Guests of the Ayatollah Audiobook By Mark Bowden cover art

Guests of the Ayatollah

The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam

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Guests of the Ayatollah

By: Mark Bowden
Narrated by: Mark Bowden
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On November 4, 1979, a group of radical Islamist students, inspired by revolutionary Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They took 52 Americans hostage and kept nearly all of them captive 444 days.

The Iran hostage crisis was a watershed moment in American history. It was America's first showdown with Islamic fundamentalism, a confrontation at the forefront of American policy to this day. It was also a powerful dramatic story that captivated the American people, launched yellow-ribbon campaigns, made celebrities of the hostage's families, and crippled the reelection campaign of President Jimmy Carter.

Mark Bowden tells this sweeping story through the eyes of the hostages, their radical, naive captors, the soldiers sent on the impossible mission to free them, and the diplomats working to end the crisis. Taking listeners from the Oval Office to the hostages' cells, Guests of the Ayatollah is a remarkably detailed, brilliantly re-created, and suspenseful account of a crisis that gripped and ultimately changed the world.

Listen to an interview with Mark Bowden on Fresh Air.©2006 Mark Bowden (P)2006 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Audioworks is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division Americas Freedom & Security History & Theory International Relations Middle East Political Science Politics & Government Terrorism United States War & Crisis World War Iran

Critic reviews

"Bowden keeps tension high." (Booklist)
Thorough Account • Engaging Narrative • Well-researched History • Detailed Storytelling • Fascinating Perspective
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Good background on what really went on. Clearly the hostages were mentally and physically abused.

Interesting details not previously understood.

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I really enjoyed this book. I got the hardcover version in high school, but wanted to listen to it as I drove. Mark does a great job of seamlessly weaving together the accounts of the hostages. His narration is a perfect addition to an already great book. There was talks of NatGeo/Fox 21 Television writing a documentary off this book. I hope that’s still the case.

A wonderfully detailed account!

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This book is fascinating- about an episode that would be a minor historical event except that our troubles with Iran are still on-going (and Iran keeps taking hostages). The author reads the book himself and at times the story reads like a thrilling spy novel in an exotic place (even though many readers will know generally what happened)... But be forewarned, any story about the mistreatment of a group of hostages for more than a year can be sad and depressing. I enjoyed the many insights into each of the hostages' personalities and their unique ways of coping with their captivity, but there were mornings when after listening for an hour during my commute that I was left sad and angry. It takes a good book to affect me this way, and this is a good book about a history we all should know as we veer towards yet another confrontation with the mullahs of Iran

At times thrilling

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This book is thorough and paints a clear picture of the ordeal the American hostages went through in Iran. The epilogue clearly explains why I believe there is hope for the region, if only we can get past our governments and work together person to person.

Excellent read.

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I was only 13 when the Embassy was taken over, and I well remember the images of our diplomats being praded in front of the cameras. While I am sure there is alot more of the story out there, I learned alot about the takeover and the runup to it from this book.

Great Read

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Interesting story of which I only remember Walter Kronkite commenting daily on the number of days the hostages were being held in Iran. I thought the attempted rescue was interesting as I didn't know anything about it and I liked that the author took me into the daily lives of the hostages and showed me big things and small that made me turn the page so to speak to find out what happens even though it was well documented. I'd definitely recommend it if you are like me, old enough to remember something happened but young enough not to know the details. The details made a great story.

Fun Read! Not Really, but I Learned a Lot.

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I recently went on an Iran kick, listening to "All the Shah's Men" (from Audible) and then this book. 'Guests of the Ayatollah' was the far more engaging of the two. I usually shun abridged versions, but I must say that at 9+ hours, this edition was just as engaging and satisfying as many of the great full-length books I have listened to.

The author paints a well-researched view of the whole Iran Hostage Crisis, skillfully blending the parallel stories of the Iranian revolution, the American hostages, President Carter, and the (fascinating!) botched rescue attempt by Delta Force.

This was one of those real-life books that has you engaged as if it were fiction. Highly recommended, especially if you were like me, having always heard of the Iran Hostage Crisis but never knowing the actual details.

Fine as an abridged version!

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A timely book to read in light of current Islamic extremism and the aftermath of the Benghazi debacle. The book offers a blow-by-blow account of the 1979 takeover of the American embassy in Tehran by leftist and pro-Kohmeini students and resulting capture of 66 American hostages who remained under guard for 444 days.

Bowden clarifies President Carter's successes and failures in relation to the hostage crises as well as debunks the GOP falsehood that President Reagan resolved the hostage situation. Carter, despite his bumbling foreign policy diplomacy, should be credited with finally resolving the crisis at the 11th hour (Inauguration Day 1980).

The reader will be surprised to learn that prior to the November 1979 embassy takeover, radical students unsuccessfully attempted a takeover the previous February. The handwriting was on the wall, similar to Benghazi, but our state department failed to act.

A must read for a deeper understanding of the origins of the current Islamic Revolution against Western powers and values.

1979 Iranian Hostage Takeover Clarified

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You can’t go wrong with a Mark Bowden book and this is no different. Great read!

Another Great Read

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This is a very good overall telling of the hostage story. I myself would have like more detail on the politics going on behind the scenes, but I think the more "human interest" slant of the author worked very well. Certainly I'm very glad I listened to it. My favorite part, oddly, was the epilogue. I thought the assessment of the author on the topics was spot on.

Very Well Done

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