Book Review:

An Sooye Divar (Beyond the Wall)

The Capture of the American Embassy by Habibollah Bitarf

Hassan Beheshtipour
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-11-13

Introduction:

Every year, with the arrival of November 4^th (anniversary of the siege of the American embassy in Tehran, 1979) the debate about why and how the US embassy in Tehran was taken over comes back to life in the public and academic arenas. This event was not only a historical moment, but also a turning point in redefining Iran-US relations and the political identity of the revolutionary generation. In such times, rereading narratives such as the book An Sooye Divar (Beyond the Wall) takes on double importance, because it is an opportunity to understand from the inside a story that has been told back and forth between the two sides of the Atlantic for more than four decades.

The book Beyond the Wall by Mohammad Mahboubi provides a first-hand and detailed account of one of the most critical and influential events in contemporary Iranian history, the seizure of the American embassy on November 4^th, 1979. This work, which narrates the memoirs of Habibollah Bitarf, is not only a valuable historical document, but also a response to the great gap in the Iranian narrative compared to the multitude of western works. This critique examines the strengths, weaknesses, and position of this work in the literature of the Islamic Revolution.

1. The work’s position in the historiography of the Islamic Revolution

The book Beyond the Wall should be considered one of the most recent and documented internal accounts of the seizure of the American embassy; an event that, in terms of its political and psychological impact, is considered one of the turning points in contemporary Iranian history. This work is in fact an attempt to fill a gap that existed for years in Iranian historiography: retelling the story of the seizure from the perspective of a major actor, not from the perspective of external analysis or propaganda.

In a situation where most of the existing accounts of this event have been reproduced either within the official and political framework or have been narrated in a biased manner by western sources, this book has an added value because the narrator’s voice has emerged from within the event.

The importance of the book Beyond the Wall lies in the fact that it reconstructs a part of the collective memory of Iranians that has often been narrated in western literature under the guise of the “hostage crisis.” This work attempts to redefine the image of Muslim students from “occupiers” to “political activists believing in independence.” This effort is part of a larger project of reclaiming the narrative in the oral history of the Islamic Revolution. Therefore, the book can be considered a combination of historical narrative, personal memories, and the reconstruction of a national-political event written from the perspective of one of the participants.

2. Structure and Content of the Book

The book is divided into nine chapters that chronologically cover the narrator’s life, his time as a student at Tehran University, his political activities at the Faculty of Technology, and his involvement in the activities of the Islamic Association, as well as the context, execution, and consequences of the November 4^th incident. This structure helps the audience to follow the event in a systematic manner. The narrative begins with the students’ initial plan and continues until the end of the hostage-taking and release of 52 Americans. The processing of the narrative in such a structure helps the reader to move along the narrator’s historical and mental path and understand the intellectual evolution of the “Imam Line” generation of students from the inside.

Another prominent feature of this work is the narrative coherence and logical sequence of chapters. In compiling the book, Mahboubi has tried to advance the narrative in a causal and historical order: from the intellectual and political contexts of the formation of Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat (Office for Strengthening Unity) to the decision to take action and then manage the consequences. In particular, the middle chapters, such as “Thinking of Being Imprisoned” and “Morning of the Thirteenth Day,” with their high level of narrative detail and suspense, are among the book’s strengths and place the reader in the context of the event.

3. Reason for the book’s title

The symbolic title Beyond the Wall is derived from an explanation given by Hajj Ahmad Agha Khomeini in the book, reflecting the key to understanding the title and the motivation for the students’ action. The concept of “crossing the American wall” as a break from a system of domination was the main motivation for the students. The book clearly shows that this action was more than a student operation; it was a major “political show” and a declaration of war on a superpower in the realm of symbols.

4. The human dimension of the story

The chapters on the hostages (Chapters 5 and 6) are among the most fascinating parts of the book. The narration of everyday interactions, illnesses, attempts to escape, and even the hiring of a Pakistani cook, give this historical event a human and objective dimension, and remove it from a purely political story.

5. The value of documentation and the accuracy of sources

One of the book’s outstanding positive points is the careful use of historical documentation and written and oral documents. To reconstruct the events, the author has used various sources, including the archives of the Bureau for the Islamic Revolution Literature, interviews with other students who follow the Imam’s line, and press sources. This method has made the book go beyond a mere personal memoir and become a documented and referable work for researchers. In addition, the presence of the documents and photographs section at the end of the book has added to the historical accuracy of the work, especially the publication of some rarely seen documents, such as the organizational chart of the students who follow the Imam’s line, which has high research value. The book deals well with issues such as the "Speaker Council," the "Arm Council," how to reconstruct shredded documents, the daily lives of the hostages, and even the failed mass escape plan devised by John Limbert (p. 138). These provide a three-dimensional, more human picture of a purely political event.

6. Language and Writing Style

Unlike many oral history works that have a heavy, report-like tone, the book's prose is fluid, lively, and narrative. Mahboubi has managed to strike a balance between being faithful to the narrator's tone and conveying a sense of history in his writing. Reconstructing scenes and directly narrating conversations are features that set the work apart from dry memoirs and mere documentation. This writing style helps the reader to connect with the narrator's mind and emotions without the work becoming slogan-driven or emotional.

The book deals with the details of the operation in an unparalleled way; from how the idea was formed in the Central Council for Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat (Office for Strengthening Unity) and secret planning, to how CIA officers (such as Thomas Ahern) were identified and the daily management of hostages. This precision has made the book an unparalleled resource for historical researchers.

7. Analytical and Multifaceted Approach

In terms of content, the book is clearly narrated from the perspective of the "Imam's Line" movement; but at the same time, the narrator and the editor have tried to avoid one-sidedness. Unlike many official narratives, Bitarf points out disagreements, doubts, and even possible mistakes in parts of the book.

In his conclusion, he continues to emphasize the “correctness of the occupation act” as a necessity for consolidating the revolution. This stance shows that the book, although realistic, is not completely neutral and ultimately defends the discourse of the Islamic Revolution.

8. The complementary role of the narrator and the author in the credibility of the work

Undoubtedly, the book’s greatest strength is the position of its narrator. As one of the three original idea-makers, a member of the Coordination Council, and the head of the Hostage Affairs Committee, Habibollah Bitarf was at the center of decision-making and implementation. This unique position gives his narrative a special depth and credibility, taking it beyond a mere observational report. Since he played an idea-generating and decision-making role in the takeover, his presence on the Coordination Council of the Spy Den and the Hostage Affairs Committee makes his narrative a first-hand and unique source.

The difference between this work and many other memoirs lies in this: he was not a spectator, but a direct agent of the event. Mohammad Mahboubi's role as the editor of the book is very decisive in transforming oral memoirs into a narrative and readable work. While maintaining the honesty of the narrator's tone, he has taken the text out of the mode of a mere conversation or interview and turned it into a historical narrative by carefully arranging the time, giving clear headings, and adding contextual explanations. This editing method has made the book both authentic and readable and educational.

9. Weaknesses and Shortcomings

Despite its remarkable strengths, the book is not without its weaknesses.

1. The book's greatest limitation is inherent, because this narrative is only from the perspective of one of the main actors. As the book itself points out, these memoirs “do not necessarily reflect the views of all student organizations following the Imam’s line.” To understand this event more fully, it is necessary to compare this narrative with the memoirs of other key student actors and even domestic opponents of this action in order to reach an analytical conclusion.

2. In analyzing the international consequences of the occupation, the book focuses more on the surface of the events and less on the depth of Iran-US relations or the diplomatic developments resulting from the crisis. Of course, since Mr. Mahboubi has addressed this issue in his book Istgah-e Khiaban-e Roosvelt (Roosevelt Street Station), perhaps he did not see the need here to address this issue, which is outside of Mr. Bitarf’s personal memoirs.

3. Instead of frequent footnotes about individuals who did not play a decisive role in the main narrative of the occupation, the author could have made the book more documented by referring more precisely to sources or supplementary appendices in order to clarify and document some details (such as the story of the seized documents or the behavior of the hostages).

4. At the end of the book, the narrator emphasizes that he still believes that this was “not a mistake.” While this position is honest and respectable, the book does not provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the negative consequences of this action (such as the increased international isolation of Iran after this hostage-taking, the strengthening of the militaristic discourse against Iran, etc.) from the perspective of the opponents of this action. A more analytical critique could have developed this aspect as well.

5. Sometimes the narrator refers to cases (such as the arrest of an American officer with 7 suitcases of documents at Mehrabad Airport) without providing direct evidence. Although these are personal memoirs, providing documentation for such important claims would have elevated the book to the level of an academic study.

6. The book rightly focuses on the role of students following the Imam’s line, but addressing the role and reactions of other political groups of the time (such as the nationalists, the People’s Mojahedin, and even the interim government) could have more fully depicted the complex political atmosphere of those days.

10. Final Assessment

Overall, Beyond the Wall should be considered one of the most successful works in the field of oral history of the Islamic Revolution. This book is not only interesting for a general audience, but also a reliable source for researchers of Iran-US relations and contemporary history. By citing the narrative of one of the main actors in the field, this book has succeeded in creating a balance in the historiography of a fateful event. Although its monologue nature prevents it from presenting a comprehensive picture, its value as a first-hand document is undeniable.

Beyond the Wall is more than just a retelling of a political event; it is a reconstruction of the mental and intellectual space of the revolutionary generation that stood at the intersection of faith, politics, and independence in the first decade of the revolution.

Through an unbiased narrative, the book shows how “crossing the American wall” in the minds of that generation meant crossing dependence, domination, and distrust.

Although the author and narrator only looked at the subject from the perspective of the Islamic Revolution, their honesty, precision, and attention to detail have made this work one of the main sources for understanding the innermost layers of the American embassy siege and connecting with audiences, whether they agree with or disagree with this movement.

Today, rereading works such as Beyond the Wall is an opportunity for dialogue between the generation of the revolution and the generation after it. In a world where relations between Iran and the United States are still in a state of mutual distrust, reviewing these narratives can help to understand the historical roots of this situation more accurately. What this book reminds us of is the necessity of honestly recording experiences and hearing multiple narratives of a single event, because it is only in the balance of narratives that one can get closer to history.

This book is a very valuable and readable work for researchers of contemporary history, students of political science, and all those interested in the history of the Iranian Revolution who want to read an inside account of this incident from the words of one of its architects. Beyond the Wall is not the end of the discussion, but rather a beginning for a better understanding of one of the most complex chapters of Iran-US relations.

It is worth mentioning that this book, written by Mohammad Mahboubi, was published in 232 pages and 1250 copies, in hardcover and priced at 200 thousand Tomans in 1403SH (2024) by Soure Mehr Publications.