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Event T34
Ben Macintyre
The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama
– Venue 1
On the last day of April 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy in London, taking 26 hostages.
A tense six-day siege ensued, and millions gathered around screens to witness the longest news flash in British television history, in which police negotiators and psychiatrists sought a bloodless end to the standoff, while the SAS – previously an organisation shrouded in secrecy – laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod.
Historian Ben Macintyre draws on unpublished source material, exclusive interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages to tell the drama-filled story of the Iranian embassy siege.
Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of books including Colditz and Agent Sonya. He is a columnist and associate editor at the Times, and has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. Several of his books have been made into films and television series, including Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes.
Only Members of Hay Festival may buy tickets prior to public launch. If you are already a Member please log in. If you would like to become a Member, sign up here.
Booking for non-members opens at 1200 on Friday 6 December.
