For fans of history and spy novels, Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio might be your book.Though never seeing the movie, the book only provided background and historical perspective without the glamor of Hollywood. Argo started slow but eventually lead to the suspense I was hoping for.
The book chronicles the CIA operation of Mendez and leads to the rescue which is mentioned half way through the book. While the history is chronicled more than suspense, the book quickly picks up. Argo, the book, provided more dynamic than the movie but both have their own distinctions.
It was interesting to learn the process behind disguises and preparing for undercover work, but there was so much history and preparation for the event that I felt there should have been more toward the end to balance out the amount of time dedicated toward getting ready for the escape. I'd say this book should be renamed "Preparing for Argo" to fit the story.
I'd rate the book 3/5 stars simply because the book was
hard to follow in the beginning but the details Mendez provided made the
story more palpable.
- Julie Caulder and Sunshine King
If you would like to check out this book, please visit the McNaughton Collection on Simon Schwob Library's first floor: