The Spook Who Sat By the Door

A blistering read. A black revolutionary joins the CIA and learns all about revolutions overseas, then quits and uses his knowledge to organize a street gang into a revolutionary cadre. When the Detroit ghetto rises up, the cadre attacks the National Guard, sends out organizers to other major cities to organize cadre there, and the Black revolution breaks out across the United States. Tragically, it is not a feminist book.

1969. This was a great discovery. The premise is that a black social worker can organize all the gang kids into an army to fight for the ghetto blacks. They rob a bank and an armory and when the ghetto folks start to riot in South Chicago they attack the National Guard. They even organize cells in other cities and war breaks out all over the country in the ghettoes. It was full of black power propanganda and every other word is 'whitey' or 'ofay'. Loved it.

One of thee best books I've ever read in my life! The novel tells the story of Turk, a former gang banger hoodlum type turned collegiate militant activist who becomes one of the first "spooks" in the CIA after pretending to be a perfect Uncle Tom. After five years flunkying for the CIA he returns home to Chicago from DC, where he impersonates a playboy living beyond his means as a poverty social worker as a cover for reuniting with his old gang the Cobras, and turning them into a first class paramilitary revolutionary force. Despite his best efforts for black liberation growing close to his gang, his personal life and strained relationships threaten to dismantle his vision, leading to an explosive end you won't see coming.

Read this book.

An intense, gritty read! I liked the quote from Time on the back of the book, "Blends James Bond parody with wit and rage." That about sums it up! Dan Freeman is one cool cat! Go Cobras!!!

I really wanted to like this book, but the writing style just made me cringe. The only well-written segment is the riot scene.

Wow! Fantastic. Talk you a page turner and something so authentic. I loved this.