A few weeks ago I posted a brief in-stride review of this book by Mark Bowden on the Iran hostage crisis. Today, I will give you a fuller review, for your weekend (or summer) reading pleasure.
This is one of the best books I have read in recent memory. Although I am old enough to remember the incident fairly well, I had not known much detail about it, nor had I read much about it. The impressions that stuck with me, as I watched the news in 1979 and all through 1980, were sadness and frustration at American impotence.
Bowden fills in all the details one could ever want to know about the day to day lives of the hostages. My latent sadness and frustration were confirmed by the descriptions of the small indignities and the outright brutality that the hostages endured. Buried in the long nightmare are episodes of heroism and humor, as well as a few shameful episodes. Bowden brings out two tragic and ironic aspects of the affair. First, there is the true love and affection many of the diplomats and staff felt for the Iranian people, and their (initial) genuine sympathy for their broad goals of the revolution. Second, there is the fact that the CIA cell in Teheran was not the omnipotent malevolent puppet master the hostage takers thought it to be; instead it was an undermanned group of relative newcomers, none of whom spoke Farsi, trying hard just to make sense of the new regime.
One strong impression I took away from the book was my view of President Carter. I thought then and still think now that he is a buffoon, not to be trusted with serious matters. But I have a somewhat more sympathetic view of him. He was stuck in a bad position, with no real ability to take any sort of decisive action, diplomatic or military. That US military and intelligence capabilities were woefully inadequate to the task of addressing revolutionary Iran can be blamed partly on Carter himself, and partly on his predecessors.
(Following this thread, Bowden also examines the aborted rescue attempt, in a warts and all portrait of the planning and execution. He also notes how the whole episode lead to the creation of SOCOM, and that today, we have the weapon at hand to deal with problems like this. And he also points out how singularly unhelpful the international community was—except for unreserved praise for Canada’s assistance in getting six of our people out—and cautions people today against waiting for a coalition to form before acting.)
Another aspect Bowden brings out that is well worth examining is the irrationality of the Iranians themselves; the unholy marriage of seventh century mindset and twentieth century technology. His detailed descriptions of the hostage takers’ insane worldview will make you laugh and shout all at once. (And it’ll make you wish that someone is planning a “rendition” on the fat cow Nilufar Ebtekar.) Fortunately the hostages themselves gave back as well they got, and many cases better. Those passages are some of the more riveting and amusing in the book, and they will make you proud to be an American.
The one major criticism I’ve read on the book is its length and depth. It is long: 637 pages of text. And it is detailed. But Bowden writes for engaged readers, you need to pay attention. The style, not unexpectedly, follows Black Hawk Down; several strands of simultaneous but separate actions and dialogue brought together in a comprehensive whole.
I place Guests of the Ayatollah on the required reading list. It is excellent history, and it is a strong, if sobering, reminder that implacable enemies exist, and that they must be watched very carefully and handled firmly.
Send it to me!
I’m almost finished with this book, and I echo your review. I found reading the episode of the failed rescue attempt quite painful. I didn’t want it to fail. I kept trying to look for something to change.
As for it being too long, I would never say that. This book deserves our attention.
And Ebtekar should be flogged.