Overview

The true account of the 1979 rescue of six American hostages from Iran On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the American embassy in Tehran and captured dozens of American hostages, sparking a 444-day ordeal and a quake in global politics still reverberating today. But there's a little-known footnote to the crisis: six Americans escaped. And a midlevel agent named Antonio Mendez devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue them. Armed with foreign film visas, Mendez and an unlikely team of CIA agents and Hollywood insiders-directors, producers, and actors-traveled to Tehran under the guise of scouting locations for a fake film called Argo. While pretending to find the perfect scenery and backdrops, the team succeeded in contacting the escapees and smuggling them out of Iran without a single shot being fired. Antonio Mendez finally details the mind-bogglingly complex and dangerous operation he led more than three decades ago. A true story of secret identities and international intrigue, Argo is the gripping account of this history-making collusion between Hollywood and high-stakes espionage.

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9781470832445

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Reviews

An amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of international tension. -- Booklist Besides being a talented spy, Mendez is also a gifted storyteller...A page-turner. -- Associated Press Some yarns are made for the movies. Their story lines, full of high-risk challenges, plot twists, and clear heroes and villains, translate easily to the big screen. The tale at the heart of Argo clearly fits this category. Indeed, Hollywood thought so, too...It's a fast-paced, straight-forward, and gripping story full of drama and compelling characters. -- Boston Globe The writing remains fresh and engaging...The journey is always enjoyable. A solid choice for fans of thrillers and international intrigue. -- Kirkus Reviews Tied to the October release of the political thriller film Argo, this is a fast-paced account of a 1979 rescue operation during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981...Details of this dangerous operation inject strong suspense and excitement into the closing chapters. -- Publishers Weekly

The writing remains fresh and engaging...The journey is always enjoyable. A solid choice for fans of thrillers and international intrigue. -- Kirkus Reviews An amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of international tension. -- Booklist Tied to the October release of the political thriller film Argo, this is a fast-paced account of a 1979 rescue operation during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981...Details of this dangerous operation inject strong suspense and excitement into the closing chapters. -- Publishers Weekly Besides being a talented spy, Mendez is also a gifted storyteller...A page-turner. -- Associated Press Some yarns are made for the movies. Their story lines, full of high-risk challenges, plot twists, and clear heroes and villains, translate easily to the big screen. The tale at the heart of Argo clearly fits this category. Indeed, Hollywood thought so, too...It's a fast-paced, straight-forward, and gripping story full of drama and compelling characters. -- Boston Globe

Author Information

Antonio J. Mendez served in the CIA for twenty-five years. He is the recipient of several honors, including the Intelligence Star for Valor. He is the author of Spy Dust and The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA. He is co-author with Matt Baglio of Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History. He lives with his family in rural Washington County, Maryland. Matt Baglio has worked for a variety of news organizations and magazines. Author of The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, he lives in Rome with his wife and son. Dylan Baker is an American stage, screen, and television actor. He attended Georgetown Prep and William and Mary College before earning his BFA at Southern Methodist University, where his passion for acting was ignited with numerous stage roles. Later refining his talents at Yale's School of Drama, Baker turned professional with big screen roles in movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Delirious, and Love Potion No. 9. His audiobook narration has won him eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards.

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