Politics and society in twentieth-century America

David Farber

Taken Hostage chronicles the Iran hostage crisis from its outbreak in November 1979 through the tense final days leading to the inauguration of President Reagan, following the hostages as their captivity stretches into uncertainty. With a journalist’s eye for detail and a historian’s sense of context, the narrative traces the emotional toll on the captives, the anguish of their families, and the mounting frustration of a nation watching events unfold beyond its control. Farber also turns to deeper questions of belief and identity, examining how religion can shape ideas of savagery, moral duty, and family—drawing illuminating parallels to earlier American experiences, including the Puritans. Blending political history with intimate human stakes, this account reveals how faith, fear, and national resolve collide when diplomacy fails.