Antonio Mendez served in the CIA for twenty-five years and is a highly decorated CIA officer, one of the top 50 officers in its first 50 years and a recipient of the Intelligence Star for 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.
Matt Baglio has worked for a variety of news organizations and magazines. Author ofthe bestselling The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, he divides his time between California and Italy.
"This is an amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of
international tension."
--Booklist
"Fresh and engaging...A solid choice for fans of thrillers and
international intrigue."
--Kirkus
"[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
"One of the most daring and courageous clandestine operations
during my career involved efforts to rescue Americans taken hostage
in Tehran after our embassy was seized on November 4, 1979. Six
Americans managed to escape the U.S. compound and flee to the
Canadian embassy, where they were hidden. A very brave CIA officer,
Tony Mendez, using commercial cover, entered Iran with false
identities for the six and, using techniques that ought to remain
secret so they can be used again, managed to get them out of
Iran."
--Robert M. Gates, former Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency and former U.S. Secretary of Defense, in his book From the
Shadows
"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
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 "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. This
remarkable white-knuckle spy story is torn from the pages of real
life, and will have you up past your bedtime to discover its
thrilling endgame."
--Eric Blehm, author of Fearless
"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 "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
"Artist-spy Tony Mendez paints a dramatic portrait of unlikely
collaborators--Hollywood, the CIA and Canada--allied in the common
cause of freedom. Mendez fills Argo with the drama, pressure and
tension of one of CIA's most spectacular rescue operations. ARGO is
proof that espionage reality is more riveting than spy
fiction."
--Robert Wallace, former director, CIA Office of Technical Service
"Tony Mendez is a spy's spy. His work saved my neck on numerous
occasions. I laugh quietly to myself when I watch Hollywood's
version of disguise technology in today's spy movies--because Tony
did it better. What he did in the Argo operation was spine-tingling
espionage at its very best."
--James M. Olson, former director of CIA Counterintelligence "ARGO
is a must-read to understand how dangerous risks have been
successfully managed by men and women like Tony Mendez operating in
secrecy for our protection."--William H. Webster, former director,
Central Intelligence and Federal Bureau of Investigation
This is an amazing and dramatic story of intrigue and deception set
against the backdrop of
international tension.
Booklist
Fresh and engaging A solid choice for fans of thrillers and
international intrigue.
Kirkus
[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
One of the most daring and courageous clandestine operations during
my career involved efforts to rescue Americans taken hostage in
Tehran after our embassy was seized on November 4, 1979. Six
Americans managed to escape the U.S. compound and flee to the
Canadian embassy, where they were hidden. A very brave CIA officer,
Tony Mendez, using commercial cover, entered Iran with false
identities for the six and, using techniques that ought to remain
secret so they can be used again, managed to get them out of
Iran.
Robert M. Gates, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
and former U.S. Secretary of Defense, in his book From the
Shadows
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 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
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. This remarkable white-knuckle spy
story is torn from the pages of real life, and will have you up
past your bedtime to discover its thrilling endgame.
Eric Blehm, author of Fearless
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
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
Artist-spy Tony Mendez paints a dramatic portrait of unlikely
collaborators Hollywood, the CIA and Canada allied in the common
cause of freedom. Mendez fills Argo with the drama, pressure and
tension of one of CIA s most spectacular rescue operations. ARGO is
proof that espionage reality is more riveting than spy fiction.
Robert Wallace, former director, CIA Office of Technical
Service
Tony Mendez is a spy s spy. His work saved my neck on numerous
occasions. I laugh quietly to myself when I watch Hollywood s
version of disguise technology in today s spy movies because Tony
did it better. What he did in the Argo operation was spine-tingling
espionage at its very best.
James M. Olson, former director of CIA Counterintelligence
ARGO is a must-read to understand how dangerous risks have been
successfully managed by men and women like Tony Mendez operating in
secrecy for our protection. William H. Webster, former director,
Central Intelligence and Federal Bureau of Investigation"
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