wishing to understand Osama or his family, this book will portray a quite varied and diverse family, from those most secular to those who were most religiously observant.

Steve Coll has written another scholarly, extremely well-researched book - this one about the Bin Laden family. I dare any reader to be able to put it down. For me, at least, the mark of a great non-fiction book is that the author is actually informing the reader of events, past and present, while keeping the reader so entertained, that they are unaware that they are in fact in the middle of a fantastic history lesson.

There are many lessons to be learned from reading this book and I did not want this brilliant piece of writing to end.

When one thinks of Bin Laden, of course, one thinks of Osama, Al Qaeda, and 9-11. However, this book looks at a fascinating family history, with Osama Bin Laden as only one small part of the larger familial tapestry. A genealogy at the front of the book helps to identify the family's background, from Ali (circa 1820) to Aboud, to Awadh (born around 1875) to Mohamed (born around 1905) and Abdullah, brothers who came to bring the family wealth and recognition. Finally, the 54 children of Mohamed Bin Laden, born in the time frame from the mid-1940s through 1967.

Mohamed and his brother grew up in Yemen, in poor circumstances. They suffered bad luck. Finally, they moved to Saudi Arabia and began to become more successful. Mohamed, especially, was the brother with more drive, and the story of the family takes off with the depiction of his worming his way into the royal family's graces by his hard work and willingness to do as he was bid. A "rags to riches" story. . . . The family Saud is, obviously, the central power in a country bearing the family's name (how often does that happen!?).

And that family's history is intertwined with Mohamed's family. This part of the story begins with Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. After working his way upward, Mohamed had the good fortune of beginning to do projects for the royal family. What he did not know about construction, he learned or he hired people who did know what to do. Over time, he became the "go to" person for construction (whether for palaces, or roads, or. . . .) in Saudi Arabia. The quality of his work was sometimes open to question, but his willingness to do whatever the royal family wanted served him well. But enough of a simple chronology.

The book looks at the evolving views of the royal family and the development of Bin Laden's "empire." The story is also filled with tragedy--both Mohamed and perhaps his most promising son, Salem, were killed in air crashes. Osama moved on to a very different life, which is discussed pretty well here. From American support for his work against the Soviet Union to enemy of the United States. . . . An interesting tale here.

Anyway, for readers interested in the Bin Laden family, this represents a very solid piece of work. Research seems done well. Many readers will doubtless come away from this book with a different view of our Saudi "friends."

i really enjoyed the book.but what astonished me,HOW the American system works,with all the NHS,FBI,CIA And so on,but they don't react until the disaster.
the thing i couldn't and cant Understand, an ambassador of the greatest country after resigning from his civil work,he joined a company where his government has doubt about it.
well done MR COLL

A well done history of an interesting family large enough to fill a village.
It's smooth reading. Admire the research. Would have admired some consolidation even more. This book gives a really good perspective of what the Arab elite culture is really like.

I think this is an incredibly well-written and well-researched book. Difficult to put down. The story of money, religion, politics, and history. Mostly though, it is the story of the "American Dream", Saudi-style: the success of one man's sojourn in search of a better economic opportunity.

a must-read for those who missed the connections- or- those who want a insightful review of the rise to power of the el Sauds and the Bin Ladens in the Arabian peninsula in the last century

What a tale. Except it is all true. Whereas Mike Moore threw out facts without much context, Coll provides well-researched history and explanations, making our weird relationship with The House of Saud that much more clear. And Murky.

The Bin Laden Family is far more complex and interesting than I would have thought possible, and as alien and strange, when compared to western society, as you could imagine.

This is an important book, one that provide the curious with information, background, and a glimmer of understanding as to how Osama became who he was, and how his family life, Muslim marital and divorce practices, and the strange, complex, and bizarre entity we know as the Bin Laden family came to be.

The only thing worse than learning how US policies led to 9/11 is seeing how we have coddled and knowingly supported one of the most corrupt family dictatorships in the world - the Sauds. Eye-opening, fascinating and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book.

Here are 671 well written pages about the family we wish we did not know. Unfortunately, the American (and World) public know of the evil Osama even if none of the other family members rest in our memories.

Steve Coll gives us more insight into that family than we really need, but, we are craving to know. He does it so well that it does not take as long to read over 600 pages than one might think.

The reader will be "pleased" when it is revealed that Osama's father died in a plane crash in 1988.

Author of Mr. NewHeart (New Heart): Heart Attack to Transplant and Beyond


I also recommend A Step of Faith - an inspiring story to help get you through the month.

Here are 671 well written pages about the family we wish we did not know. Unfortunately, the American (and World) public know of the evil Osama even if none of the other family members rest in our memories.

Steve Coll gives us more insight into that family than we really need, but, we are craving to know. He does it so well that it does not take as long to read over 600 pages than one might think.

The reader will be "pleased" when it is revealed that Osama's father died in a plane crash in 1988.

Author of Mr. NewHeart (New Heart): Heart Attack to Transplant and Beyond

I enjoyed this book a lot - It's a fascinating history of a family's rise from nothing to high influence in Saudi Arabia. Steve Coll and his team have researched this very well and provide a high resolution story of the Bin Laden family. By their close association to the Royal Family, we find out about the secretive ways in which decisions are/were made.

The middle east is a vastly different place from any other on earth - here's a great insight into a very different culture. If you're into the history of interesting places that influence your every day life, this will not disappoint.

Not sure why a previous reviewer felt compelled to review his life in Saudi instead of the book, but for sure the book is more interesting than his life.

As someone who lived in Saudi Arabia for 12 years, and who personally knew members of the royal family, including two of their Kings, I rushed out to purchase this book the first moment I heard about it. Additionally, my friends in the royal family used to share plenty of stories about the Bin Laden family and their reputation for being the "pet company" of King Abdul Aziz and his two kingly sons, Faisal and Fahad. Therefore, I have greatly enjoyed the read which brought back many memories of my 12 years in the Kingdom. I was there when King Khalid, one of the nicest men in the Al Saud family ruled, and when he died my boss, Dr. Nizar Feteih, was in Taif with Khalid, so I heard firsthand everything that happened on the king's deathbed. Dr. Feteih loved King Khalid like a second father, and from my years of observing, I believe that King Khalid loved Dr. Feteih like a son. King Fahd then assumed the reins and I always found him to be a very kindly person who could not turn down helping anyone with a sad story. He even listened to me when I complained about the tragedy of so many homeless animals in Riyadh, even as my boss was standing to the side seething that I had brought up such a topic to the king! But, King Fahd was patient and kind and listened to me with a sweet smile on his face and later even made a few changes in the way homeless animals were treated by the municipal authorities. Now, they have King Abdullah, who is one of a kind. The Kingdom is in good hands with their current king, and I am hoping to see stability and good change in various arenas. But, enough of the memories. I would like to say that I admire the author for all the time devoted to this writing project. It's clear that he has done extensive research, and that he has written well on these two very important, wealthy, and influential families. I see where the author states that he was unable to get cooperation from the Bin Laden family, so that takes away slightly from the credibility of any personal accounts, because unless it is from a member of the family, it is delegated to "hear-say." Despite this one drawback, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the the history of Saudi Arabia and of the ruling family, as well as the Bin Laden story. I admire the author for his hard work and first rate book. Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia;Mayada, Daughter of Iraq: One Woman's Survival Under Saddam Hussein;Love in a Torn Land: Joanna of Kurdistan: The True Story of a Freedom Fighter's Escape from Iraqi Vengeance