Intelligence officials have released a list of books they say were seized from the compound where Osama bin Laden was found and killed four years ago, revealing the al Qaeda leader's penchant for books on conspiracy theories about the U.S.

The list of books was among the hundreds of documents released Wednesday by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The office said the documents were seized during the May 2011 raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where bin Laden was shot and killed.

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Osama bin Laden

In this May 3, 2011 file photo, local residents gather outside a house, where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan. (AP / B.K.Bangash)

The booklist, which contains 39 English titles, gives some insights into the al Qaeda leader's interests.

Books on U.S. politics and military history appear on the list, as do titles on Islamic history and religious thought.

Bin Laden also owned books by popular U.S. authors Noam Chomsky and John Perkins.

His collection included Chomsky's books "Hegemony or Surivival: America's Quest for Global Dominance" and "Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies," and Perkins' bestselling book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man."

The list also included several books on conspiracy theories about the U.S., including the following:

  • "Bloodlines of the Illuminati" by Fritz Springmeier, described as an "expose of the people and families who are the movers and shakers of the United States and the entire world."
  • "The Conspirators Hierarchy: The Committee of 300" by John Coleman, described as an "expose of the most secret society in the world."
  • "The Secret Teaching of All Ages" by Manly P. Hall, described as a "the most comprehensive and complete esoteric encyclopedia ever written."
  • "The Secrets of the Federal Reserve" by Eustace Mullins, which alleges that the U.S. Central Bank is not controlled by the U.S. government, but by a group of elite financiers.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, bin Laden also appeared to be a fan of books on U.S. military blunders, as well as books critical of American foreign policy.

In addition to the book list, authorities also released a list of magazines and newspapers that were seized from the compound. That list includes issues and articles from Businessweek, Foreign Policy and Newsweek.

bin Laden's bookshelf http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/bin-laden-s-bookshelf-documents-reveal-...