Follett begins On Wings of Eagles with a serious preface to inform his readers that his story is "not fictionalization nor a nonfiction novel," but that every event in the book is "what really happened." Indeed, drawn from "more than a hundred hours of taped interviews," the book is a well-researched, well-documented account of an actual escape from Iran, loaded with fascinating foreign intrigue; the escape story is "naturally" suspenseful. This is not to say, however, that Follett avoids using his skills as a master storyteller. In fact, he expertly creates his own synthesis of fact and fiction by combining, in the words of the Kansas City Star, "the best of his journalistic skills and his flair for crackling fiction." Follett's ability to weave factual events into a thrilling adventure story accounts for the novel's popular success. New York Times reviewer, Hal Goodman, praises Follett for his experimentation...