American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent by Tamer Elnoury
AMERICAN RADICAL is the story of a patriotic Muslim recruited by the F.B.I to penetrate terrorist groups. The author became "Tamer Elnoury," complete with a solid background and internet presence. That way, anybody checking him out would discover that Tamer was "real." Of course, the author did not just pretend to be Muslim--he really is a devout believer, and hates the notion that radicals are bringing disgrace to his religion.
Before working in anti-terrorism, the author worked to take-out major drug dealers. I actually found this brief section of the book more interesting than the anti-terrorism action. He lived the part: I spent a lot of days looking and acting like a criminal." Describing the moment the SWAT team stormed the building, the author recalls: "My eyeballs went to Black’s hands and waist. If he went for a gun, I was going to shoot him."
AMERICAN RADICAL reads a bit like a "Police Procedural." I found it to be an interesting read by someone right at the heart of the action. The author puts the reader right at the scene of the crime, with all the nitty-gritty details. There is lots of detailed narrative about the author's work on the "inside," as well as the court details. I thought some parts were a little too long, but perhaps other readers might appreciate all the detail. The book also includes a "Glossary of Arabic Words."
