Growing Up Bin Laden

Najwa Ghanem bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden at the age of 15, is his first wife and the mother of seven of his sons and four of his daughters. She currently lives with relatives in Syria. Omar bin Laden, the fourth son of Osama bin Laden, has publicly called for his father to “change his ways”. Jean Sasson, author of the bestselling Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, has studied Middle Eastern culture for more than thirty years. Jean Sasson, the international bestselling author of Princess, lived in the Middle East for twelve years and has travelled extensively in the area for thirty years. She lives in the Southern USA.Najwa bin Laden in Osama bin Laden’s first wife and the mother of seven of his sons and four of his daughters. She currently lives with five of her children in the Middle East. Omar bin Laden, the fourth son of Osama bin Laden, has publicly called for his father to “change his ways”. Both Omar and his mother left Afghanistan before September 11, 2001, and neither has been in contact with Osama bin Laden since.

"A compelling look at the intimate family life of a notorious man, as told by his wife and son." Booklist "Despite her neutrality, her story is still an indictment -- showing us a terrorist leader who is embarrassed easily, obsessed with a long-dead father, terrified of women, and who thinks of his children as nothing more than cannon fodder." New York Post "Despite her neutrality, her story is still an indictment -- showing us a terrorist leader who is embarrassed easily, obsessed with a long-dead father, terrified of women, and who thinks of his children as nothing more than cannon fodder." New York Post "A compelling look at the intimate family life of a notorious man, as told by his wife and son." Booklist "Always interesting and highly readable, this is recommended for the many people who will wish to learn more about this man." Library Journal "The psychological portrait of the world's most wanted man is all the more devastating for being written by two people who apparently once revered him." Culture (supplement to the Sunday Times) "The psychological portrait of the world's most wanted man is all the more devastating for being written by two people who apparently once revered him." Culture (supplement to the Sunday Times) "Lifts the lid on the secretive life of the world's most wanted man... It is certainly fascinating, if deeply unnerving, to read such vivid first-hand accounts about life within Osama bin Laden's family." Daily Mail "The most intimate portrait yet of the al Qa'eda leader." The National "Fascinating" The Sunday Times "The thrill of being a fly on the wall of the bin Laden family." Time Magazine "Their accounts cannot be subject to normal verification. Even so, they have been woven into a fascinating narrative by an American writer, Jean Sasson" Catholic Herald "this thoughtful, well-researched book" The Good Book Guide "Always interesting and highly readable, this is recommended for the many people who will wish to learn more about this man." Library Journal