Taken Hostage

David Farber is Professor of History at Temple University, specializing in twentieth-century American history. His most recent book is "Sloan Rules: Alfred P. Sloan and the Triumph of General Motors".

• Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1: Crisis, Chaos, and Jimmy Carter 9 CHAPTER 2: The Shah, Khomeini, and the "Great Satan" 35 CHAPTER 3: Takeover in Tehran 73 CHAPTER 4: Shaslik Nerg Bessawari Azerbaiyan or "The Red Blindfold Would Be Lovely" 102 CHAPTER 5: 444 Days 137 Epilogue 181 Notes 191 Index 205

"Farber ... provides a fascinating glimpse into how events in Iran capped for Americans a decade of unfulfilled expectations and widespread disillusionment in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the fall of Saigon and a spiraling energy crisis."--Reza Aslan, The Nation "While Farber presents a detailed picture of the coming of the Iranian revolution, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the United States' inability to see the 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... 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."--Publishers Weekly "Readers who want to explore the causes of the current war on terrorism should read this cogent recounting of the hostage crisis of the 1970s. Unlike earlier accounts, which were written before September 11, 2001, Farber's work forcefully demonstrates that the United States can no longer ignore the popularity of fundamental Islam in Muslim nations or the all-too-widespread contempt for American democracy in these countries."--Karl Helicher, ForeWord Magazine "David Farber's book demonstrates that Americans--then as now--understood neither the foe that confronted them nor its motives."--Anthony McRoy, Muslim World Book Review "This is solid narrative history. It does not attempt a generalized analysis of the behavior of revolutionary regimes, nor does it seek to place the response to this hostage crisis within a larger historical context. Farber's epilogue, moreover, offers no especially dramatic observations, though he does point toward the fact that Ronald Reagan, as Carter's successor, despite his tough rhetoric, was President when there were more Americans killed by terrorists than during all U.S. administrations put together up to that time. Apart from the author's excessive use of the parenthetical expression, the book is skillfully written. It deserves a wide audience."--Russell Bohite, The Historian