Follet blends historical events with a fast-paced narrative making this a gripping read. The story highlights the resourcefulness, courage, and teamwork of the individuals involved, particularly the leadership of the EDS CEO and retired soldiers working for his company, who led the rescue operation. The tension builds with each chapter as the author skillfully portrays the complex political landscape of Iran at the time, as well as the personal stakes for those involved in the mission.
One of the book’s strongest elements is its portrayal of real-life heroism. The author delves into the characters’ motivations and challenges, making their perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds feel both inspiring and deeply human. The meticulous research behind the story adds authenticity to the narrative, giving readers a detailed look into the geopolitical context of the Iranian revolution while keeping them engaged with the drama of the unfolding rescue.

Vuole essere la narrazione del salvataggio realmente avvenuto di due dirigenti della Electronic Data Systems dalla prigione di Teheran durante la Rivoluzione Iraniana, effettuato da una squadra composta da alcuni loro colleghi e comandata dal colonnello in pensione Arthur D. Simmons. La storia è senza dubbio incredibile e meritevole di un libro che la racconti, ma forse dovrebbe provarci qualcun'altro. Sarebbe consigliabile anche diminuire le dosi di incenso. Non credo di essermi mai annoiata tanto in nessun altro momento del 2011. Abbandonato, neanche a metà, dopo non so più quante settimane.

La stellina dovrebbe in realtà essere mezza, ma non si può.

Voto: 1/10

On wings of Eagles

Wow! I don't remember the details regarding the change in regime from the late 1970's , but this book is So descriptive. It provides a tense commentary on this historical event. Never considered Ross Perot a hero before, but definitely have much more respect for him for his loyalty to his employees. Excellent writing style!

Ross Perot was a truly brave man. Long gone are the days when a company would actually care. I am sure there is a back story not told here, but if the content of this book is 60% true, I have new respect for the Mr. Perot.

4.5 stars
Non-Fiction>US history 1970s
This was a great book! I am a huuuuge fan of Follett and I had put every one of his books on my TBR. This year, I went to look at my TBR here on GR and decided I'm going to read the longest-sitting non fic and fiction. I assumed this was fiction because that's what Follett writes. I found out it was non-fiction but still a novel-style story not a text book or academic work. I was apprehensive since it was unexpected. I was encouraged by fellow members of the Non Fiction Book Club to read it and we set up a Buddy Read for April 2022.
If you enjoy spy thrillers, war stories, revolutions, international politics, are/were a fan of Ross Perot, have enjoyed learning about The Iranian Hostage Situation under Carter, or have read Follett before and think it sounds fantastic to read something 100% true and see what he can do--- this book is for all of you!

Ross Perot runs a Dallas company EDS--they work to computerize health records and other boring but necessary stuff like that. They are branching out internationally and have an office in Iran...in 1978. A revolution is coming but they provide a service and have a contract and want to use this model to expand elsewhere in the world so should they really all leave? This is the story of a whole US company coming together under a great leader to rescue 2 American hostages in revolutionary Iran. Follett does a great job conveying the stories of the large cast of characters involved.
Perot goes straight into action mode over Christmas break and gets personally involved, putting himself in harm's way numerous times to aid the effort to help his employees. I found myself wondering, 'Would my company do this for me?' uh, no!

There was a mini series made in the 80s (I think?) and I plan to watch it.

There are some dissenting views here on GR reviews and I realize that Follett worked closely with Perot to get this written but I don't think it's fabricated or that Perot's dedication was overstated or biased. I was kind of skeptical at first, but looking at the lengths he personally went to in the story, I believe he is really a wonderfully dedicated and loyal man.

One of my favorite men was Rashid and I looked further into what he's doing today (there is an Epilogue but a few decades have passed since publication). I won't spoil it here, but look him up if you read this and also were curious, start with the name Reza Saleh. Don't do it til you're done. I still consider him my favorite of the bunch. Simons was probably second for me but will be top of most people's list I'm sure.

"Ross Perot would say: 'Some people can't organize a two-car funeral.' That applied to the US Embassy staff."

"Taylor had told him that Iran was like an animal with its head cut off: the head--the ministers and officials--were still trying to give orders, but the body--the Iranian people--were off doing their own thing."

"Rashid had never imagined the revolution would be like this: just a disorganized crowd with guns they hardly knew how to use, wandering around on a Sunday morning, firing at walls, encountering halfhearted resistance from invisible troops."

"Be careful about picking a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel and paper by the ton."

"...success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan."

This was a hard choice between 4 and 5 stars but I had to go with 4 and stated earlier the bump to '4.5' which only really counts if you read my review. I'm really trying to be very picky about 5 stars this year. I want to choose only books that I would universally recommend (even to non-readers) and that keep me thinking for a long time after I put it down and/or offer some new insight for at least its topic if not life in general. This was a fantastic story but it probably won't appeal to anyone who doesn't read the blurb and get at least somewhat interested and it isn't going to be my first rec for a friend to pick up a book.

If I was unjustly arrested by corrupt officials in a chaotic country on the verge of violent revolution while visiting on company business, would the founder or CEO of the company I work for organize a team of executives to break me out of jail by violence? I can’t even imagine such a thing. The idea is insane. But that’s what Ross Perot did in Iran in 1979.

Ross Perot ran for president when I was in high school, and again a few years later, and he struck me as a goofy little nut. I have a new respect for him now. The man was loyal to his employees to an incredibly high degree. He cared about these people and was willing to move any mountain to help them.

This is a good story, twisty and tense. The backdrop of the Iranian revolution is a dramatic one.

impressive for being a real story

http://verovsky-meninadospoliciais.bl...

The book is described as the account of a real story. Set in Iran on the eve of the 1979 revolution, two employees of an American company are arrested for bribery, although no charges were officially filed. Ross Perot the CEO and founder of the company decides to bypass the US government and organise a private mission to free them from jail. These are the facts that inspire the story, then in Ken Follet's skilled storytelling Ross Perot becomes the heroic businessman who deeply cares for his employees and comes to the rescue of two unjustly jailed executives.

This is a work, clearly made by an artist for hire, that celebrates a then famous billionaire who some years later would run in the US presidential elections. The problem is that, in order to produce something that is at the same time a panegyric and an engaging read, Follet had to expand portions of the story that are irrelevant to the action. Hence we have the first part of the book that delves into the preparation of the "rescue" mission. It gives a deep insight of the training of the selected volunteers, employees with no previous military experience who must learn to act swiftly on the field as a well coordinated team. However engaging as it is, at the end the reader will find out that all the preparation was useless, the volunteer team did not have to do anything. A mob assaulted the prison during the revolution and the two executives were freed together with many other inmates.

The surprise is that although the story is disappointing the mastery of Ken Follet's skills are able to keep many readers hooked until the end. As an evasion book, read by a reader who does not take seriously all the flaws, it can still be a decent book to place at the side of the towel on the beach.

The other flaw affecting the book is the scarce credibility. For example the prosecutor who orders the arrest is described almost as a fanatic who, while the regime is crumbling, finds nothing better to do than to jail two Americans on the base of a vague suspicion. It does not occur in the author's and all the editors minds that maybe the arrest was an attempt to appease a crowd increasingly angered by the rampant corruption. Even the way the two executives are freed is not credible. The mob that attacked the prison was animated by the same resentment, against the US backed regime, that shortly after led to the occupation of the US embassy. Would they really let two US citizens, arrested for bribery, go free? It is likely that someone paid some prison guards to free them before the prison fell to the mob. But I suspect that nobody will ever admit it.

The rating of the book could have easily been a single star. But the writing and the storytelling are good enough to lift it a little bit, hence the two stars.

Enjoyed listening to this true story during my commute. I enjoyed the look back in time at Iran and the geopolitical environment that lead to some crazy events.

Wow.

Great storytelling by Ken Follett, as usual, but he is not the main event here.

God bless Ross Perot and business leaders of principle. Leaders who have the resources and the principals to protect their team members and will literally go to to the ends of the earth to protect their teams while battling against corrupt regimes.

This book tells the amazing story of how 2 executives from EDS got arrested in the final days before the Shah fell in Iran as corporate hostages for ransom. Ross Perot assembled a team to get these executives safely out of the country. Every day brought a new challenge and a renewed commitment from Perot and the broader EDS team.

You'd think times have changes and they're so different nowadays, but sadly that is not the case...

I started listening to this and after two chapters I realized I want this one in my hand! The pace remained taut throughout, the writing superb. I was grateful for the cast of character at the front of the book, for there were a lot of them, but what a story! And the real kicker is that it was a true story! One of Follett's best, and that's saying something!