On Wings of Eagles

Rating:
Summary: Good Non-Fiction Drama
Review: I had read this book and enjoyed it, and gave it to my elderly father because I thought he would enjoy it too. He thinks Ross Perot is great. He read it in three days.

It is truly astounding that Mr. Perot pulled off this daring rescue. In late 1978, with revolution exploding, Perot's two top executives for EDS (Paul and Bill) were arrested in Tehran, Iran, and Mr. Perot's own name was on "Stop" lists at airports, etc. Mr. Perot went to Iran to visit his men in jail and then managed to get past the passport checkpoints at the airport to fly back out again. Amazing. The tale of Paul and Bill's escape from jail and theirs and other EDS employees escape from Iran is better than any fiction story.

I have noticed some other reviewers saying this was not really a rescue. I wonder if they read the same book I did. Can you say Bull Simons?

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: 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.