The Exile joins Osama bin Laden as he escapes into Pakistan in the
immediate aftermath of 9/11, bringing to vivid life the years leading up
to his death spent on the run and in exile. It tells the human story,
and illuminates the global political workings. It is a tale of evasion,
collusion, betrayal and the deep pain of isolation. Staying with a small
group of characters throughout, The Exile moves through a series of
dramatic set-pieces, from the shocking failure of the Battle of Tora
Bora, one of the most significant losses in US strategic history, when,
outgunned and outflanked, Osama still managed to give the world's most
accomplished trackers the slip, through his covert journey from
safe-house to safe-house in Pakistan, to the years spent hiding in the
military compound in Abottabad where he was eventually to be killed.
Using the contacts built up through years of research, including wives
of key players such as Osama bin Laden and his mastermind, Khaled Sheikh
Mohammed, the authors have gained extraordinary and intimate insight
into Osama bin Laden and those closest to him. Meticulously researched,
beautifully written, this is an enthralling and revelatory journey.
