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Race Against Terror

Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War

About The Book

The unforgettable true story of two assistant US attorneys in a race to lock up a dangerous al Qaeda terrorist before he’s set free—from New York Times bestselling author and CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

June 2011: a man fleeing the Arab Spring on a refugee boat surrenders himself to Italian authorities. He claims that, as a terrorist, he is responsible for the deaths of American soldiers. This unexpected surrender sets off an unlikely chain of events and one of the most significant, but little-known, cases in American history.

When federal prosecutors Dave Bitkower and Shreve Airial get the call from the FBI that the Italians have known terrorist Spin Ghul in custody, they immediately recognize the stakes of the situation. They must traverse the globe, uncovering facts and evidence from thousands of miles away on a remote battlefield in Afghanistan. They know there’s little if any precedent for their case, but they are determined to deliver justice for the American soldiers killed in combat—no matter the cost.

Through intense reporting and meticulous recreation, Jake Tapper takes us behind the scenes of a gripping story that reveals the true costs of the War on Terror.

About The Author

Jake Tapper has written two New York Times bestselling novels, The Hellfire Club and The Devil May Dance, as well as the bestselling nonfiction books The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor and The Terrorist Detectives. He is the lead Washington, DC, anchor and chief correspondent for CNN. A Dartmouth graduate and Philadelphia native, he lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, daughter, and son.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (October 7, 2025)
  • Length: 336 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781668079447

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