The book is quite interesting--definitely a page turner. It serves as a very fascinating exploration of the political outlook it presents. Hard truths continually hit you with regard the portrayal not just of establishment Whites, but also of liberal Whites and middle class Blacks.

I do have to take away a star based about the actual revolution plot itself, though. Many aspects of its execution require a signficant suspension of disbelief. And its goals are never detailed by the Freeman character to his soldiers, nor to the reader by Greenlee, beyond to "be free", to "make Whitey stop messing with us" and to "make Whitey choose between global interventionist policies (e.g. Vietnam) and continuing to oppress us".

Um . . . OK . . . so what does that mean? U.S. military policy has long been readiness to fight two major wars on two different fronts. How do various guerilla uprisings suddenly force such a choice? And even if they do, who's to say the choice wouldn't just be to concentrate on cracking down on Blacks? And even if that weren't the choice, what exactly constitutes a victory? Do Blacks run their own neighborhoods independent of any governmental authority that has Whites in it? Black neighborhoods secede for city, state or federal government control? Or do we all move to one place and the fed governemtn turns the land over to us for our own independent nation? Or do we expect that at the end of the rebellion Whites will just magically stop being racists because we've shown we fight back?

Just HOW will things be different at the end of the successful guerilla campaign? We will be "free". But what does that mean? What are the precise specific objectives. You don't undertake a war without some sort of measure in that regard and that is never given to us in this novel.

All that said though, the rest of the story elements are compelling and certainly make the book worth a read. Despite my criticism regarding the details of the plot, the book kept my attention from beginning to end and it had me looking long and hard until I found a copy of the movie to view also.

The Spook Who Sat By the Door is a metaphor for the black man that America thinks it has control of. Karenga once wrote that, "The negro was made and manufactured in America" and it has long been the belief of white people that they have "their negroes" under control. Because of the wholesale sellouts that left the streets following federal jobs in the post-riot sixties, far too many people in trouble think that most blacks have assimilated. This book will put the lie to that pronouncement. Simply, a brother gets into the system and doesn't become OF it. He works during day, trains revolutionaries and plans by night. Although he doesn't live to see his dream come true, it is his tireless work that brings the inevitable revolution into fruition. For people who are serious about struggle and organizing, this book should be read. Sam Greenlee knew what he was doing; the film, in fact, is one of the few cinema presentations that does justice to the literary version. (...)

If the new world order conspiracies make you think, then this book will inspire you and empower you. This book was written with integrity. I am not going to reveal the plot, but take a look at the characters, the National Guard, the FBI, the CIA, the Chicago Police Department, some inner-city rival gangs and one inconspicous brother with a plan and strategy. The Spook Who Sat Behind the Door is valid and very necessary reading. This easy straightforward reading yet powerful