Terry Anderson, the Associated Press reporter who was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985, held hostage for almost seven years, and later wrote a book about the experience, has died at 76, the AP reports.

Anderson was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who reported for the AP in the U.S., South Africa, and Japan before being assigned to Lebanon by the news agency in 1982. Three years later, after leaving a tennis game with his friend, he was kidnapped by members of the Islamic Jihad Organization militia.

He was held hostage for six years and nine months, longer than fellow prisoners like academic Thomas Sutherland and Catholic priest Lawrence Jenco.

In 1991, Anderson was released by his captors. Two years later, he published a book about his ordeal, Den of Lions: Memoirs of Seven Years. A critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, which became a bestseller, “That a man can spend seven years chained to a wall and less than two years later write such a lucid and compassionate memoir of his ordeal is a remarkable testament to humanity—as well as an unimpeachable indictment of the terrorism that chained his body but not his spirit.”

Anderson’s admirers paid tribute to him on social media. On X, formerly known as Twitter, fellow journalist Dan Rather wrote, “The very definition of a courageous journalist, Terry Anderson suffered years of torture at the hands of Iranian-backed terrorists. My thoughts are with his family.”

And reporter Jim Clancy posted, “Farewell, my friend. Deep respect for Terry Anderson, the AP Bureau Chief in Beirut taken hostage in Beirut in 1985. He wasn't released until 1991. A colleague always ready to help others in need, he held up the best standards of journalism. Condolences to his many friends and his family.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.