Publisher, Tantor Media (November 2009)

NOTE: RETAIL EDITIONS are packaged in attractive, compact cardboard, jewel-case or DVD shrink-wrapped cases, with full-color art.

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A true story that few ever believed would come to light, Growing Up bin Laden uncovers startling revelations and hidden secrets carefully guarded by the most wanted terrorist of our lifetime, Osama bin Laden.

"Oddly fascinating.... An inside-the-tent view of a person so blinded by his cause that he strips himself of all humanity." ---The Washington Post

"Omar and his mother...provide interesting anecdotes and personal vignettes that allow us a glimpse into bin Laden's terrorist mindset." ---Library Journal

"I was not always the wife of Osama bin Laden. Once I was an innocent child dreaming little girl dreams."

Thus begins this powerful story by Najwa bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden - 911 - al-Qaeda - 9-11-2001 - JiHad">Osama bin Laden at the age of fifteen to become his first wife and the mother to eleven of his children, and her son, Omar bin Laden, the fourth-born son of Osama bin Laden. Together, mother and son tell an extraordinarily powerful story of a man hated by so many yet both loved and feared by his family, with spine-tingling details about the life and times of the man they knew as a husband and father, including:

---Osama's disapproval of modern conveniences, including electricity and medicine

---His plan to toughen up his sons by taking them into the desert without food or water

---Transporting his wives and children to the rough terrain of Sudan, where he claimed to be preparing them for attacks from western powers, commanding them to dig holes and to sleep in those holes, allowing nothing more than sand and twigs for cover

---Omar's horror at the rape and murder of a boy his own age by members of a jihadist group living among them in the Sudan

---What happened in the bin Laden home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the morning of September 11, 2001, and Omar's surprise phone call with his mother, who escaped from Afghanistan only two days before the shattering events that killed so many innocent people

Since September 11, 2001, journalists have struggled to uncover carefully guarded information about Osama's private life. Until now, Osama bin Laden's family members have not cooperated with any writers or journalists. Now, with unprecedented access and insight, Jean Sasson, author of the bestselling Princess: A True Story Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, takes us inside the secret world of Osama bin Laden.

About the Authors: Najwa bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden at the age of fifteen, is his first wife and the mother to seven of his sons and four of his daughters. She currently lives with three of her eleven 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.

Jean Sasson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia. She lived in the Middle East for twelve years and has traveled extensively in the area and studied the culture for thirty years. She currently lives in the southern United States.

About the Narrators: Lorna Raver has been named a Best Voice of the Year by AudioFile magazine and has been nominated for Audie Awards for her readings of Washington Square by Henry James, Nothing with Strings by Bailey White, and Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson. She has also received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for her narrations. An accomplished stage actress, Lorna has also guest-starred in many top television series, and she stars in director Sam Raimi's film Drag Me to Hell.

Mel Foster is a former ad agency executive who used to record test tracks for commercials. An audiobook narrator since 2002, he won an Audie Award for Finding God in Unexpected Places by Philip Yancey and an AudioFile Earphones Award for the novel Match Made in Heaven by Bob Mitchell. Mel is the author of several novels, including Shaking Hands with Lefkowitz, and he hopes that one day listeners will get the opportunity to hear him reading something that he's written himself.

Sherry Adams is a voice talent with several commercial clients to her credit. Trained in acting at the University of Michigan, she brings an insightful presence to her audio narration.