The Guts to Try [Paperback]

James H. Kyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994 | ISBN-10: 0935810544 | ISBN-13: 978-0935810547

From one of the highest ranking officers on the ground in Iran comes a no-holds-barred look at America’s brave mission against terrorism

Colonel James H. Kyle was involved in every stage of the Iran hostage rescue operation. As Desert-1 Commander, he alone bore responsibility for the courageous mission. Now Colonel Kyle spares no one, including himself, in this riveting account that takes readers from the initial brainstorming sessions and training camps to the desert rehearsals, the forward staging areas in Egypt and Oman, and finally to the desert refueling site, where he decided to abort.

Colonel Kyle provides honest answers to tough questions: Why were the pilots caught totally off guard by the weather? How did the CIA contribute to the mission’s breakdown? And could such a failure happen again? The Guts to Try is a thrilling true-life adventure story–exploring America’s ability to react quickly, forcefully, and effectively to acts of terrorism.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A powerful eyewitness account of the disastrous April 1980 attempt to rescue the American hostages in Tehran. Kyle, an expert in Special Operations and the officer in charge of the Air Force component, describes the mission from the earliest planning at the Pentagon through the subsequent rehearsals to the operation in Iran. Criticizing analyses by other participants, he offers his own diagnosis of five factors that contributed to the mission's failure: the weather forecast, poor communications equipment, pilot decision error, restrictions on tactics, and a poor flight plan. Comparable to Ken Follet's On Wings of Eagles ( LJ 8/83), which described Texas industrialist Ross Perot's successful rescue effort in Iran, Kyle's book contributes to our understanding of the hostage crisis and will add fuel to the controversy surrounding it. Recommended for a wide range of readers.
- Sanford R. Silverburg, Catawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

From one of the highest ranking officers on the ground in Iran comes a no-holds-barred look at America?s brave mission against terrorism

Colonel James H. Kyle was involved in every stage of the Iran hostage rescue operation. As Desert-1 Commander, he alone bore responsibility for the courageous mission. Now Colonel Kyle spares no one, including himself, in this riveting account that takes readers from the initial brainstorming sessions and training camps to the desert rehearsals, the forward staging areas in Egypt and Oman, and finally to the desert refueling site, where he decided to abort.

Colonel Kyle provides honest answers to tough questions: Why were the pilots caught totally off guard by the weather? How did the CIA contribute to the mission?s breakdown? And could such a failure happen again? The Guts to Try is a thrilling true-life adventure story?exploring America?s ability to react quickly, forcefully, and effectively to acts of terrorism. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Primer Pub (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935810544
• ISBN-13: 978-0935810547
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review by a key participant in the rescue attempt, May 1, 2002

By 

Roland D Guidry (Destin, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-scene Desert Commander (Hardcover)

I was the commander of the MC-130 squadron chosen to participate in the mission. Jim Kyle, author of "The Guts to Try", was my boss throughout the preparation for the mission. I had kept detailed notes on all the training, rehearsal, etc., with the intent to write my own book. I am the one mentioned on page 7 in the "guts to try" story that lead to the book's title. I was the commander of the 5 Air Force fatalities at Desert One. Col Kyle and I were raked over the coals by the US Senate and House military committees with Kyle taking most of the heat over the accident. I went on to be the chief air planner for preparation for the second attempt buy Kyle was replaced by General Richard Secord as the senior Air Force member of the task force. I therefore surrendered by notes to Kyle and helped him put together the book rather than pursue my own. He did a remarkable job in telling the story correctly. Out of the ashes of Desert One has emerged a capability to do Special Ops better and with few casualties. "The Guts to Try" is an important accounting of the bottoming out and rebirth of Special Ops. Few people realize how much our capability improved during the 5 1/2 months of preparation--this book helps the reader realize that there was more to be proud about associated with Desert One than is apparent. Special Ops would have achieved its current high capability eventually---but Desert One and Jim's book got us there quicker. Roland Guidry,...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Because I Was There...., February 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-scene Desert Commander (Hardcover)

I consider Colonel Kyle's book the one that opened the floodgate on consequent books about special operations and forces. While it is mainly an after action report of a perceived failure by US military forces, it is also a personal account of one of the task force commanders in charge of several hundred hand picked volunteers who earned their degrees at the 'University of Blood, Sweat, and Tears'. What makes it unique is Colonel Kyle's desire to be accountable for what happened that night when so many who were involved, both political and military, chose to save their own skins and point fingers. It is a good read for those who say history can and will repeat itself. For those who were there, it is the 'welcome home' parade that we never got. It is an attempt to honor those who gave their all to rescue Americans they didn't know. For me, it is a well-worn aid I carry with me everywhere to remind me how fragile life is, how precious, and how wonderful it is to live in a country where those who serve their country do so in honor, unlike many of those who are appointed over them. For me, it is very personal. I lost my crew that night. My brothers. Very special men who taught me in the years since, to live life with purpose. This book tells their story as much as it tells what happened that cold clear night in the desert, when Americans flew from their homeland to that of an opressor, in the name of humanity.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly detailed description of a mission., October 4, 2002

By 

Michael T Kennedy (Lake Arrowhead, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-Scene Desert Commander (Mass Market Paperback)

This exhaustive description of the planning and execution of Operation Eagle Claw, the attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages, gives the reader a sense of how complex the mission was. There is an old aphorism about the military that says, "The amateur talks about tactics and strategy while the professional talks logistics." This is one of the few military books I have read that provides enough (almost too much depending on your taste) detail about what it takes to carry out a mission deep in enemy territory. At the beginning, after realizing the problems they faced, I could not see how they could succeed. That they came as close as they did is what is truly amazing. It also speaks to the decrepit state of the military seven years after the end of the Viet Nam War. They had the men but lacked adequate resources. Fortunately changes were coming. This story helped to lead the way.