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Second Wave

Inside Al Qaeda's Post-9/11 Attack Plan and America's Secret Effort to Stop It
By Michael Lebowitz
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Brief Description
Second Wave: A deadlier sequel to 9/11—and the race inside the CIA, FBI, and Pentagon to stop it. In 2003, US intelligence uncovered evidence that al Qaeda had acquired nuclear materials, plotting to smuggle them into American ports. The “Second Wave” threat triggered one of the... Read More
Format: Hardback
$7800

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A deadlier sequel to 9/11—and the race inside the CIA, FBI, and pentagon to stop it

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Second Wave: A deadlier sequel to 9/11—and the race inside the CIA, FBI, and Pentagon to stop it.

In 2003, US intelligence uncovered evidence that al Qaeda had acquired nuclear materials, plotting to smuggle them into American ports. The “Second Wave” threat triggered one of the most urgent and secretive manhunts in US history.

With the cinematic intensity of Zero Dark Thirty and the investigative depth of The Looming Tower, Michael Lebowitz captures post-9/11 chaos and drama: agents risking everything to prevent another catastrophe, families torn apart, and the ethical fault lines still dividing US intelligence.

Readers meet Pakistani-American industrialist Saifullah Paracha, whose import-export business concealed ties to al Qaeda; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, architect of 9/11; Majid Khan, a Baltimore gas-station clerk turned jihadist who mapped US targets; an FBI interrogator who broke suspects faster than any waterboard; and an Orthodox Jewish garment importer whose betrayal helped avert disaster.

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Lebowitz’s account reveals a global pursuit that tested America’s moral limits and asks: Are we as prepared today as we were then?

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798895151655

Publisher: Diversion Books

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 September 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Diversion Books

Illustration: 13 black-and-white photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 498g

Pages: 320

Collections

Biography & Memoir Crime & Thriller Education & Reference Fiction History & Archaeology History & Military Michael Lebowitz Military History Politics & Current Affairs True Crime

About the Author

Mike Lebowitz is one of America’s few war-crimes prosecutors with front-line counterterrorism experience. A former senior attorney at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, he spent nearly a decade prosecuting cases at Guantanamo Bay, including the 9/11, USS Cole, and top Al Qaeda commander trials. A US Army combat veteran and former Pathfinder unit paratrooper officer, Lebowitz also served as a senior legal advisor to US Army Cyber Command. He has been featured or quoted by the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Associated Press, and the Atlantic. He lives in Washington, DC.

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