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Our Man in Tehran: The Truth Behind the Secret Mission to Save Six Americans during the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Ambassador Who Worked with the CIA to Bring Them Home

by Robert Wright

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852319,457 (4.22)7
History. Nonfiction. HTML:

The 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 Iranâ??along with his wife and embassy staffersâ??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 CarrĂ© and Daniel Silva made re… (more)

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An impressive and thought provoking book! This was a fascinating story of what took place behind the scenes during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. There was a lot I didn't recall including the story of the Americans who escaped capture and were secretly sheltered by the Canadian Embassy. This book makes one think about diplomacy, both the difficulties and importance of the job....after finishing this book, I think a great diplomat is worth his weight in gold and then some. If you like reading about history, I highly recommend this book. ( )
  ellink | Jan 22, 2024 |
Excellent. If you are listening to the audio book, a good companion is the Our Man in Tehran Canadian documentary film, adapted from the book. It's good to see the faces, then and now. The story was more affective hearing from what happened from the people who experienced the Iran hostage crisis. A big "Thank you" goes to everyone who helped get everyone home. ( )
  nab6215 | Jan 18, 2022 |
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History. Nonfiction. HTML:

The 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 Iranâ??along with his wife and embassy staffersâ??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 re

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