Middle East - Diplomatic Relations with the U.S., Hijacking & Hostage-Taking, 20th Century American History - Relations - General & Miscellaneous, U.S. Politics & Government - 1976-1981, Iran - History

Taken Hostage

Name: Taken Hostage
Author: David Farber
ISBN: 9780691119168

by David Farber

Write a review

Overview

"On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took sixty-six Americans captive. Thus began the Iran hostage crisis, an affair that captivated the American public for 444 days and marked America's first confrontation with the forces of radical Islam. Using hundreds of recently declassified government documents, historian David Farber takes the first in-depth look at the hostage crisis, examining its lessons for America's contemporary war on terrorism." Unlike other histories of the subject, Farber's narrative looks beyond the day-to-day circumstances of the crisis, using the events leading up to the ordeal as a means for understanding it. The book paints a portrait of the 1970s in the United States as an era of failed expectations in a nation plagued by uncertainty and anxiety. It reveals an American government ill prepared for the fall of the Shah of Iran and unable to reckon with the Ayatollah Khomeini and his militant Islamic followers.

About the Author, David Farber

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".

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly

For 444 days in 1979-1981, Americans watched, with a mix of frustration and helplessness, the unfolding of the Iran hostage crisis and the withering of the Carter presidency. While Farber, a professor at Temple University, presents a detailed picture of the coming of the Iranian revolution, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the United States' inability to see and 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. Neither the Shah nor his American supporters saw how powerful Islamic forces had become, viewing the threat as "Soviet Red and not Islamic Green"; Carter failed first to grasp the nature of the threat and later to act effectively. Khomeini comes off as a shrewd strategist, using the hostages to both consolidate his growing power and unite his nation. While the commentary on contemporary politics is rather speculative, 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. (Nov.) Forecast: Along with David Harris's The Crisis (Forecasts, Sept. 20), this is the second major book marking 25 years since the November 4, 1979, hostage-taking. The date may be overshadowed by the election, but look for author media play. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

The Nation - Reza Aslan

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.

ForeWord Magazine

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.

Muslim World Book Review

David Farber's book demonstrates that Americans—then as now—understood neither the foe that confronted them nor its motives.

The Historian

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.