Argo

I just read:

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood pulled off the most audacious rescue in history (2012).

This book is written by Anthony Mendez and Matt Baglio and is a true account of the events.

Some backstory: in 1979, Iranian militants stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took the staff hostage, demanding the return of the Shah who had fled to the US after being ousted from power. In the chaos, the militants forgot about the US consulate, and six individuals managed to escape. Desperate, they took refuge with the British, until they too were in hot water, but luckily the six managed to find refuge with the Canadians.

Anthony 'Tony' Mendez, was in charge of the Office of Technical Services in the CIA, and was tasked with getting the six, called the House Guests, out of Iran safely. Together with an old friend from Hollywood who did prosthetics and masks for both Mission Impossible and The Planet of the Apes, Tony comes up with and executes a magnificent operation to rescue the House Guests.

This book, being co-written by Tony himself is a joy to read. The language flows well and you never get bogged down in unnecessary details, all without sacrificing depth or detail. You get an interesting glimpse into parts of the CIA in the 70's, as well as parts of Hollywood and the world in general.

Now, I'm not naive enough to blindly believe everything a veteran officer of the CIA says, just because he says it. That out of the way, I don't think too much was left out or changed. The case became big news in time, and Tony was even interviewed by Walter Cronkite some years later. It is a fact that Tony, for some reason changed the name of his Hollywood friend. Why, I don't know. After all, his effects credits are common knowledge.

So, do I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely. Not only is it well written and the content interesting, but with world events being what they are, it gives some background into why some things are the way they are. I generally dislike terms like page-turner, but in the case of Argo, it is true. I stayed awake too long, too many nights because the book was too hard to put down.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great week!