Argo

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

De: Antonio Mendez, Matt Baglio

Narrado por: 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.

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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)

THE CIA AT IT'S BEST

The CIA at it's best -- this is the book on which the award nominated film is based. Makes you proud that in the middle of a bureaucratic mess, there are individuals who think creatively and have the skills and courage to pull of some really audacious stuff to protect us all.

Pretty good book. Not a great reading.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Interesting story, and a lot of backstory that was not in the film.

What did you like best about this story?

The details of how the plan came to together.

What aspect of Dylan Baker’s performance would you have changed?

His voice is consistently whiny. I've heard the same in another book he read. It really gets annoying. Also, his tendency to over-enunciate the last "s" in houseguests. It's like a college drinking game where you want to down a shot every time he says, "HouseguestS."

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

No

Fascinating.

I remember when it was reported that some Americans got out of Iraq but I had no idea the intrigue involved. It was interesting which countries would not help the Americans. The Canadians were true heroes. Great read.

The real story behind the movie!

I saw the movie and wanted to know the REAL story. Dylan Baker is a wonderful narrator and makes listening a joy. This is a great story and should be experienced. The movie was a good thriller, but this book gives an account of how it is remembered by a main character. Highly recommended.

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 story but it doesn’t play in order

I wish I could have enjoyed but the chapters are all scrambled which is a shame

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.

Loved the book and narration

What did you love best about Argo?

It was a compelling story that I was very very curious to check out after seeing the movie. I quite enjoyed the movie but as a Canadian felt that the Canadian aspect wasn't given enough credit. I left with a new respect for the actual story which I assume to be the true account. I left with a less jaded view than just watching the movie and more realistic view of the Canadian part in the whole story.With all that said as a stand alone going in cold it'd still be a great listen. I'll qualify that by saying as a younger man I plowed through a lot of spy novels (fiction). This stuff intrigues me and learning a true account was pretty cool for me.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I really got into recounting the era when it happened. I remember the whole hostage affair but didn't really follow the nuts and bolts of what was going on. I'm a bit of a history buff so this referesher with a lot of insight into what happened and why was very interesting to me.

Which character – as performed by Dylan Baker – was your favorite?

I really grew to respect Tony Mendez, as this is really his story. I'd love to hear a few more capers like this if he got involved and the info was declassified. Whether read or listened to it's a great story

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Greatest "real life" Escape

Any additional comments?

great narration and compelling story.