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The Spook Who Sat By the Door by Sam…
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The Spook Who Sat By the Door (edition 1970)

by Sam Greenlee

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2475108,372 (4.03)2
A classic in the black literary tradition, "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" is both a comment on the civil rights problems in the United States in the late 1960s and a serious attempt to focus on the issue of black militancy. Dan Freeman, the "spook who sat by the door," is enlisted in the CIA's elitist espionage program. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Chicago blacks as "Freedom Fighters" in this explosive, award-winning novel. As a story of one man's reaction to ruling-class hypocrisy, the book is autobiographical and personal. As a tale of a man's reaction to oppression, it is universal.… (more)
Member:2459
Title:The Spook Who Sat By the Door
Authors:Sam Greenlee
Info:Bantam Books (1970), Paperback
Collections:Your library
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The Spook Who Sat By the Door by Sam Greenlee

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Showing 5 of 5
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. ( )
  Articul8Madness | Nov 6, 2023 |
Wow! Fantastic. Talk you a page turner and something so authentic. I loved this. ( )
  shaundeane | Sep 13, 2020 |
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. ( )
  magonistarevolt | May 7, 2020 |
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!!! ( )
  Stahl-Ricco | Jan 23, 2016 |
I really wanted to like this book, but the writing style just made me cringe. The only well-written segment is the riot scene. ( )
  VikkiLaw | Apr 4, 2013 |
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A classic in the black literary tradition, "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" is both a comment on the civil rights problems in the United States in the late 1960s and a serious attempt to focus on the issue of black militancy. Dan Freeman, the "spook who sat by the door," is enlisted in the CIA's elitist espionage program. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Chicago blacks as "Freedom Fighters" in this explosive, award-winning novel. As a story of one man's reaction to ruling-class hypocrisy, the book is autobiographical and personal. As a tale of a man's reaction to oppression, it is universal.

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