Customer Reviews

Imprisoned in Iran: Love's Victory over Fear (International Adventures)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of my favorite things about this book is that you can see that Dan loves the Iranian people. Dan is just a guy who went to a different country, with his own human foibles, but a special love for his Muslim friends. Even though Dan was imprisoned in Iran, the Muslim people are portrayed compassionately. One thing connected to this, is a small insight into the hidden supernatural realm and how it negatively affects one of the prison guards from his usual demeanor.

As I ponder on what I have read in this book, I find it amazing the perspective God can bring into a situation such as this one. Dan Baumann's book -- actually his life -- is inspiring, encouraging and brings motivation to uplift Christ and love our enemies no matter what the cost.

I must say, had this experience been had by a non-Christian, I'm sure the book would be full of anger, bitterness and rage toward the Iranians... Yet, this book is full of hope in Christ.

Dan, though doubting and afraid, truly hears God's voice in the midst of his imprisonment, and glorifies God in everything! A great book -- don't miss out on it!

I have bought this book for so many people as gifts to encourage them. People who are not "into reading" can't put it down. Dan reveals the depth of his love of God & man while honestly sharing his fears, doubts and needs. This book is a must read for anyone who cares about Christians or Muslims.

With every obstacle Dan faced was followed by an incredible act of God that sent chills up my spine and gave me goosebumps.This book encouraged me to rely on God completely. The story is a remarkable display on God's provision and protection for those who put their trust in Him. Don't question... just get the book and read it! Really, you won't be sorry!

IMPRISONED IN IRAN is an amazing account of a believer's imprisonment and torture at the hands of Iran's government.

It is clear, as Ronald Reagan said, that the government of Iran is not yet prepared to join the community of civilized nations. Holding innocent civilians without charges, denying basic human rights and subjecting them to solitary confinement and torture are earmarks of barbarians and thugs. What was Daniel Baumann's crime? Did he bomb or hurt someone? Plot to destroy buildings, or endanger civilians? No. He was simply a Christian who had been born in America.

Yet, it is also clear that God loves them. These sons of Abraham also need to know the love and forgiveness and grace of God. The Word says that God's will is that none should perish but all come to the saving knowledge of Him through Christ. Daniel Baumann's testimony gives plain evidence to that.

It should be noted that there are still cool heads and tender hearts in Iran. A sense of justice and fairness can still be found. I pray that the Lord continues to reach out to save those who are so desperately lost. Praise God that Daniel was returned safely to his family and his country.

Thanks to Swiss authorities and those brave men and women who went above and beyond to save an innocent soul.

I bought this book after meeting Dan Baumann at a Conference he was speaking at. I read it straight through and couldn't put it down. During the conference he spoke about his experience in Iran and I was deeply moved by the conviction he had for God throughout the ordeal. He turned what most of us would have given up at into a form of praise and worship. He witnessed many miracles and many hardships, and his experience is nothing short of amazing. He made me think seriously of how I would react in a similar situation.
At the conference Dan was humble in sharing what he endured from start to finish. He never acted proud for having survived, but always gave the glory where it was due, to the Lord. Whenever he mentioned Jesus he wasn't simply using a name, he was speaking to him. I was touched by his sincerity. So when I read the book I had high expectations, and they were met splendidly.
The book is well written and nicely organized from start to finish, in my opinion. I never felt that it was sluggish or repetitious. You can only say so much about being in a prison cell 24 hours a day, so with what he had to work with he did wonders. All in all, the straightforwardness and honesty of his dialogue impressed me and kept me reading.
I would recommend `Imprisoned in Iran' to anyone and everyone. Christian and non-Christian alike should read this personal account of confusion, suffering, and ultimately deliverance through belief and trust in Jesus Christ.

I personally liked this book. Why? Because it was about a man who wanted to goto Iran and share the Gospel with a particular group of people, but instead he got to witness to the Iranians. He was arrested for not having a particular stamp in his passport so they took his passport from him and his friend (it's illegal for any non-citized not to have their passport). They told him he had to travel back into the city to get is passport. Well as he was in the office trying to retrieve his passport with the help of the African Embassy he was then thrown into prison, and abused for "not telling the truth". From there he was transferred to the highest of all high security prisons in iran, which is where the guards seen Christ through his example and they even began to talk about Jesus and His true purpose in this life. I recommend this book for all ages, and is a book which will make you want to jump into an airplane and share the Gospel with people who are hungry for the truth. This book is a MUST READ! It will keep you on the end of your seat! (I read it in about 2-3 days)

Incredibly inspiring! Doesn't just tell baumann's story but challenges the reader to examine his/her
grasp on this world and the awesome power of God in the believer when we totally let go. A tremendous, lifechanging, powerful story.

This volume is part of YWAM's series of International Adventures. Baumann, holding dual American/Swiss nationality, was falsely accused of espionage by the Iranians and jailed from January to March of 1997. Imprisoned in Iran seems to be an accurate reconstruction of these events and, unlike Joly's Tomorrow You Die (1997), Baumann does not appear to be over-sensationalizing his experience. As Floyd McClung indicates in a Foreward (at pp. 7-8), Baumann does not write as if he is a Christian hero, and his book is all the more effective for this. Similarly, it is clear that the author does not divide Iranians into the "saved" and the "unsaved"; his nuanced approach gives his prison memoir special credibility.

While Imprisoned in Iran is particularly pertinent for its Christian perspective, it also serves as a useful account of the attitude of Iranians toward Westerners. Baumann has provided a record of his three-month ordeal that is destined to stand the test of time.

Samuel Pyeatt Menefee

Dan Baumann's book gives the reader a taste of the hostility an American Christian missionary might experience in a fundamentalist Muslim country like Iran. In this case Baumann is suspected of being a spy, perhaps a member of the CIA, and he has a hard time convincing the border guards, his captors and the judges otherwise. Altogether he spends nine months in an infamous high-security prison in Tehran. He is ultimately released and rushed out of the country thanks to his dual citizenship with Switzerland.

While this was an interesting, and at times inspiring, book, my wife and I found the pace dreadfully slow, largely due to the fact that the author provides much more detail than is necessary. And while the treatment Baumann received in prison should not have to be endured by any human being, I felt that his suffering was minor compared to that of other martyrs and confessors for Christ that I have read about.

Other books in this genre that I would recommend more highly include: "The Hiding Place," by Corrie ten Boom, about her sufferings as a Dutch Christian during World War II, or "Father Arseny," about a Russian Orthodox priest who spent more than 20 years in Stalin's gulag.

Dan Baumann's book also left me with many unanswered questions, mainly, why did he really go to Iran? What did he do there? What did he accomplish? How did he go about it?