Argo

How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History

By: Antonio Mendez, Matt Baglio

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

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, 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 the history-making collusion between Hollywood and high-stakes espionage.

©2012 Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Fresh and engaging…A solid choice for fans of thrillers and international intrigue.”(Kirkus)

“James Bond’s Q comes to life. This gripping, true story of a white-knuckle operation by a little known part of the CIA reads like a thriller. Full of authentic detail and characters, of bravery and drama, it’s a must-read for all spy enthusiasts and CIA watchers.” (Dame Stella Rimington, former general director, MI5, British Intelligence)

“The CIA and Hollywood in cahoots, a painter turned spy, an impossible rescue mission with no guns and only one chance at success - Argo has everything. This remarkable white-knuckle spy story is torn from the pages of real life, and will have you up past your bedtime to discover its thrilling endgame.” (Eric Blehm, author of Fearless)

Truth is stranger than fiction

Loved it - Great story of another "cold war". Dylan Baker as the narrator really makes it move along.

Wow!

So interesting! The story moves along great and was great for a road trip. It also had a really cool background on the CIA.

One of my favorite audio books!

Would you listen to Argo again? Why?

I don't know if I would listen again as once you know what happens it may not be a "repeat" kind of book. However, what made it interesting was not just the story of the rescue but the detailed history of the Iran/US conflict, and the details of the forgers in the CIA.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tony Mendez who wrote the book and the main character is the only character that has lots of development.

What about Dylan Baker’s performance did you like?

He read it like he really was Tony Mendez.

If you could give Argo a new subtitle, what would it be?

The history of the Iran crisis, and how the CIA rescued the six without every using a gun.

terrific glimpse into the rescue

The story of how the hostage crises occurred and how the Canadians and CIA came to the rescue. Exciting to see such innovative problem solving when lives are at stake.

Fabulous book. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Would you consider the audio edition of Argo to be better than the print version?

No comment. I didn't read the printed version

Who was your favorite character and why?

Antonio Mendez because he is a true patriot and exceedingly intelligent.

What does Dylan Baker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Background information of world events and emotion in delivery.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, I didn't have extreme reaction to this book, but it refreshed my memory on Carter's administration and how bad a President he was. Furthermore, it brought back so many memories of how hostile the Middle East has been toward America for so many, many years.

Any additional comments?

Argo was the first audio book that I ever purchased. I couldn't read for a couple of weeks due to eye surgery, therefore, I thoroughly enjoyed the audio-book version.

A fast listen, but Baker adds nothing

What did you like best about this story?

Learning the different parts of the operation, comparing it to the movie.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Baker over enunciates words, especially plurals, to a point that is distracting. Another narrator would have been much better.

Was Argo worth the listening time?

It was an easy listen, and somewhat entertaining, so it was still worth the time.

Fantastic, must read!

Really enjoyed this, if you like the movie, you should listen to this book to get the real story.

Better than the movie that came from it

Would you listen to Argo again? Why?

Probably not. It was a little long

What did you like best about this story?

Finding out the hidden workings of the CIA.

What about Dylan Baker’s performance did you like?

His energy.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was happy at the end that the hostages got out.

Any additional comments?

I read the book first. Then saw the movie. I was very angry at the changes Affleck made in the story. The true story was suspenseful. Affleck didn't need to screw around with the actual events.

Good insight to a historic event.

Any additional comments?

Good book but not great. I wanted to listen to the full book before watching the movie. It didn't leave me excited but I'm glad to learn the untold side of the behind the seen aspects of the CIA. It defiantly gave me a new appreciation for the Canadian government.

Good content, bad narration

The book is good. But the narration is really slow . I have to speed it up 1.25x.