The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama with Ben Macintyre (365)

Cold War Conversations

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2024

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. I talk with Britain’s bestselling historian Ben Macintyre who has written a new book called “The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama”. The book details the tense six-day siege ensued as millions gathered around screens across the country 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 – hitherto an organisation shrouded in secrecy – laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod. Drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages, negotiators, intelligence officers and the on-site psychiatrist, bestselling historian Ben Macintyre takes readers on a gripping journey from the years and weeks of build-up on both sides, to the minute-by-minute account of the siege and rescue. Recreating the dramatic conversations between negotiators and hostages, the cutting-edge intelligence work happening behind-the-scenes, and the media frenzy around this moment of international significance, The Siege is the remarkable story of what really happened on those fateful six days, and the first full account of a moment that forever changed the way the nation thought about the SAS – and itself. Buy the book and support the podcast https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780241675670 Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode365/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod 00:00 Start 00:51 Introduction 03:53 Why is the book unique? 08:51 What were the political motivations of the gunmen? 16:30 How did the attack start? 23:50 Who is being held hostage? 27:25 The situation in the embassy in the first few days 35:31 Police negotiations 40:55 The SAS go in! 49:06 What happens to the gunmen? 51:12 PC Trevor Locke concealed his gun for six days during hostage crisis 54:16 The ending of the siege 55:26 How the siege raised Britain's military profile 58:33 The book about the siege will be turned into a television drama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations.
0:04.0	Trevor quickly realized that if he tried to go to the loo, he'd have to take his jacket off.
0:10.0	And if he took his jacket off, they'd see his gun.
0:13.0	He really ate and drank almost nothing while he was inside that embassy.
0:18.0	It's really one of the most heroic cases of self-imposed constipation you
0:22.8	could ever imagine. But he managed to do it and he kept the gun hidden throughout until the very,
0:28.5	very final moments when he and the lead gunman Tauffig found themselves in a death grapple.
0:38.3	This is Cold War Conversations.
0:41.6	If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to firsthand Cold War history accounts.
0:48.7	Do make sure you follow us in your podcast app so that you don't miss out on future episodes.
0:55.2	On April the 30th, 1986,
0:58.3	heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy in London,
1:02.2	where they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff visitors and three British citizens.
1:09.1	I talk with Britain's best-selling historian, McIntyre who has written a new book called
1:14.6	The Siege, the remarkable story of the greatest SAS hostage drama.
1:20.1	The book details the 10th six-day siege as millions gathered around their screens across the
1:25.2	UK to witness the longest news flash in British
1:28.4	television history, in which police negotiators and psychiatrists sought a bloodless end to the
1:34.1	standoff while the SAS hitherto in organisations shrouded in secrecy laid plans for a daring rescue
1:40.9	mission, Operation Nimrod. It's a cracking fast-paced story of what
1:46.8	really happened on those fateful six days and the first full account of a moment
1:51.4	that forever changed the way Britain thought about the SAS and itself. I'm delighted to
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Ian Sanders, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Ian Sanders and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.