Osama bin Laden Does a Book Blurb

Posted on January 20, 2006

Now there's a book blurb that most authors really would not want to have: in his recent videotape, terrorist Osama bin Laden endorsed William Blum's Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower. Before the plug, the book ranked 209,000 on Amazon.com, but after the mention, the book sales soared to #30 as of today.

Bin Laden said al Qaeda group was preparing more attacks in the United States but also told Americans, "It is useful for you to read the book 'The Rogue State.'"

"I was quite surprised and even shocked and amused when I found out what he'd said," Blum said on Friday in an interview with Reuters Television in his Washington apartment. "I was glad. I knew it would help the book's sales and I was not bothered by who it was coming from. "If he shares with me a deep dislike for the certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy, then I'm not going to spurn any endorsement of the book by him. I think it's good that he shares those views and I'm not turned off by that."

Blum said some friends and family members were afraid the bin Laden endorsement might endanger him but he said there had been no threats and he was not concerned.

What is this -- the beginning of Osama bin Laden's book club? Is he going to issue a sticker authors can put on their books? I mean, really, you'd think he'd be too busy to recommend book selections to Americans, what with constantly avoiding capture, having dialysis treatments and plotting his next horror. What's next -- a chick lit pick from Al-Zawahri?

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