One American Must Die: A Hostage's Personal Account of the Hijacking of Flight 847

On a trip from Athens to Rome, Army reservist Carlson was one of those taken by the Lebanese hijackers of TWA flight 847 in June 1985. Flown to Beirut, then to Algiers, then back to Beirut, all the passengers suffered at the hands of the terrorists, but Carlson was savagely beaten and came close to death; another passenger was murdered. During two weeks of captivity, Carlson became familiar with the emotional immaturity of most of the Lebanese he met; in the case of his guards, their unpredictable mood-swings heightened the suspense and the captives' feelings of helplessness. Adding to the author's strain was the danger that he might be recognized as a military man, even though he was only a reservist. His succinct summary: Lebanon is ""a place you don't want to be.'' (May)