It is the most controversial mystery of the Reagan-Bush era: Did the Republican Party, desperate in 1980 to reclaim the White House, interfere with President Carter‘s frantic efforts to free the 52 American hostages held in Tehran and thwart the „October Surprise“? Was there a Republican-Iranian deal that bordered on treason? Or was this stunning allegation a bizarre trick played by a loose-knit band of arms brokers and intelligence operatives? To answer these questions, award-winning investigative reporter Robert Parry pursued allegations and followed leads in a worldwide odyssey for an elusive–and sometimes dangerous–truth. Beyond the political mystery, this book lays bare an era during which deception evolved into a high art form and the nation‘s traditional constitutional safeguards were no match for the lies.