The Black Banners Inside the Hunt for Al-Qaeda

The ultimate insider's account of the battle against terrorism, The Black Banners describes for the first time Ali Soufan's nerve-wracking, history-making decade as the FBI's lead investigator into al-Qaeda, thwarting plots around the world and winning vital confessions from terrorists - without laying so much as a hand on them. From the interrogation rooms where Soufan would share food and films with the suspects so he could bond with them, to the hideouts of bin Laden - and why the CIA have insisted on redacting parts of this book - Ali Soufan's gripping book reveals with intimate, first-hand knowledge, the shocking truth about the global 'War on Terror'. 'This book goes behind the scenes and allows readers to experience the high stakes intellectual dance between foes . . . Soufan's story provides a new and important window on America's battle with al-Qaeda.' Washington Post 'One of the most valuable and detailed accounts of its subject to appear in the past decade.' Economist