Wire Tap Author:Paul Gilbert Wiretap is based on the true experiences of Paul Gilbert. It is the story of a young man in Chicago during an eventful period that is of considerable interest to the general public at the present time, the period extending from the assassination of John Kennedy to the Democratic convention of 1968. During this time, Paul learns about the ... more »true workings of society at all levels as he eavesdrops and observes. As the "telephone man" he moves through the inner workings of Chicago society as a kind of invisible man. Throughout his time working from skid row to the Gold Coast on Lake Shore Drive, Paul is involved with strippers and whores, bookies and dope dealers. In contrast to this, he is involved with FBI and Secret Service and the Vice President of the United States to high society parties on Chicago's outer drive. He encounters numerous comically grotesque personalities. Most of these people, rich or poor, seem to have one thing in common, they have an angle. With varying degrees of success they are trying to manipulate the social system around them to serve their own often quirky needs and desires. The story is told with several fellow phone men who do similar type of work. These characters, one of whom is a womanizing wise guy. He travels through his experiences from bar room fights to chasing every woman they find interesting. He gradually develops his own angle as he becomes more and more involved in setting wiretaps for people who represent themselves as belonging to various government and law-enforcement agencies, although he is never sure who he is really working for. Paul also meets and falls in love with a high-class woman who introduces him to levels of society that he has never moved in before. He is a passing fancy to her, but his basic directness and ability to see through pretense allow him to deal with the situation in good humor and without losing face. As his experiences multiply, he gains knowledge and street smarts. Wiretapping phone lines for agencies to taps for crime figures, he listens and learns. He finally finds the knowledge and time to take an opportunity to make lots of money and run and retire.« less