Taken Hostage: The Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter with Radical Islam
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"Farber has produced a succinct and authoritative book on the hostage crisis that is well researched, engagingly written, and persuasive in its conclusions. What's more, it's a real page turner. The book includes numerous fascinating vignettes, including the story behind the story of why Americans displayed yellow ribbons to seek the hostages' safe return. A truly first-rate work."--Fredrik Logevall, University of California, Santa Barbara Publishers Weekly For 444 days in 1979-1981, Americans watched, with a mix of frustration and helplessness, the unfolding of the Iran hostage crisis and the withering of the Carter presidency. While Farber, a professor at Temple University, presents a detailed picture of the coming of the Iranian revolution, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the United States' inability to see and deal effectively with either, at the heart of his tale is America. Farber satisfyingly contextualizes the moment, vividly redrawing stagflation, the energy crisis and national malaise. Neither the Shah nor his American supporters saw how powerful Islamic forces had become, viewing the threat as "Soviet Red and not Islamic Green"; Carter failed first to grasp the nature of the threat and later to act effectively. Khomeini comes off as a shrewd strategist, using the hostages to both consolidate his growing power and unite his nation. While the commentary on contemporary politics is rather speculative, Farber gives a needed history lesson on the depth of political anger in the Islamic world and on the United States' incapacity to communicate its message. (Nov.) Forecast: Along with David Harris's The Crisis (Forecasts, Sept. 20), this is the second major book marking 25 years since the November 4, 1979, hostage-taking. The date may be overshadowed by the election, but look for author media play. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Ch. 1Crisis, chaos, and Jimmy Carter9Ch. 2The Shah, Khomeini, and the "great satan"35Ch. 3Takeover in Tehran73Ch. 4Shaslik Nerg Bessawari Azerbaiyan or "the red blindfold would be lovely"102Ch. 5444 days137
