"Houghton has produced an excellent, in-depth study of the Iranian hostage crisis, making outstanding use of new material about policy/decision makers' perceptions...A superb book." CHOICE

• Preface; 1. Jimmy Carter and the tragedy of foreign policy; 2. Locating the argument: a review of the existing literature; 3. The origins of the crisis; 4. The waiting game; 5. Days of decision: the hostage rescue mission; 6. Hostages to history; 7. Some alternative explanations: non-analogical accounts of the Iran decision-making; 8. Conclusions; Appendix I. Dramatis personae; Appendix II. The major historical analogies used; Bibliography; Index.

"Houghton has produced an excellent, in-depth study of the Iranian hostage crisis, making outstanding use of new material about policy/decision makers' perceptions...A superb book." CHOICE

• Preface; 1. Jimmy Carter and the tragedy of foreign policy; 2. Locating the argument: a review of the existing literature; 3. The origins of the crisis; 4. The waiting game; 5. Days of decision: the hostage rescue mission; 6. Hostages to history; 7. Some alternative explanations: non-analogical accounts of the Iran decision-making; 8. Conclusions; Appendix I. Dramatis personae; Appendix II. The major historical analogies used; Bibliography; Index.

"Houghton has produced an excellent, in-depth study of the Iranian hostage crisis, making outstanding use of new material about policy/decision makers' perceptions...A superb book." CHOICE

• Preface; 1. Jimmy Carter and the tragedy of foreign policy; 2. Locating the argument: a review of the existing literature; 3. The origins of the crisis; 4. The waiting game; 5. Days of decision: the hostage rescue mission; 6. Hostages to history; 7. Some alternative explanations: non-analogical accounts of the Iran decision-making; 8. Conclusions; Appendix I. Dramatis personae; Appendix II. The major historical analogies used; Bibliography; Index.