Free eBooks Our Man In Tehran: The True Story Behind The Secret Mission To Save Six Americans During The Iran Hostage Crisis & The Foreign Ambassador Who Worked W/the CIA To Bring Them Home Available To Downloads
For the true story behind Argo, read Our Man in TehranThe world watched with fear in November 1979, when Iranian students infiltrated and occupied the American embassy in Tehran. The Americans were caught entirely by surprise, and what began as a swift and seemingly short-lived takeover evolved into a crisis that would see fifty four embassy personnel held hostage, most for 444 days. As Tehran exploded in a fury of revolution, six American diplomats secretly escaped. For three months, Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran—along with his wife and embassy staffers—concealed the Americans in their homes, always with the prospect that the revolutionary government of Ayatollah Khomeini would exact deadly consequences. The United States found itself handcuffed by a fractured, fundamentalist government it could not understand and had completely underestimated. With limited intelligence resources available on the ground and anti-American sentiment growing, President Carter turned to Taylor to work with the CIA in developing their exfiltration plans. Until now, the true story behind Taylor’s involvement in the escape of the six diplomats and the Eagle Claw commando raid has remained classified.In Our Man in Tehran, Robert Wright takes us back to a major historical flashpoint and unfolds a story of cloak-and-dagger intrigue that brings a new understanding of the strained relationship between the Unites States and Iran. With the world once again focused on these two countries, this book is the stuff of John le Carré and Daniel Silva made real.
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Other Press; Reprint edition (January 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590514130
ISBN-13: 978-1590514139
Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #954,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #156 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Canadian #166 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Canadian #402 in Books > History > Middle East > Iran
Very lucidly written history of Ken Taylor's brief time as Canadian Ambassador to Iran at the time of the revolution - a real page turner. Reveals for the first time that Ambassador Taylor did more than just shelter the six Americans who were outside of the US embassy when it was taken over. At Jimmy Carter's behest, through the Canadian government and at great personal risk, he and his colleagues provided crucial intelligence information to the CIA for the later attempt to rescue all of the hostages. In vivid detail, the book also reveals the many missteps of the Carter Administration, some inadverant, some naive. The descriptions of the chaos of that period in the Iranian revolution gives an interesting perspective to the current political unrest in Iran.
Robert Wright's book "Our Man in Tehran" is a well told story that most Americans will benefit from learning and knowing. Mr. Wright draws on historical sources and many personal memoirs to add detail and perspective to a fascinating story. The book goes far beyond telling the heroic service of the Canadian Embassy staff in Tehran and Ambassador Taylor in particular. The story also encompasses the diverse forces that contributed to the Shah's downfall and the revolution in Iran that destroyed the hopes and lives of so many people. The confused and often inept response from the Carter Administration is painful to read. The scope of the historical significance of the events and the implications on the region of the lame U.S. response was certainly lost on the key U.S. policy makers. In many ways the wars that first engulfed Iraq and Iran and then spread to Afghanistan and Kuwait with the resulting loss of U.S. lives and treasure can be traced back to the fateful events in Iran as recounted by Mr. Wright. It is a book that is enjoyable to read and puts today's headlines about Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and the Arab Spring in the proper perspective of the continuing consequences of the Iranian Revolution. As an American reader, who appreciates the importance of our friends to the north, the book validates the enduring friendship of Canada and the United States. It is indeed good for citizens of both countries to be regularly reminded of the benefits of that invaluable friendship.
Very entertaining read. Gave me the real story not revealed in the movie "Argo". A must read if you think you can base you knowledge of this event on the movie only!
Interesting to read this, then/and read Argo (the book, written by Tony Mendez, the actual agent) and see the movie (which is admittedly altered to make a better movie). I think I like this version best, though it's definitely interesting to read it from the agent's perspective as well. A lot of what's in here from Mendez' perspective comes directly from Mendez' book, but you get a more thorough account with all of the other perspectives. Reading Mendez' book, it fills in a lot of holes too, so I'd recommend reading both.
Our Man In Tehran is a very insightful detailed account of the events that happened during the hostage crisis. Robert Wright has laid out what happened in a manner that can be easily followed and understood. This is the second time I have read this. The first was to learn the correct facts as opposed to those represented in the movie "Argo". This time it was because of the recent passing of Ken Taylor. It seemed like a good way to keep him in mind. It is my opinion this book should be mandatory reading in high school.
I loved reading about the incident that was brought to the silver screen as ARGO from the Canadian perspective. It gave a much fuller account of the times and mess that America had gotten into with Iran, without American bias. It is a very readable story that does not drag or get bogged down in minutia. The Canadian embassy staff and Ambassador well deserved their kudos and American appreciation.
I saw the" Argo" movie and could not wait to read this book to find out more about this rescue mission. Even though I knew how it ended, I could not put the book down for a minute. I am old enough to remember the storming of the US Embassy in Teheran and the return of the 6 Americans vividly and was therefore thrilled to find out more about the background to this rescue.
Very thorough, in depth documentation of the rescue of six American diplomates during the Iran hostage crisis. Makes the Taylor heroism even more stark, placing their own lives at risk both by sheltering the Americans and, unpubliciezed until now, by providing information via diplomatic challenges to help with the rescue attempt of all hostages. The diplomatic history of this turbulant time and Mr. Wright's insights make fascinating reading.
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