Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History Audiobook, by Antonio Mendez Play Audiobook Sample

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History Audiobook

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History Audiobook, by Antonio Mendez Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Dylan Baker Publisher: Penguin Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 6.33 hours at 1.5x Speed 4.75 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: September 2012 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781101579503

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

24

Longest Chapter Length:

44:08 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

38 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

23:39 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

1

Publisher Description

The true account of the 1979 rescue of six American hostages from Iran On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the American embassy in Tehran and captured dozens of American hostages, sparking a 444-day ordeal and a quake in global politics still reverberating today. But there’s a little-known footnote to the crisis: six Americans escaped. And a midlevel agent named Antonio Mendez devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue them. Armed with foreign film visas, Mendez and an unlikely team of CIA agents and Hollywood insiders—directors, producers, actors—traveled to Tehran under the guise of scouting locations for a fake film called Argo. While pretending to find the perfect scenery and backdrops, the team succeeded in  contacting the escapees and smuggling them out of Iran  without a single shot being fired. Antonio Mendez finally details the mind-bogglingly complex and dangerous operation he led more than three decades ago. A true story of secret identities and international intrigue, Argo is the gripping account of the history-making collusion between Hollywood and high-stakes espionage.

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“Forget your spy novels, here’s how this stuff really works: Two secret agents quietly enter the enemy camp, unarmed but for their wit and experience. Hiding in plain sight, they rescue six virtual hostages under the eyes of their captors, a covert operation seemingly devised in central casting. Now their story can be told—and it makes for one hell of read.”  

— Peter Earnest, retired CIA officer and executive director, International Spy Museum 

Quotes

  • “The CIA and Hollywood in cahoots, a painter turned spy, an impossible rescue mission with no guns and only one chance at success—Argo has everything.”

    — Eric Blehm, New York Times bestselling author of Fearless
  • “A fast-paced, straightforward, and gripping story full of drama and compelling characters.”

    — Boston Globe
  • “This is a fascinating story about how Tony Mendez and the CIA used a bit of technical expertise and a lot of daring and courage to rescue American hostages in Iran. Tony is emblematic of the extraordinary men and women of CIA. Most of their stories cannot be told—but fortunately, in Argo, Tony has been able to lift the veil of secrecy—just a bit.”

    — George J. Tenet, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • “This true spy story has it all: guile, audacity, and bravery in a struggle with a fanatic and lethal enemy, a crucial role played by a loyal ally, and a marvelous conspiracy with Hollywood.”

    — R. James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • “James Bond’s Q comes to life. This gripping, true story of a white-knuckle operation by a little known part of the CIA reads like a thriller. Full of authentic detail and characters, of bravery and drama, it’s a must-read for all spy enthusiasts and CIA watchers.”

    — Dame Stella Rimington, former general director, MI5, British Intelligence
  • “A fast-paced account of a 1979 rescue operation during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–1981…Details of this dangerous operation inject strong suspense and excitement into the closing chapters.”

    — Publishers Weekly
  • “An amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of international tension.”

    — Booklist
  • “Always enjoyable. A solid choice for fans of thrillers and international intrigue.”

    — Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • A New York Times bestseller

Argo Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 (1.00)
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  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " An rather dramatic half-fictional work that, because the author is American, blithely overlooks the contribution that Canada and other countries played in this escape. It was the Canadians who sheltered the six American diplomats over an extended period; it was Mendez and his colleagues, with a lot of help from Canada, who got them out. Better look at the facts before listening to a self-inflated account: see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper "

    — David Brown, 4/20/2020

About the Authors

Antonio Mendez served in the CIA for 25 years and is a highly decorated CIA officer, one of the top 50 officers in the CIA's first 50 years and a recipient of the Intelligence Star of Valor for the ARGO operation. The author of The Master of Disguise and Spy Dust, Mendez lives with his family in rural Washington County, Maryland.

Antonio J. Mendez served in the CIA for twenty-five years. He is the recipient of several honors, including the Intelligence Star for Valor. He is the author of Spy Dust and The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA. He is co-author with Matt Baglio of Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History. He lives with his family in rural Washington County, Maryland.

Matt Baglio has worked for a variety of news organizations and magazines. Author of The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, he lives in Rome with his wife and son.

About Dylan Baker

Dylan Baker is an American stage, screen, and television actor. He attended Georgetown Prep and William and Mary College before earning his BFA at Southern Methodist University, where his passion for acting was ignited with numerous stage roles. Later refining his talents at Yale’s School of Drama, Baker turned professional with big screen roles in movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Delirious, and Love Potion No. 9. His audiobook narration has won him eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards.