want to know more about Al-Queda or Islam in the Middle East?

[name change request]

i have to share this... there are several of you that have read The Looming Tower which gives a perspective and a pretty detailed acct of how Al-Queda came to being and what led to 9/11... excellent book to read.

but the other day i picked up a newer book called The Siege of Mecca - The 1979 Uprising at Islam's Holiest Shrine and it was just staggeringly good. some of the broad history of these events i was already familiar with but it goes into some pretty fantastic detail.

you got everything in this book, talks about the history of Islam, the Middle East, everything leading up to the siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and then the siege itself and how it relates to Al-Queda.

just an excellent book.. i had to recommend it. not only is the history great but it's such an easy read... i couldnt put it down, finished it in two days and that was with me re-reading some parts.

author is Yaroslav Trofimov, you can find it on amazon or probably any bookstore in the area that's worth anything