Person
Every book Lawrence Wright recommended on podcasts
Lawrence Wright is an author, journalist, and screenwriter whose podcast appearances on programs like The Book Review and The Joe Rogan Experience center on his extensive investigative research, historical writing, and screenwriting endeavors. During his discussion on The Book Review, Wright reflected on the rigorous investigative process behind his acclaimed nonfiction work The Looming Tower, recounting how the challenges of researching the book involved navigating complex geopolitical hurdles, such as the Saudi government denying his entry as a reporter following the events of September 11. In his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Wright discussed Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road in the context of his screenwriting work. He explained how filmmaker Ridley Scott initially approached him to write a script based on McCarthy's bleak father-and-son survival story, which later influenced Wright's creative trajectory in developing narrative projects concerning catastrophic scenarios and pandemics. Through these discussions, Wright illuminates the intersection of meticulous journalistic reporting and dramatic storytelling, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how complex historical realities and literary masterpieces are translated into investigative books and cinematic scripts.
Books recommended by Lawrence Wright
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The Looming Tower
Lawrence Wright's meticulously researched non-fiction book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 provides a comprehensive and chilling investigation into the origins of modern Islamic terrorism.
Discussed“well after 911 when I was working on my book The looming Tower the Saudis wouldn't let me in as a reporter”
Where to get it
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The Road
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a bleak, post-apocalyptic masterpiece that follows a father and his young son walking through a burned, ash-covered America trying to survive against starvation and roaming bands of cannibals while holding onto their humanity.
Discussed“it started a decade ago when ridley scott had me write a script he wanted he had read the cormac mccarthy novel the road which is this post-apocalyptic story father and son”
Where to get it
Books Lawrence Wright wrote
- Going Clear
- The Looming Tower
- The End of October
- Prisoners of Faith
- God Save Texas
- The Plague Year
- Thirteen days in September
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Wright on Researching a (Fictional) Pandemic | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Joe Rogan Experience #1588 - Lawrence Wright | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2024-06-27 | 2 |