Product Description

When "Imperial Hubris" first came out in 2004, the greatest danger for Americans confronting the Islamist threat was to believe - at the urging of U.S. leaders - that Muslims attack us for what we are and what we think rather than for what we do. The now-classic showed that a growing segment of the Islamic world strenuously disapproves of specific U.S. policies and their attendant military, political, and economic implications and demonstrated that they will go to any length, not to destroy our secular, democratic way of life, but to deter what they view as specific attacks on their lands, their communities, and their religion. "Imperial Hubris" remains a must read for an in-depth look at Al Qaeda and the War on Terror.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26698 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
"Pulls few punches... and gives us a fascinating window on America's war with Al Qaeda." - Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "Presents overwhelmingly persuasive evidence to buttress a host of significant and controversial arguments." - Benjamin Schwartz, The Atlantic Monthly "A powerful, persuasive analysis of the terrorist threat and the Bush administration's failed efforts to fight it." - Richard A. Clarke, former national coordinator for security and counterterrorism, Washington Post Book World "This book is so valuable, it hardly seems that any review could do it justice." - Ralph Peters, author of Beyond Baghdad: Postmodern War and Peace "Anonymous is an extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful, and provocative thinker. His analysis and forecasts about Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda network, and terrorism in general are extremely insightful - not to mention accurate." - Faye Bowers, Christian Science Monitor "A powerful, persuasive analysis of the terrorist threat and the Bush Administration's failed efforts to fight it... [The author's] criticism is damning.... Imperial Hubris is an important contribution to a necessary debate...." - Richard A. Clarke (former national coordinator for security and counter-terrorism) in Washington Post Book World "Rare is the book that can change the course of an international debate, but Imperial Hubris is just such a book." - Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press "This book is so valuable, it hardly seems that any review could do it justice.... All those concerned with our national security would do well to take up this book. We cannot know the many services the author has rendered to our country in his intelligence role, but I suspect that Imperial Hubris - a work of supreme integrity - may be his greatest contribution of all." - Ralph Peters, retired Army intelligence officer and author of Beyond Baghdad? Postmodern War and Peace "A sprawling, erudite book on the origins and present state of the 'war on terror'... Gripping." - Publishers Weekly "Now the definitive book on terrorism has appeared that should be mandatory reading for every thinking person.... A gold mine of information and brilliant analysis. It breaks taboos and sweeps away the clouds of lies about al Qaeda, Iraq, and Afghanistan." - Toronto Sun "A fire-breathing denunciation of U.S. counterterrorism policy." - Julian Borger, The Guardian "Presents overwhelmingly persuasive evidence to buttress a host of significant and controversial arguments." - Benjamin Schwartz The Atlantic Monthly "Pulls few punches... and gives us a fascinating window on America's war with Al Qaeda." - Michiko Kakutani, New York Times "[The author's] conclusions are as disquieting as his policy prescriptions are compelling.... Imperial Hubris is destined to become a classic in the field of counterterrorism analysis." - Bruce Hoffman, author of Inside Terrorism "No serious observer of the war on terrorism can ignore this scathing critique of the Bush administration's policies...." - Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. "A rapid-fire, plain-spoken polemic stated with conviction and passion... Michael Scheuer's tough-minded and honest book is a much-needed antidote to the shallow and often deceptive information doled out by our elites and by the American media." - Chronicles "This is an insightful, bitter, worrisome book. It is also the most consequential critique of the war on terror yet published, deeply historical, broadly researched, and crisply articulated.... Like it or hate it, no substantial debate about the war on terrorism can now take place without references to this book and its ideas.... The author's insights into al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and Islam's antipathy toward the United States are brilliantly presented.... The author's professional expertise and deep knowledge of his subject jump from every page.... Imperial Hubris has to be read by every serious military leader or thinker." - Parameters "A bold attack on the U.S. antiterrorism and intelligence machinery, one that is likely to provoke strong reactions on one side or another. But the attack is always thought-provoking.... Anyone interested in an insider's view of the intelligence community, including the failures of the CIA, the FBI, the White House, and the State Department, will want to read this provocative work." - Security Management"

About the Author
Bestselling author Michael Scheuer is the former head of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit and has two decades of experience in national security issues related to Afghanistan and South Asia. After resigning from the agency in November 2004, he revealed his authorship of Imperial Hubris and Through Our Enemies' Eyes (Brassey's, Inc., 2002; Potomac Books, Inc., 2005), both originally published under the byline "Anonymous." Scheuer has been featured extensively on television, including 60 Minutes, and has been the focus of print media worldwide. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Customer Reviews

Should Be Required Reading
A brilliant analysis of what is really going on in the world today: knowledgeable, well-researched, concise, and fair. While the book amounts to a scathing critique of the Bush administration and the current leadership of intelligence and military institutions, the author has no left-wing political agenda, and writes as an insider who is frustrated at the failed policies of his superiors.

With the kind of frank, intelligent maturity that is so depressingly absent in American public discourse today, the author addresses issues that are essential to America's continued well-being, but have somehow become unmentionable (outside Noam Chomsky's picket fence at least) - the contribution of real U.S. policies to the hatred felt towards the U.S. in most of the muslim world; the chronic energy dependency issues that lie behind U.S. support for Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern tyrannies (making an embarrassing and laughable mockery of the U.S. government's sanctimonious, hypocritical preaching about 'democracy'); and (gasp!) the unquestioning support for Israel that has become a bizarre cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.

The author raises these issues, but accepts that they are unlikely to be addressed any time soon. Given this fact, he again demonstrates that he is no liberal by advocating a more violent and ruthless war with al Qaeda, from which the current Iraq mess is a costly and counter-productive distraction.

Frightening and sobering in its assessments of bin Laden and al Qaeda's capabilities, and of the extent of the global islamic insurgency that supports them, this book should be required reading for anyone in government or intelligence, or for that matter, anyone with the right to vote ...

Excellent overview of the political climate
Annonymous is not afraid to speak the truth and say the unsayable.

He explains bin Laden's motivation; a view point that despite the countless column inches devoted to the man, the media never managed to portray. The book explains that the underlying cause of the conflict is not so much Islamic fundamentalism but US actions in the middle east and elsewhere.

Annonymous leaves us with one of 2 options. Either long and protracted war with countless casualties or a limited war with a fundamental root and branch overview of US policies. Does the US really need to support Israel and the corrupt rulers in many middle eastern countries?

The future looks bleak as there appears to be no hope that Bush or Kerry really have the courage and moral integrity to take on so many vested interests in the US political and media machine. Indeed, one could argue that if they were such men, they would never have been allowed to get as far as they have.

At times Annonymous reminds me of King Lear raging against the thunder and storms. A lone voice against powers that drowns him out with ease.

I recommend this book without reservation. I thought I was pretty well informed about world affairs and now realise with humility how little I knew.

But the Politicians say we are winning!
NOT.

I read this book in one steady burst over the weekend straining my eyes to the limit. At the end my one thought was "I must have been blind for the last 20 years".

I dont know who "Anonymous" is but he or she explains why 9/11 happened, in the cold light of day, with no emotion, and with a broad analytical sweep of the actions of the USA, and the repercussions across the world in the last 20-50 years.

Anonymous states that he or she has worked for the US intelligence agencies for the last 20 years which makes this book even more remarkable. A. loves his/her country but, quoting Robert E Lee, say it is his/her duty to reveal what the politicians wont allow the intelligence agencies to say:

The chilling quote: "This war has the potential to last beyond our children's lifetimes and to be fought mostly on US soil."

A. then provides a detailed reasoning behind each conclusion in a very easy to read style. He/she provides a set of policy recommendations to address each of the points made above.

Whether you support or dont support the different factions in this "war on terrorism", whether you are christian/muslim/jew, western or eastern, reading this book will present a view that will make you think more about what is happening.

In my opinion Imperial Hubris makes the best media reporting on TV or newspaper look superficial and tame.