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samizimecki's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Elnoury (an alias) managed to write about one of his major cases in an engaging way, so that the narrative wasn't dry like many other non-fictions. While the first couple chapters explain a bit about his experiences as an undercover drug dealer, the majority of the book focuses on a particular case that he worked on exclusively.
The writing is fairly simple and Elnoury does a good job of explaining about Muslim culture and sayings so that the reader's understanding isn't compromised. Even knowing how the case ends, the book does a good job of keeping a suspenseful tone and pacing so that you find that you keep wanting to read more.
The writing is fairly simple and Elnoury does a good job of explaining about Muslim culture and sayings so that the reader's understanding isn't compromised. Even knowing how the case ends, the book does a good job of keeping a suspenseful tone and pacing so that you find that you keep wanting to read more.
doc_k55's review against another edition
4.0
Tamer Elnoury is the pseudonym used by an undercover FBI agent who happened to be Muslim and fluent in Arabic. Uniquely positioned to work in counterterrorism, he was largely responsible for the takedown of three radical Islamic terrorists, and this is the story of how that came to pass.
First, this reads like an action/adventure military thriller. It's not a difficult read; I finished the book in less than two days; but it captured my attention and taught me plenty. I am amazed that there are people willing to live the life of an undercover agent: I imagine it engenders enormous strain in personal relationships and a difficulty in separating fact from fiction in one's own life. Plus, having to keep *all* your professional time a secret from your family must be incredibly difficult. As a physician I am required to say very little about my patients but not at this level.
Second, the level of planning that goes into these operations is incredible. This must be a constant adrenaline rush - and not always in a good way. I imagine the stress level and burnout rates are pretty high.
Third, Elnoury drilled down on the details of radical Islamic thought and how this differs from mainstream Islam. Normally debates on this issue are subject to stereotypes and conjecture and refusal to recognize the truth or danger of these extremists, so it is refreshing - and frankly more believable - when Elnoury lays out what he sees as the perversions of his religion. Elnoury openly acknowledges that these are radicalized Muslims, each with different motivations and ideologies, and that they use their views of Islam to inform their behavior - but then he explains how this differs from this Islam he learned. I found this more honest and easier to trust than most of the other accounts of how radical and mainstream Islam differ. There's no concern for political correctness: radical Islam is what it is, but it differs from the religion mainstream Muslims practice. Also, frankly, it was reassuring that the terrorists had so much difficulty recruiting "like-minded" Muslims.
First, this reads like an action/adventure military thriller. It's not a difficult read; I finished the book in less than two days; but it captured my attention and taught me plenty. I am amazed that there are people willing to live the life of an undercover agent: I imagine it engenders enormous strain in personal relationships and a difficulty in separating fact from fiction in one's own life. Plus, having to keep *all* your professional time a secret from your family must be incredibly difficult. As a physician I am required to say very little about my patients but not at this level.
Second, the level of planning that goes into these operations is incredible. This must be a constant adrenaline rush - and not always in a good way. I imagine the stress level and burnout rates are pretty high.
Third, Elnoury drilled down on the details of radical Islamic thought and how this differs from mainstream Islam. Normally debates on this issue are subject to stereotypes and conjecture and refusal to recognize the truth or danger of these extremists, so it is refreshing - and frankly more believable - when Elnoury lays out what he sees as the perversions of his religion. Elnoury openly acknowledges that these are radicalized Muslims, each with different motivations and ideologies, and that they use their views of Islam to inform their behavior - but then he explains how this differs from this Islam he learned. I found this more honest and easier to trust than most of the other accounts of how radical and mainstream Islam differ. There's no concern for political correctness: radical Islam is what it is, but it differs from the religion mainstream Muslims practice. Also, frankly, it was reassuring that the terrorists had so much difficulty recruiting "like-minded" Muslims.
susannajane's review
4.0
Easy to read and interesting to learn more about counterterrorism undercover operations. I did find the authors confidence came across as slightly cocky in some places. I did also roll my eyes a few times at some of the “good old boys club” type interactions but still enjoyed the book.
bsmashers's review against another edition
5.0
A heart pounding read. Gripping and movie is written all over it. Only if we start understanding will we reduce terrorism. Thank you for the epilogue emphasizing solutions to the radicalization of Islam.
biblioventurer's review
2.0
I found this substantially more interesting than I thought I would. My biggest criticism was how stilted the dialogue felt. I understand that the author was drawing from documentation whenever possible in order to be accurate, but all of the dialogue read like translation of a transcription, if that makes sense. I'm glad to know that there are people in the world who can do this kind of in-depth undercover work, but I can't even imagine living that life.
hmdarr's review against another edition
5.0
"The first rule of undercover work is: The day you’re not scared anymore is the day you have to get out."
jo_22's review against another edition
4.5
This book is a does a great job of going behind the scenes of an FBI operation. The authors’ ability to tell the story in a compelling way made me forget at times that it is true events. Makes me appreciate the individuals doing this work. It also was intriguing to think about the psychology of radicals - one of the best parts was what Elnoury says in the Epilogue about education and understanding being the way to fight back against this terrorism.
casachess's review against another edition
4.0
This book caught my eye at B&N and I immediately put it on my "to read" list. Unfortunately, there was a wait at my local library to read it. I finally got it, though, and read it pretty quickly. I wouldn't quite say it was a book that I couldn't put down, that I just had to read it all in one sitting, but when I wasn't reading it, my mind went back to the book and was anxious to find out what was going to happen next. It also wasn't what I expected, which isn't a positive or a negative -- it was just different from what I thought it would be.
The book follows Tamer Elnoury, which is a pseudonym for an undercover FBI agent, who also happens to be a Muslim American. Elnoury's undercover career started in the drug trade, where he would bust drug dealers, until 9/11 happened. Elnoury almost immediately reached out to the FBI, telling them that he was an Egyptian Muslim who speaks Arabic and that he wanted to help. The FBI blew him off, which shocked me, and it wasn't until years and years later that he finally began working for them, and even then, it wasn't because they remembered him. It was almost happenstance.
Elnoury was made to infiltrate a Canadian sleeper cell, in what would later become the 2013 Via Rail Canada Terrorism Plot. It was really interesting to read his perspective, especially as a Muslim having to pretend to be an Islamic *terrorist*. You could see how it increasingly weighed on him the longer it went on, and there were a few passages (especially relating to his visits with the terrorists at Ground Zero) that brought tears to my eyes. You could truly feel his anguish and how difficult it was for him to remain in his "legend" and not allow his true feelings to show. I also agreed with him on wanting to "save" Chiheb Esseghaier -- he did a great job of showing that Chiheb was a whole person who had been corrupted, and while he was also a monster and a terrorist, there were parts of his personality that he liked, too. Is it possible to save someone who has been corrupted by radicalism? It's an interesting question.
The obvious plot point here is that Elnoury is a Muslim. Obviously, for many people -- and I used to be one of these people -- Islam is seen as an inherently violent religion. I hope that Elnoury's book will make a difference in dispeling that view. Now, I'm not a Muslim, I don't agree with much of the religion, but I've come a long way in how I see it. When Elnoury explains how terrorists are corrupting, exploiting, and radicalizing Islam, and how terrorism has no place in true Islam, I believe him. I found his explanations of his life, his mother's death, his upbringing, and his faith -- and how that relates into his service to his country -- to be both moving and fascinating. A particularly touching passage was when he goes to his father, a faithful Muslim like Elnoury, to see if it was possible to save Chiheb from his radicalization.His father gave him good guidance and, in essence, said no, it's not, that this person is not following Islam and the best thing to do is mentally let him go. (I'm paraphrasing/summing up, of course.) Anyway, there are a lot of people who inevitably view all Muslims as suspicious and dangerous, and I thought this book would be an excellent way to set the record straight. It also shows how Muslims can be -- and are -- patriotic Americans who love their country and are willing to risk their lives for it.
I did think that Elnoury's undercover work with Muslim terrorists would be more... far-reaching, I guess? And cover more sleeper cells, more terrorists, I don't know. But of course, this isn't HIS fault or a negative in any way. It's just, again, different from what I expected. In any case, this was a very good book, suspenseful at times, funny at others, and touching and emotional in still others. I would highly recommend it for anyone to read.
The book follows Tamer Elnoury, which is a pseudonym for an undercover FBI agent, who also happens to be a Muslim American. Elnoury's undercover career started in the drug trade, where he would bust drug dealers, until 9/11 happened. Elnoury almost immediately reached out to the FBI, telling them that he was an Egyptian Muslim who speaks Arabic and that he wanted to help. The FBI blew him off, which shocked me, and it wasn't until years and years later that he finally began working for them, and even then, it wasn't because they remembered him. It was almost happenstance.
Elnoury was made to infiltrate a Canadian sleeper cell, in what would later become the 2013 Via Rail Canada Terrorism Plot. It was really interesting to read his perspective, especially as a Muslim having to pretend to be an Islamic *terrorist*. You could see how it increasingly weighed on him the longer it went on, and there were a few passages (especially relating to his visits with the terrorists at Ground Zero) that brought tears to my eyes. You could truly feel his anguish and how difficult it was for him to remain in his "legend" and not allow his true feelings to show. I also agreed with him on wanting to "save" Chiheb Esseghaier -- he did a great job of showing that Chiheb was a whole person who had been corrupted, and while he was also a monster and a terrorist, there were parts of his personality that he liked, too. Is it possible to save someone who has been corrupted by radicalism? It's an interesting question.
The obvious plot point here is that Elnoury is a Muslim. Obviously, for many people -- and I used to be one of these people -- Islam is seen as an inherently violent religion. I hope that Elnoury's book will make a difference in dispeling that view. Now, I'm not a Muslim, I don't agree with much of the religion, but I've come a long way in how I see it. When Elnoury explains how terrorists are corrupting, exploiting, and radicalizing Islam, and how terrorism has no place in true Islam, I believe him. I found his explanations of his life, his mother's death, his upbringing, and his faith -- and how that relates into his service to his country -- to be both moving and fascinating. A particularly touching passage was when he goes to his father, a faithful Muslim like Elnoury, to see if it was possible to save Chiheb from his radicalization.
I did think that Elnoury's undercover work with Muslim terrorists would be more... far-reaching, I guess? And cover more sleeper cells, more terrorists, I don't know. But of course, this isn't HIS fault or a negative in any way. It's just, again, different from what I expected. In any case, this was a very good book, suspenseful at times, funny at others, and touching and emotional in still others. I would highly recommend it for anyone to read.
chaoticmissadventures's review against another edition
4.0
It has been a long time since I have picked up a book and never wanted it to end. I was not expecting that from this book. American Radical wasn't even on my radar until I heard a podcast interview with Tamer. The writing is solid. Not overly dramatic, and never boring. There is a lot of different emotions you will go through with Tamer, and a lot to learn from him too.
The story is fascinating and horrifying and a bit hopeful. I would read anything this guy put out.
The story is fascinating and horrifying and a bit hopeful. I would read anything this guy put out.