Yellow Ribbon: The Secret Journal of Bruce Laingen [Hardcover]

L. Bruce Laingen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

The former charge+a7 d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Tehran during its occupation by Iranian militants describes his 444-day ordeal as a hostage, his feelings and thoughts during captivity, and his insights into revolutionary Iran.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian revolutionaries took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran, and the 444-day ordeal of 52 American hostages began. Laingen, the embassy's charge d'affaires, was held separately with two staffers until three weeks before the general release. Based on his journal and letters to his family, this book offers a somewhat generalized account of his struggle against anger, frustration and boredom. His captivity was relatively uneventful, and much of the material here concerns his reaction to news, such as the failure of the Desert One rescue mission and Ramsey Clark's visit to Tehran for the "Crimes of America" conference. Laingen provides a stirring account of the hours leading up to the release of the hostages, their flight to freedom, their meetings with outgoing President Carter and later with newly inaugurated President Reagan. The predictability of the author's views and the absence of other characters in the journal make it of limited appeal for the general reader. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Laingen was charge d'affaires in Tehran when the U.S. embassy was seized in 1979. He and two colleagues were confined in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, apart from the 49 other American diplomats kept hostage for 444 days. Laingen's journal notes, plus letters to his family, make up this book. While one must admire his religious faith, devotion to wife and children, discipline, patriotism, and fair-mindedness toward Iran, the even temper that got Laingen through his ordeal has not produced sufficiently thoughtful observations on the events. More than a half-dozen hostages have written memoirs of the Iran crisis, most about ten years ago. Barbara and Barry Rosen's The Destined Hour ( LJ 8/82. o.p.) is still the best. Optional for public libraries.
- Robert F. Nardini, North Chichester, N.H.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 317 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's Inc (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028810309
• ISBN-13: 978-0028810300
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,167,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, April 14, 1999

By 

Keith Brown ([e-mail]) (Clinton, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yellow Ribbon: The Secret Journal of Bruce Laingen (Hardcover)

I had the great opportunity to take a class taught by Ambassador Laingen at Hamilton College. His book is very interesting because it gives an intensely personal account of the very dramatic series of events that rocked Iran starting in 1979. I would recommend reading "The Iranians" by Sandra Mackey right before you read "Yellow Ribbon" to get the background necessary to understand both Iran and the events he describes in his book. Really an amazing story of enduring an unimaginable 444 days and the positive attitude that he kept throughout - Truly heroic and inspirational!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amb Laingen was the other hostages' best weapon and ally in, September 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Yellow Ribbon: The Secret Journal of Bruce Laingen (Hardcover)

Considering how Ambassador Laingen was fortunate enough to be privy to what was going on in the outside world in the 14 months they were held captive, I would have to say he had been at the time, their best weapon and ally against the Iranians' keeping them in the dark and giving them the "mushroom treatment" if everyone knew what I meant. Am sure he may be right about his then Canadian colleague or Ken Taylor in the sense that any American (or Canadian) who was in deep "fecal matter" in Iran at the time was in fairly good and capable hands and am sure that they may have been in that same state with him had he not had the misfortune of having his embassy stormed by the Iranians.
Had the fortune of knowing him for at least nearly 2 years in a "pen buddy" of sorts relationship and felt it was a fortunate thing that he is still going strong though he is now something like 80 years old. As far as Amb. Laingen is concerned, I wondered if people knew he also has every right to wear a button reading "IN THE NAVY AND PROUD OF IT" (in reference to a certain 1970's Village People song) as he is also a World War 2 Navy veteran.