In his new book, Looming Towers: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, Lawrence Wright uses his unique brand of journalism to paint a vivid portrait of the global history and specific people and events that culminated in the 9/11 attacks on America. The book focuses on four key figures to guide its narrative: the two leaders of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri; the FBI’s counterterrorism chief, John O’Neill; and the former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki al-Faisal.

Looming Towers is being widely praised for the incredible insight it offers into both Al Qaeda’s growth and internal workings, as well as the insular nature of the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement community.

An MP3 audio recording of this event is available for download.