The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read.Steve Coll chronicles the rise of the Bin Laden family from the beginning of a construction company started by Mohammed Bin Laden an illiterate Yemeni bricklayer to the present day multi faceted empire that still maintains an air of mystery.We all know of the infamous Osama but Steve Coll unearths a world of clever alliances and religious ambivalence that introduces us to much more fascinating characters.We are taken to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia where puritannical religious virtue is the order of the day until the temptations of western culture with all its debauchery is bought by the neverending supply of oil money.This is a story of contadictions about a family torn bewteen zealous religious values and good old fashioned fun!!Who wins? Read it yourself..