Why did Najwa and Omar Bin Laden want their story published?
Omar had read many things being said about his family in British tabloids that bothered him. He wanted the truth to be told.
Why did they pick you to tell their story?
Omar wanted someone he could trust. I had written a book on the Saudi princess, and I am familiar with the Middle East.
Tell us about the making of the book.
I interviewed Najwa and Omar every day for 15 months with the help of a translator. We added a new chapter after 9/11, and I am going to add another about Osama’s death.
Any surprise moments in their accounts?
Plenty. I had no idea that such a wealthy family lived so poorly. I was shocked at how tough Osama had been on his sons.
The book is full of telling anecdotes.
Najwa was very open about her childhood. I had to coax her for the rest. It was hard to get Omar to open up about the women in his family.
A line in your book is being interpreted as saying Osama was a sex machine.
The tabloids have made it into something that it wasn’t. Who knows what Najwa meant when she said she enjoyed their ‘sleeping time’? I never asked Najwa about their sex life.
Osama never protested against the book being written?
We were certain that he knew about it. But he never made any public comment.
Did getting close to Osama’s family change your perception of him?
I had a lot of regret that he had charm, money, status, which he could have put to good use.
Your book has been translated into Marathi. Will readers in India connect with the story?
They already are. I’m getting many Facebook friend requests, mostly from readers in India.
There’s talk of the book being made into a movie....
We’ve had offers and are looking into details.
