Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary Story
Review: This book is about a true events that actually took place and it shows the committment that some companies have for their employees. Not many companies will spend millions of dollars of their own money to rescue their own people from the confines of a country that is about to drop into a civil war.I enjoyed this book a great deal and it gave me a great insight into Ross Perot and his relationship with his employees.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Book!
Review: This is a very well written book. It is an excellent writeup of Ross Perot's daring rescue of his employees from Iran when they were arrested by the Iranians during the revolution. There were some interesting characters in this book. One of the more noteable characters was Bull Simon. This book describes the rescue from start to finish. You will admire the cunning and bravado of the hostages as well as their rescuers. You will also come to admire the raw nerve of H. Ross Perot. You have to remember that this was Iran at it's most dangerous time. You will also become a fan of Ken Follett. Read this book. You will not be dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Sometimes truth is not as exciting as fiction
Review: This is an absolutely true story of how some people working for Ross Perot at EDS were imprisoned in Iran and how the escaped. But, you know, sometimes true stories are not as interesting or suspenseful as fiction. The introduction of the characters and the build up of the story are very well done. It is just that the escape was anticlimatic and not very exciting. Other reveiwers make it sound like Ross Perot was a super hero, doing the impossible to rescue his workers. On Perot's side, he was very concerned for his people and took actions to try to help them. But, he wasn't involved in the actual rescue. He hired mercanaries to do the actual work. It turns out that there was really no rescue. The captives escaped the prison on their own. The only thing the mercenaries supplied was transporation to the border. It made it easier for the people to get out of Iran, but they probably could have done it on their own. This book would have been more interesting if it concentrated even more on the captives and gave less attention to Perot and the mercenaries. In that way, there would have been a lot more suspense and the ending would have had a better pay off. This is not a bad book. The development of the characters is very good. And there is some tension when the captives are sent to prison. It's just there is no big action filled pay off in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes truth is not as exciting as fiction
Review: This is an absolutely true story of how some people working for Ross Perot at EDS were imprisoned in Iran and how the escaped. But, you know, sometimes true stories are not as interesting or suspenseful as fiction. The introduction of the characters and the build up of the story are very well done. It is just that the escape was anticlimatic and not very exciting. Other reveiwers make it sound like Ross Perot was a super hero, doing the impossible to rescue his workers. On Perot's side, he was very concerned for his people and took actions to try to help them. But, he wasn't involved in the actual rescue. He hired mercanaries to do the actual work. It turns out that there was really no rescue. The captives escaped the prison on their own. The only thing the mercenaries supplied was transporation to the border. It made it easier for the people to get out of Iran, but they probably could have done it on their own. This book would have been more interesting if it concentrated even more on the captives and gave less attention to Perot and the mercenaries. In that way, there would have been a lot more suspense and the ending would have had a better pay off. This is not a bad book. The development of the characters is very good. And there is some tension when the captives are sent to prison. It's just there is no big action filled pay off in the end.
Rating:
Summary: "US embassy bashing at its worst"
Review: This is in defense of the U.S. embassy staff. In defense of Ambassador Sullivan I am sure he would have done something for the 2 illegally detained EDS employees if he didn't have to worry about the eventual evacuations of EVERY OTHER AMERICAN AND THEIR CAT AND DOG (for if he didn't a lot more AMERICANS would have become ILLEGALLY DETAINED) since the whole thing took place in an atmosphere of POLITICAL UNREST in 1979 and if Mr. Perot were really worried about his employees he would have had them contact some other Ambassador like Ken Taylor or Tony Parsons.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting reading, but not exciting
Review: This was an interesting look at something that really happened. Unfortunately, it did not read like a normal historical adventure novel. It was more like a nonfiction account with some novel material thrown in here and there to try to keep you interested. I read the first 100 pages or so and began to grow disinterested. Finally, I stopped altogether.
Rating:
Summary: Great Author, Great Story
Review: When telling a story, hire a great writer and that is exactly what Ross did here. Sure the story in its self is a great, but I am glad he had Ken Follett tell it. I did read this book before Ross ran from President so I did not have the view of him that I would today, i.e. I might tend to think some of the parts of the story go to his ego. This is a well-written book that tells a story that not many Americans know about. If you are interested in this part of the world, Terrorism or the Iran Hostage crises this is a must read. There is a good amount of detail and the required maps and diagrams. The book reads very well and will be finished before you know it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Author, Great Story
Review: When telling a story, hire a great writer and that is exactly what Ross did here. Sure the story in its self is a great, but I am glad he had Ken Follett tell it. I did read this book before Ross ran from President so I did not have the view of him that I would today, i.e. I might tend to think some of the parts of the story go to his ego. This is a well-written book that tells a story that not many Americans know about. If you are interested in this part of the world, Terrorism or the Iran Hostage crises this is a must read. There is a good amount of detail and the required maps and diagrams. The book reads very well and will be finished before you know it.
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