Growing Up bin Laden by Najwa and Omar bin Laden

The wife and son of Osama bin Laden collaborate with American author Jean Sasson to reveal the workings of his household, first in Saudi Arabia, then in Sudan, and finally in Afghanistan where things started to fall apart for the family. Osama was a loving but harsh father. His children were denied toys, and the eight boys by his first wife were forced into long desert marches to toughen them up. His wives (he had four) had to spend a night sleeping in holes in the ground to prepare them for possible wartime conditions. Osama's religious views also made him shun modern conveniences like air conditioning. Even stoves and refrigerators were considered signs of an unhealthy dependence on modernity. While this fascinating book focuses on family rather than the man himself, the reader does get a glimpse of Osama's growing anger and fanaticism.