The Man Who Warned America: The Life and Death of John O'Neill, the FBI's Embattled Counterterror Warrior

by Murray Weiss

Book Overview

Traces the career of the FBI counter-terrorism expert who lost his life on September 11 days after beginning his job as chief of security for the World Trade Center, noting his role in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060508221
• ISBN13: 9780060508227
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 450 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

John O'Neill: An American Hero

In this book, author Murray Weiss weaves the almost inconceivable tale of John O'Neill, a former FBI counterterror agent. Weiss uses his strengths as an investigative journalist to resurrect John O'Neill's passionate, professional life, his deceptive personal life, all the while exposing the U.S. government to the various failures that ultimately let to September 11, 2001. I feel one aspect of Weiss's writing that is exceptional is his ability to connect with the reader. He provides such vivid and moving accounts of John O'Neill that, after reading the book, I felt as is I had known O'Neill personally. Weiss balances the book between his portrayal of O'Neill in a professional sense and in his depiction of O'Neill on a personal level. O'Neill worked in a very complex, confusing environment and he dealt with his many relationships in the same manner he dealt with his career. These romantic antics proved that no matter how efficient and revolutionary O'Neill was as an FBI agent, he was all too human. I thought Weiss did an excellent job in the presentation of this delicate matter and touched on O'Neill's womanizing habits just enough to convey to the reader the intricate deceptions of the man who was John O'Neill. In addition to the descriptions of O'Neill's personal and professional life, Weiss covertly includes an ever-present contempt for the U.S. officials who were warned about terrorism, but chose to ignore the threat. I was outraged to learn O'Neill had been forewarning the government in regards to bin Laden as early as 1997. Weiss goes on to lay blame at the feet of specific individuals, the two worst offenders being Bill Clinton and Barbara Bodine. I wholeheartedly agree with Weiss, although my feelings may be a little biased since I have grown up in rural Oklahoma and have not been exposed to the workings of governments. Overall, this book is a worthy tribute to a great American hero. Weiss captures the very essence of John O'Neill and has immortalized him through this nonfiction drama

Powerful and thought-provoking! A "must read".

The Man Who Warned America by Murray Weiss is a riveting, powerful book. Well-documented, tightly written and smartly paced, we come along for the ride of John O'Neill's life - celebrating his achievements, suffering his trials, and marveling as he juggles a self-complicated private life that is chaotic at best. Thanks to Weiss, we get to know an American patriot who "saw" the coming conflict and anticipated attacks against the United States. Resolved and tireless - even in the face of bureaucratic arrogance, pettiness and foolishness - O'Neill led by example and succeeded in building alliances, inspiring his colleagues, and working with them to protect us long before most Americans were even aware of the threat. In the end, we mourn a friend most of us only ever met through Weiss' 400 pages. I find myself missing John O'Neill's presence in our world.Weiss' book is a "must read". In addition to O'Neill, the book cites many men and women who continue to remain vigilant on our behalf as we go about our daily lives oblivious to the majority of threats facing us. They constantly put their lives - and careers - on the line in defense of us. Thanks to Weiss, more people will know of their strength of character.I'd love to read a follow-up book from Weiss about the legacy of John O'Neill.....I'd sleep better knowing that the lessons O'Neil taught so many people were taken to heart and applied in our defense.

WOW - Thank You Murray Weiss!

I picked up this book on the recommendation of a friend and was skeptical at first as to whether I would find the story about John O'Neill, the FBI counterterrorism expert, interesting. I found I could not put the book down! Mr. Weiss has done an incredible job of researching and presenting information that has never been told before in an interesting and clear manner. His portrayal of John O'Neill's devotion to his career and complicated personal life are fascinating. The book is so important and revelatory I think it is a must read for everyone. If only our government would have listened to Mr. O'Neill......

A True Hero

This is the best book I have ever read! John O'Neill is a new hero of mine and should serve as a hero to all of us for his heroic efforts to defend the US against the terrorist attacks that he knew (long before anyone else) would confront us. His loss is a loss to us all. I hope that the FBI appreciates the full extent to which John O'Neill went to protect us. And I hope that they use him as a prototype in selecting future intelligence experts.

Invaluable Glimpse of Recent History

Books on terrorism are too often dry or pedantic, on the one hand, or sensational or hysterical on the other, but Murray Weiss' new book on FBI super-agent John O'Neill is the rare exception: It's a highly readable page-turner, loaded with telling detail, that will alter the way any reader sees world terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. Recent events in Iraq - especially the attack against U.N. headquarters there - remind us how intractable both problems are, and the riveting, complex story that Weiss tells equips us to look beyond current headlines to take a longer view. O'Neill was in many ways a strange character (with an inability to be honest with the women in his life), but he was also a visionary. He was among the first to identify the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and understood, as too few White House officials do now, that any successful effort to defeat this enemy had to start with a serious attempt to understand his world and the impulses that fueled his extremism.