Argo

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

By: Antonio Mendez, Matt Baglio

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

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.

Great story

This was a great story with great Americans! It was a little drawn out though.

Great story, annoying narration

Narrator ruined this for me. Especially his use of fake accents and over pronunciation of the T and Ss in “houseguests”.

Play it again, Sam

Although a familiar plot, ergo the Casablanca tag line, the book provides deeper understanding of the covert agencies of yesteryear. Very well read and an excellent companion to full fledged spy stories. A must ‘read!’

Fascinating

I really enjoyed this book and generally all the books by Tony Mendez that I’ve read so far.

Great Book

What did you love best about Argo?

If you remember the Iran crises this is a very telling story of what happen to some of the people in Iran at the time. No question this book is so superior to the movie which leaves out much and puts in too much.

It's a must listen.

Which scene was your favorite?

Getting through the Airport

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

Unsung hero's of the CIA