The Eternal Bridge Over the River Innocence

by Aimen Dean

This shocking and brutal novel from Aimen Dean tells the story of what happens to young, bright and decent Muslims who fall prey to radical violent forces. The Eternal Bridge Over the River Innocence mixes fact with fiction to reveal what sets these victims on the path of suicidal destruction.

The novel follows Hanni, a half-Saudi, half-English teenager who joins the Jihad at the age of 16. He embarks on a military journey that is both reckless and dangerous; a journey to the heart of radical Islam…

The mass murder and rape of women and children in Bosnia move Hanni profoundly and strengthen his beliefs. He is soon befriended by a senior member of al-Qaeda and persuaded to work undercover for them in the UK. Faced with the distraction of an American girlfriend, he is suddenly forced to re-evaluate his commitment to the cause, but the fateful events of 9/11 shake him back into his old loyalty to al-Qaeda – and the possibility of a suicide mission...

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2014

About the author

Aimen Dean now consults on security and counter-terrorism for governments and the private sector.

Reviews

[Andy Lopata · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really fascinating book, particularly when you know the background of the author, a former Al-Qaeda operative who informed for the West for a number of years.

Although a novel, it reads as a semi-autobiography and it would be interesting where the line between fact and fiction remains.

Either way, the insight into the journey to jihad from the fighter's point of view is fascinating especially in current times. We're far too quick to paint the world in black and white yet life is never that simple.

The debate towards the end of the book about the rights and wrongs of the terrorists approach, using many Koranic references to back up both sides of the argument, is very powerful.

The only complaint is the lack of a good editor and proof reader. The author is not a natural storyteller and that shines through in places. Simple errors and clumsy passages could have been easily tidied up to create a smoother read.

[Thistle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this book (a story of a young Muslim boy becoming radicalized, written by a man who was radicalized as a teen), but the editing was so bad. Very early on I wanted to edit it instead of continuing to read it, so I gave up and DNFed it.