The Sooner Spy

New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1990. First Printing. Hardcover. 222 pages. Signed by the author on title page. DJ has some wear and soiling. James Charles Lehrer (born May 19, 1934) is an American journalist and a novelist. Lehrer is the former Executive Editor and News Anchor for the PBS NewsHour, and is known for his role as a Debate Moderator in U.S. Presidential campaigns. He is an author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books that draw upon his experience as a newsman, along with his interests in history and politics. In October 1975, Lehrer became the Washington Correspondent for the "Robert MacNeil Report" on Thirteen/WNET New York. Two months later on December 1, 1975, he was promoted to Co-anchor, and the program was accordingly renamed "The MacNeil/Lehrer Report". In September 1983, Lehrer and MacNeil relaunched their show as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour which, after MacNeil's departure in 1995, was renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and in 2009 became the PBS NewsHour. Lehrer is a prolific writer, and has authored numerous novels, as well as having penned several plays, screenplays, and three memoirs. His book, "Top Down", is a novel based on the events surrounding the Kennedy assassination. His recent play, BELL, was produced by the National Geographic Society as part of their 125th anniversary celebration. Derived from a Kirkus review: TV newsman Lehrer returns with the third in his whimsical series affectionately featuring One-Eyed Mack, the buffoonish Lieutenant-Governor of Oklahoma. As "Second Man" of Oklahoma, Mack has to substitute for Governor Buffalo Joe at various boring functions. As the story opens, Mack is making an impassioned commencement address at a small college and meets a young Indian student named Calvin Howell Youngfoot. Calvin's dream is to join the CIA; he plans on doing so by uncovering a Russian spy somewhere in the state, and reporting him to the feds. Mack mentions the boy's crackpot scheme to his friend C. Harry Hayes, Director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, and is astonished to learn that there is a spy in the Sooner State--in fact, it's a man named Art Pennington, who is managing a branch of a drive-in grocery chain started by Mack's wife, Jackie. As the plot thickens: it turns out that the aforementioned Calvin is not an Indian at all, but rather an Afghan hired by the KGB to kill Pennington--because Pennington is in reality a KGB defector. Before the smoke clears, the plot will have taken many unexpected twists, and a good time will have been had by all--even the CIA. Far-fetched but entertainingly loony--especially for fans of One-Eyed Mack and his pals. Condition: Very good / Good.

Keywords: Novels, Espionage, Oklahoma, CIA, Russia, Journalists, Newspapers, Defector, Lieutenant Governor, KGB, Criminal Investigation, Spy, Calvin Howell Youngfoot, Harry Hayes, Art Pennington

ISBN: 1571780416

[Book #35025]

Price: $56.00

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