book data
525 ratings, 3.79 average rating, 37 reviews
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published
September 30th 2004
binding
Paperback, 608 pages
isbn
8497594231
(isbn13: 9788497594233)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 638)
Read in May, 2008
In 1979, Iran was caught up in a revolution as the Shah was ousted by the Ayatollah Khomeini. In the midst of this, two American executives who worked in Iran for EDS, billionaire Ross Perot's computer company, were arbitrarily imprisoned by the revolution. Perot put together a team and masterminded a rescue plan that defied both the odds and all kinds of international laws. They had to first spring the two from prison, then get them out of the country - both nearly impossible challenges. This b...more
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Read in January, 1985
In On Wings of Eagles, Follett has written an exciting account of the rescue of two employees of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), then helmed by H. Ross Perot. Though it is about real events, it reads with all the excitement and intensity of a spy novel. In 1978, two EDS employees, Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord, were arrested in Tehran (Iran) on trumped-up charges of bribery, with bail set at $13 million!
In the book, Follett carries us through the capture of the EDS employees, the ...more
In the book, Follett carries us through the capture of the EDS employees, the ...more
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Read in July, 2008
De toda a obre de Ken Follet eu só tive ainda a oportunidade de ler "Os Pilares da Terra", um género literário muito diferente do que costuma (ou costumava) escrever.
Confesso que gostei do livro, uma história fluída em que, tal como Follet diz na apresentação, não tem uma personagem principal mas antes um conjunto de personagens que se cruzam ao longo da história, completando, desta forma, um enredo intrincado e interessante.
A história passa-se apenas durante um dia, ...more
Confesso que gostei do livro, uma história fluída em que, tal como Follet diz na apresentação, não tem uma personagem principal mas antes um conjunto de personagens que se cruzam ao longo da história, completando, desta forma, um enredo intrincado e interessante.
A história passa-se apenas durante um dia, ...more
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Read in April, 1985
recommends it for:
people who like a good true adventure story
In 1979 at the beginning the Iranian revolution two executives of EDS (Electronic Data Systems) were imprisoned by the Shah’s government. The Chairman of EDS Ross Perot, after trying to go through government channels to release his employees and failing, sets up a daring rescue operation. He hires Col Arthur D. “Bull” Simons to train and lead his EDS executives into Iran at the height of the revolution to rescue his men.
Ken Follett, although known for his fiction takes a true story, ...more
Ken Follett, although known for his fiction takes a true story, ...more
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Read in May, 2008
This book beats any fictional adventure story. In fact, the author, for whom this work is his only venture into nonfiction, goes to great lengths in the foreward to assure the reader that everything in the book really happened. It's that captivating of a story.
Whatever you may have thought of Ross Perot politically, you will admire his amazing loyalty and determination to rescue his employees from revolutionary Iran in the late 1970's, not to mention the unbelievable bravery of those who car...more
Whatever you may have thought of Ross Perot politically, you will admire his amazing loyalty and determination to rescue his employees from revolutionary Iran in the late 1970's, not to mention the unbelievable bravery of those who car...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
All Americans
“Eagles don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time.” Ross Perot
In 1978 when Iran was submerged in the violence and chaos of Islamic Revolution, H. Ross Perot risked everything in an amazing and dangerous private military mission to rescue EDS employees held captive by the new regime. Mr. Perot is one of my own personal heroes, and this inspiring true story shows us the stuff that Mr. Perot and his employees are made of….why each of them is an Eagle.
My second time to read t...more
In 1978 when Iran was submerged in the violence and chaos of Islamic Revolution, H. Ross Perot risked everything in an amazing and dangerous private military mission to rescue EDS employees held captive by the new regime. Mr. Perot is one of my own personal heroes, and this inspiring true story shows us the stuff that Mr. Perot and his employees are made of….why each of them is an Eagle.
My second time to read t...more
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Read in June, 2008
A true story of two EDS employees in Iran who were falsely arrested and their ensuing rescue by Ross Perot and crew. Ken Follet did an excellent job of writing it in such a way to make it very exciting. A book I did not want to put down. The escape out of Iran had me on pins and needles (even though I knew the ending) and I now have a better understanding of what our current troops are dealing with when it comes to the tribes who seem to function in their own territory, unhindered by government ...more
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Read in January, 1994
I was coerced into reading this book by an old friend who ran for Congress in NJ. He is a Republican, I am not. We both loved H. Ross Perot, though, who was shown in a heroic light in this book. It provided some common ground for our brief discussions(though he tried ardently to get me to become pro-life and etc) on politics. To my knowledge, this is Ken Follett's only Non-Fiction book. I would like to know exactly what Perot is doing today. I would like to sit down at a Texas Chat-n-Chew and as...more
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Read in September, 2006
recommends it for:
Anyone
I heard about this book for many years, especially since I worked for EDS at one point. I didn't know that much about Ross Perot except the media, comedians, and even fellow politicians poke fun at him. Well, if you ever read this powerful book you will never make fun of Ross again. His employees were captured in an unstable Iran and Ross actually traveled there during the collapse of that country, as famous as he was, to get his friends out. The book is intense in many aspects, as businessmen ...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to William by:
Jane McGrath
couldn't put it down, I totally skipped two pages every 20 because it got a little boring when he went into how great Ross Perot was and how EDS did this and that, but the story was great and the fact that someone would go about "breaking out" his employees from an Iran prison, trek them across the Iranian country side and fly them out of turkey sounds so far fetched, that its wonderful to know that its true. It makes me judge Perot in a different light as well.
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Read in January, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Another Ken Follett. This one's nonfiction, and it's about H. Ross Perot's company in Iran just before the Shah was overthrown. Fascinating. Though Perot looks like a Chihuahua, he's actually a pretty good guy. Recommended reading if you're interested in the Middle East.
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Read in January, 2005
I used to work for Ross Perot, I hadn't read the book before I met him and he gave me a copy. I was amazed at the true story of escape from Iran. This is a must read given the politics of Iran today. Excellent page turner of a book.
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This was an interesting book... a true story about Ross Perot and his company EDS. It's interesting because the company was split between Texas and Iran and the book is about drama that traps employees in Iran and in their jails.
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Ken Follett does an excellent job of writing about H. Ross Perot's rescue of EDS employees from Iran in the late 1970's. The intrigue becomes so intense that one can easily forget that this is a true story.
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Read in September, 2008
In 1979 two of Ross Perot's employees were arrested in Iran without any charges. This is the story of their ordeal and extraction by private citizens operating under Mr. Perot's orders.
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Ross Perot and his cronies save the world. Or at least a little part of it. Like all of Follett's books- this one is action packed and easy to read.
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Enjoyed this very much. It was awesome to see people in the corporate world risk their own safety for others. It was amazing how they did it!
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This is the first Follett book I read. It is a nonfiction book about how Ross Perot funded and organized a team to rescue the hostages in Iran.
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Great book about the rescue of hostages in Iran. Made H. Ross Perot famous and eventually led to his presidential run. Really a great book.
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