My Heart Became Attached: The Strange Odyssey of John Walker Lindh

Investigating the transformation of John Walker Lindh from a typical American teenager into the most infamous turncoat of our day, Kukis, a former UPI White House correspondent, traces the influences that played a part in Lindh's metamorphosis, from his California childhood to his capture in Mazar-i-Sharif. While unable to interview the young man himself (due, according to the publisher, to Attorney General Ashcroft's gag order) or his parents, the author draws from conversations he had with those who knew Lindh and witnessed his experiences--friends, teachers, lawyers, fellow students, family members and Taliban soldiers--all the way from San Francisco to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. Despite all the hype surrounding Lindh, Kukis""vowed to keep an open mind"" in the research and writing of his biography, and expresses his hope that""understanding Lindh...will help us, as Americans at war, to reflect on ourselves as well as the enemies we face."" B&w photos, maps.