In this political rather than personal biography, Mockaitis (history, DePaul University) examines the political and religious roots of infamous terrorist Osama bin Laden's radicalism, with an overview of the history of Saudi Arabia in the 20th century, the growth of radical Islam, and the history of al-Qaeda. A section on his early life provides information on the rise of the bin Laden family, bin Laden's childhood and family relationships, and the impact of the political and social upheavals occurring during his coming of age. An annotated bibliography comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the book's sources, and an appendix lists primary sources, historic Islamic writers, and UK, US, and UN government documents, as well as secondary sources including books, articles, and web sites. The book includes a timeline and a section of high-interest b&w photos and maps, and is written for general readers and students in high school and up. The author is affiliated with the counterterrorism program at the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Postgraduate School. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)