Cannibals and Missionaries - Hardcover

MARY MCCARTHY (1912–1989) was a short-story writer, bestselling novelist, essayist, and critic. She was the author of The Stones of Florence and Birds of America, among other books.

Novel of ideas that probes the psychology of terrorism, by Mary Mccarthy, published in 1979. The action of the novel begins when a plane carrying Americans bound for Iran is hijacked by terrorists. Some passengers are rich art collectors; others are politicians and activists planning to investigate allegations that Savak, the shah's secret police, is using torture against political dissidents. At first the terrorists intend to use the politicians and activists as hostages, but they soon realize that masterworks of art are of more value than any human being and decide to trade the art collectors for their artworks. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature