The Holy Warrior: Osama Bin Laden and his Jihadi Journey in the Soviet-Afghan War

Too often, humans tend to describe acts of horrific violence as being perpetrated by insane individuals. This label does not help us understand bin Laden. Fortunately, Reagan Fancher’s “Holy Warrior” takes a different approach. One of the chief benefits of his work is to emphasize that bin Laden was not a lunatic but a calculating man with strongly held religious and philosophical convictions. The refutation of the myths surrounding his career is further addressed by Fancher’s debunking of the belief that the U.S. created him. In addition to these broad interpretive benefits, “Holy Warrior” is well researched and possesses a useful glossary. Last but not least, it is an interesting book that is readily accessible to scholars and popular readers alike.

Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Anderson

Associate Director, School of Humanities; History Program Coordinator

University of Louisiana Monroe