INSIDE THE FBI

by Norman Ollestad ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 1967

Ollestad, a U.C.L.A. trained lawyer and something of a surf bum, decided that the F.B.I. was the institution which might give him a sense of fulfillment. This then is a short account of the unmaking of a hero, and the first half covers his rather intimidating, martial indoctrination via a series of Pollyannaish lectures about patriotism, virtue, celibacy and the Communist menace. Looming--glooming--everywhere was the indomitable figure of Big Brother, The Director--J. Edgar Hoover. As hypocrisies in the Bureau unfolded (a chloroxed, germ-free morality counterbalanced by a rampant racism) Ollestad was more and more disenchanted. His personal life became suspect with his contacts with one Murph the Surf (purloiner of the Star of India) and the lovely daughter of a Mafia hood, and his short term with the Bureau ends with an abusive episode at a picnic in Miami....As a piece of muck-raking, this promises more than it delivers--it's an F.B.I.O.U. to be taken on faith if excused for its brash to cheap presentation.

Pub Date: May 23, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Lyle Stuart

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION