Perfect Soldiers (book)

Perfect Soldiers: The Hijackers: Who They Were, Why They Did It (also subtitled The 9/11 Hijackers: Who They Were, Why They Did It) is a 2005 book by journalist Terry McDermott. The book discusses the 9/11 hijackers, focusing on their backgrounds and what led them to commit the September 11 attacks. McDermott was an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Much of the book's information is taken from the hijackers' acquaintances, interviewed by McDermott, the 9/11 Commission Report, and other documentation. The book took three years for McDermott to write and research.

The book is split into three sections: the first covering the hijackers themselves, the second focusing on the political environment and background that shaped them, and the third focusing on the plot itself. Several appendixes include related documents, including Osama bin Laden's 1996 declaration of war against the US and the instructions left behind for the hijackers. Perfect Soldiers received a largely positive reception, with reviewers praising its research, writing, and insight into the hijackers. Several reviews called it a standout among the many books about 9/11.