The true account of a daring rescue that inspired the film Argo, winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Picture.
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 is a little-known drama connected to the crisis: six Americans escaped. And a top-level CIA officer named Antonio Mendez devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue them before they were detected.
Disguising himself as a Hollywood producer, and supported by a cast of expert forgers, deep cover CIA operatives, foreign agents, and Hollywood special effects artists, Mendez traveled to Tehran under the guise of scouting locations for a fake science fiction film called Argo. While pretending to find the perfect film backdrops, Mendez and a colleague succeeded in contacting the escapees, and smuggling them out of Iran.
Antonio Mendez finally details the extraordinarily complex and dangerous operation he led more than three decades ago. A riveting story of secret identities, international intrigue, and good old-fashioned American ingenuity, Argo is the pulse-pounding true story of this unprecedented collaboration between Hollywood and high-stakes espionage that inspired the Golden-Globe-winning motion picture.
Editorial Reviews
“It’s a fast-paced, straightforward, and gripping story full of drama and compelling characters….For history buffs and Affleck fans, Argo the book, provides added insight into a wild, if not widely known, incident in the history of American foreign policy and the CIA.” —Boston Globe
“Besides being a talented spy, Mendez is also a gifted storyteller…His latest book is a page turner…” —Associated Press
“Fascinating story…This book is an exciting read.” —Deseret News
“Argo is a mesmerizing book; a fast-paced, irresistible read that's equal parts politics, history and espionage.” —Shelf Awareness
“This is an amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of
international tension.” —Booklist
About the Author
Antonio Mendez served in the CIA for twenty-five years and is a highly decorated CIA officer, one of the top 50 officers in its first 50 years and a recipient of the Intelligence Star for Valor for the ARGO operation. The author of The Master of Disguise and Spy Dust, Mendez lives with his family in rural Washington County, Maryland.
Matt Baglio has worked for a variety of news organizations and magazines. Author ofthe bestselling The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, he divides his time between California and Italy.
