Rating: 
Summary: non-fiction
Review: Just finished reading "On Wings of Eagles" by Ken Follet. It's a non-fiction about how Ross Perot (using his top execs. and Green Beret Col. Bull Simon (ret.)) breaks his (innocent) people out of a Tehran, Iran prison and Iran, overland during the February 9th, 1979 revolution, when Ayatollah Khomeini had led the overthrow of the pro-West shah. Very exciting. They were, as Col. Bull Simons states, witnessing history in the making. They were right in the center of a very violent revolution. I mean right there in the streets while it was going on. WHEW!This also Shows you what a lotta money can and can't do My only rant is why there wasn't a picture of Rashid! Rashid is the real hero. He picked up a gun and incited the revolutionaries to storm the prison and break everyone out. Then he took the Americans overland thru hostile bandit and Kurdish tribal territory at the foot of the freezing Elburz Mts. to the Turkey border town of Sero. Securing their safe escape. If it wasn't for Rashid, Bill and Paul would still be in prison and the rest still waiting at the Hyatt Hotel I mean there are pictures of Ross Perots mother and son for christ sake, who weren't even involved in this, yet there are no pictures (except one of his backside) of the man who saved them all. Rashid. That's inexcusable. Ross Perot makes a statement in the book I feel everyone should learn and teach their kids. "But if you go through life worrying about all the bad things that can happen, you soon convince yourself that it's best to do nothing at all" I believe that should be chiseled on plaques and mounted in every school yard and class room across the nation. Again, this shows you what a lotta money can and can't do. Great read!
Rating: 
Summary: A real life story that has all the drama of a spy novel.
Review: Ken Follett takes the reader behind the scenes of an event that was played out in newscasts across the nation. He gives us several different points of view about the EDS hostage crisis, and we finally learn how Ross Perot was able to rescue his employees. I especially enjoyed the historical backgound he gives for the period when the Shah was forced to abdicate his throne. This book is a page turner, prepare to lose some sleep
Rating:
Summary: True story - as good as any politico/action novel
Review: Most people know Ross Perot as the little guy with big ears who wanted to be President. A Texan of short stature with alot of money. He's all that - and a hell of alot more. Any person who takes the time to read this book will learn what a great and honorable person he is. His loyalty to his EDS employees goes far beyond what any person could have possibly expected. When members of his corporate entity (EDS) are arrested in Iran at the beginning of the Iranian revolution, his first reaction is to ensure that their families in the States are taken care of. His second step is to bring all the pressure he can muster to the State Department to free his men. When he meets roadblocks there -- he hires the best Special Ops guy around and puts together a small group of his employees. Together, along with a wad of cash for bribes, they go into Iran where they break their men out of jail and eventually are able to sneak out of the country. Here is a man who put himself and his money on the line in order to protect his employees. The mechanics of the how are left to the reader. After reading this book, I am quite sure you will have found new respect for the little man from Texas.
Rating:
Summary: One of my Top 3 Favorite Books of all Time!
Review: On The Wings of Eagles is destined to be a classic. It is the true life story of Ross Perot trying to save members of his corporation who are being held hostage by the Iranian government. He first tries using his clout and influence in Washington but when that does not work he hires a team of mercenaries to go to Iran to free the hostages and return unharmed to the United States. The book reads like a fictional spy novel; however, it is a true story. Not "based on a true story" but 100% nonfiction, according to author Ken Follett. Nevertheless, this is one book that you will just not want to put down. The maps, pictures, and cast of characters list makes the book even easier to follow. Furthermore, the book also gives insight into the real life character, ex-presidental candidate, Ross Perot.
Rating:
Summary: An Eagle's Eye
Review: On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett is a remarkable book that can truly be classified as a human-interest story. Based on a true story, the book takes place in Iran during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 when two employees from the company EDS, Paul and Bill, are arrested for no apparent reason, their bail set impossibly high at 13 million dollars. The only way to get them out was to set up a rescue operation and escape unnoticed over the border. This book was definitely an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will captivate the reader and keep them turning the pages until they finish.Readers gain invaluable life lessons about friendship and heroism as the rescue team risks their lives for the sake of two people, as well as teaching people to be daring and never give up as the rescue team faces incalculable odds.I would recommend this book to anybody who is searching for excellent action packed reading material. Ken Follett had an "eagle's eye" for an interesting story and turned it into a great piece of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Ken Follett made sure that he got it right!!
Review: Once Ken Follett decided to write the book, On Wings of Eagles, he took two years to carefully research every date, place, person and other key fact in the story. This is exactly what you would expect an ex-newspaper man to do, especially one who is writing his first major non-fiction novel and wants to protect his reputation as a successful writer. Ken spent months researching the Iranian Revolution and the EDS rescue mission. He spent weeks individually interviewing everyone who participated in the rescue (except Colonel Bull Simons who unfortunately had died several months after the rescue ended). Follett crossed-checked his facts with the State Department, including staff stationed in the American embassy during the Revolution, with Iranians familiar with the events that had transpired in their country, and with many other people to make sure he got the story right. To the extent that his literary goal was achievable, the book speaks for itself. Anyone who was in Iran during this period of time, and who was familar with the overthrow of the Shah's government, knows how accurate Ken's story is compared to the events that transpired. It was indeed fortunate for the hostages that Ross Perot formed an employee-based rescue team that was successful in their mission. Follett describes this part of the story in great detail. He also relates the other strategies that were employed in an attempt to free the two executives, including the extensive use of lawyers in Iran, the lobbying for assistance at the State Department and the White House, and the exploration of several military-oriented solutions. Follett also documents EDS'attempts to pay the $12,750,000 bail (ransom?)for the two hostages. Unfortunately, none of these solutions worked. If Follett has any problem with his story, it is the vast quantity of source material that he has to manage. Where does he start, where does he stop?? Which people and which incidents are worth including, which are not?? And, does he praise Ross Perot?? Of course he does. Ross is the person who led the rescue, who put his own life and personal reputation on the line. Ross actually went to the Gasr jail to see it for himself, to personally tell the two hostages to keep their faith and to gain first-hand knowledge of the Revolution taking place in Iran. How could Follett tell the story and not praise Perot. Actually, the facts do it for him. In truth, the bottom line measurement of the success of an author's work lies in how many copies of his book are sold. In the case of On Wings of Eagles, the results are staggering. More than twenty years later, the paperback version of the story is still being sold in a dozen languages on bookshevles all over the world. In case, you are wondering how I know all this to be true, I lived the story as one of the hostages who was rescued. I gave the book five stars for accuracy and excitement.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointing Read
Review: Quite a Ken Follet fan, I was very disappointed with this book. Although non-fiction, it was possible to
make such an exciting story a bit more interesting to the reader.The way that Ken Follet went out of his
way, time and time again to praise Ross Perot, it almost seemed as if this book was financed by Perot
himself. Compared to Follet's other books, I found this book to be quite boring, and as I said before, very
disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: A hired mouthpiece for Ross with hollow words
Review: The book at first glance was very promising, but turned out to be very hollow and waste of time. A rescue team infiltrated into Iran was later turned out to be totally useless and wasted lot of Ross's money. The stupid team could only waited out until the riot finally exploded in the prison and those morons just did a shuttle bus rescue mission. This was the worst investment that Ross did in his whole life. The writing was okay but not great and without any energy; a book of no purpose at all.
Rating: 
Summary: It is a true story, but something is missing.
Review: The first part of the book is very interesting, how two people get arrested in Iran an the company owner (Ross Perot) make the dream team to take them out of jail, but when they are out and they trying to escape it gets boring and boring, you can read it but don't expect much of it.
Rating:
Summary: terrible cliches make it boring and uninteresting
Review: The story itself, as it really happened would have been interesting, had it not been for the way Follett wrote this whole thing. I admire him otherwise and love his books, but this one wasn`t quite worth buying. Good and clever American guys defeating the stupid and uncivilized Iranians, the whole book is about praising Uncle Sam.
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