Ken Follett - On Wings Of Eagles (1990)

ON WINGS OF EAGLES

The inspiring true story of one man's patriotic spirit--and his heroic mission to save his countrymen.

When two of his American employees were held hostage in a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran, one man took matters into his own hands: American businessman H. Ross Perot. His team consisted of a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of his corporation, handpicked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer. To free the imprisoned Americans, they would face incalculable odds on a mission that only true heroes would have dared....

Only H. Ross Perot could make it happen.

Only Ken Follett could tell the tale.

"Superb.... Ken Follett's fans may be reluctant to see him return to fiction."

--The New York Times Book Review

"A marvelous, rare, terrific read ... as exciting as a novel."

--USA Today

"Ken Follett has combined the best of his journalistic skills and his flair for crackling fiction into a nonfiction work that's sure to be read.... This is one time when the mad dogs of the world were soundly defeated by the indomitable Yankee spirit and derring-do.... ON WINGS OF EAGLES SOARS."

--The Kansas City Star

"A FIRST-RATE BESTSELLER ... STIRRING, PROVOCATIVE, as meticulously detailed and as thrilling as Follett's fictional creations."

--The Houston Post

"EXCELLENT.... Fifteen American executives led by a feisty ex-army colonel on a hair-raising mission.... No Hollywood scriptwriter could match this adventure."

--The Cincinnati Enquirer

"RICH IN ATMOSPHERE, CHARACTER, AND DIALOGUE.... Follett is a pro's pro.... If this is not a major motion picture, somebody should kick Hollywood back to life."

--New York Daily News

"A REAL-LIFE THRILLER THAT LEAVES FICTION IN THE DUST."

--Arizona Daily Star

"ADVENTURE, SUSPENSE, AND DESPERATION ... AS EXCITING AND COMMANDING AS HIS NOVELS."

--The Nashville Banner

"A REMARKABLE ADVENTURE."

--Los Angeles Times

"FOLLETT AT HIS MOST SPELLBINDING."

--Boston Herald

"A GRIPPING THRILLER."

--Newsday

"AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY ... GRIPPING."

--The Associated Press

"A REMARKABLE TELLING OF A REAL-LIFE THRILLER.... Follett takes a hundred loose ends and false trails and weaves them into a book that flows like the best of well-made fantasies."

--Business Week

"IMPRESSIVE SUSPENSE AND EXCITEMENT."

--Publishers Weekly

CAST OF CHARACTERS

DALLAS___________________________

Ross Perot, Chairman of the Board, Electronic Data Systems Corporation, Dallas, Texas

Merv Stauffer, Perot's right-hand man

T. J. Marquez, a vice-president of EDS

Tom Walter,chief financial officer of EDS

Mitch Hart, a former president of EDS who had good connections in the Democratic party

Tom Luce, founder of the Dallas law firm Hughes & Hill

Bill Gayden, president of EDS World, a subsidiary of EDS

Mort Meyerson, a vice-president of EDS

TEHRAN________________________

Paul Chiapparone, Country Manager, EDS Corporation Iran; Ruthie Chiapparone, his wife

Bill Gaylord, Paul's deputy; Emily Gaylord, Bill's wife

Lloyd Briggs, Paul's Number 3

Rich Gallagher, Paul's administrative assistant; Cathy Gallagher, Rich's wife; Buffy, Cathy's poodle

Paul Bucha, formerly Country Manager of EDS Corporation Iran, latterly based in Paris

Bob Young, Country Manager for EDS in Kuwait

John Howell, lawyer with Hughes & Hill

Keane Taylor, manager of the Bank Omran project

THE TEAM

Lt. Col. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons, in command

Jay Coburn, second-in-command

Ron Davis, point

Ralph Boulware, shotgun

Joe Poche, driver

Glenn Jackson, driver

Pat Sculley, flank

Jim Schwebach, flank and explosives

THE IRANIANS

Abolhasan, Lloyd Briggs's deputy and the most senior Iranian employee

Majid, assistant to Jay Coburn; Fara, Majid's daughter

Gholam, personnel/purchasing officer under Jay Coburn

Hosain Dadgar, examining magistrate

AT THE U.S. EMBASSY

William Sullivan, Ambassador

Charles Naas, Minister Counselor, Sullivan's deputy

Lou Goelz, Consul General

Bob Sorenson, Embassy official

Ali Jordan, Iranian employed by the Embassy

Barry Rosen, press attache

ISTANBUL_______________________________

"Mr. Fish," resourceful travel agent

Ilsman, employee of MIT, the Turkish intelligence agency

"Charlie Brown," interpreter

WASHINGTON_____________________________

Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor

Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State

David Newsom, Undersecretary at the State Department

Henry Precht, head of the Iran Desk at the State Department

Mark Ginsberg, White House--State Department liaison

Admiral Tom Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

PREFACE

This is a true story about a group of people who, accused of crimes they did not commit, decided to make their own justice.

When the adventure was over there was a court case, and they were cleared of all charges. The case is not part of my story, but because it established their innocence I have included details of the court's Findings and Judgment as an appendix to this book.

In telling the story I have taken two small liberties with the truth.

Several people are referred to by pseudonyms or nicknames, usually to protect them from the revenge of the government of Iran. The false names are: Majid, Fara, Abolhasan, Mr. Fish, Deep Throat, Rashid, the Cycle Man, Mehdi, Malek, Gholam, Seyyed, and Charlie Brown. All other names are real.

Secondly, in recalling conversations that took place three or four years ago, people rarely remember the exact words used; furthermore, real-life conversation, with its gestures and interruptions and unfinished sentences, often makes no sense when it is written down. So the dialogue in this book is both reconstructed and edited. However, every reconstructed conversation has been shown to at least one of the participants for correction or approval.

With those two qualifications, I believe every word of what follows is true. This is not a "fictionalization" or a "nonfiction novel." I have not invented anything. What you are about to read is what really happened.

I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

--EXODUS 19:4