George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Codes and ciphers, invisible ink and secret messages, spies and counterspies! Covert operations win the Revolutionary War under mastermind Washington in this intriguing take on early American history. Allen presents the facts with a gleeful edge, clearly enjoying his subject and writing with vigor. The author relates the main events of the Revolution chronologically, consistently revealing the shadowy role of intelligence and counterintelligence. Members of the Culper Ring, the "mole" in the Sons of Liberty, and daring women worked as spies, fighting on the secret front where Patriots and Tories looked and sounded alike. Washington's role as spymaster adds a fascinating and fresh perspective on the life of this revered founding father who did far more than cross the Delaware. This small-format book looks like a publication from the 1700s. Set in an antique typeface, it is well illustrated with black-and-white reproductions of archival art and Harness's charming pen-and-ink sketches. Messages written in the Talmadge code (1783) appear throughout, with a key in the appendix. Even the chapter titles are historically appropriate, such as "Franklin's French Friends. IN WHICH a wise man from Philadelphia goes to Paris and outfoxes spies of two nations." This is well-documented, appealing history. It's a good companion to Shannon Zemlicka's Nathan Hale, Patriot Spy (Carolrhoda, 2002), which offers similar coverage on a famous Patriot whose work as a spy cost him his life.
Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 6-8. Allen, the author of Remember Pearl Harbor (2001) and books of military history, discusses espionage during the Revolutionary War in this small, distinctive-looking volume. The concise narrative traces Washington's use of spies and makes a convincing case for the pivotal role that espionage played in defeating the British. Laced with details about invisible ink, codes, and double agents, the discussion sometimes draws parallels between eighteenth-century deceptions and the methods and vocabulary of modern espionage. The black-and-white illustrations include maps, ink drawings, and reproductions of period paintings, prints, and documents. Though the small size of the pictures detracts from their effectiveness, in other respects the book's design is excellent. Period features include Caslon Antique typeface, pages with uneven side cuts, and a jacket with slightly indented type, recalling the imprints made by eighteenth-century presses. Beneath the jacket is a slightly worn, embossed cover with two secret messages written in tiny letters of code on its top and bottom edges. The extensive, informative back matter includes a time line of the war, a glossary, a substitution code used during the Revolution, notes expanding on the text, source notes for quotes, and an annotated list of recommended books and Internet sites. Handsome, unusual, intriguing. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792251261
• ISBN-13: 978-0792251262
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #841,233 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't know Washington had it in him., April 3, 2004

By A Customer

This was a fascinating look at a part of the Revolutionary War I didn't even know existed, and I'm sure my children didn't either. Spies and double spies and secret codes I associate more with James Bond than George Washington. Presented in a clear and interesting way that makes for a compelling book, full of the kind of details that make history fun. Nice writting that is understandable but doesn't talk down to children. Also, an appealing book physically, small, and made to look (under the paper cover) like George's own secret book of codes. The codes are reproduced in the book and there is a running message to decode.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun children's book, April 21, 2006

By	Sean Busick (Athens, Alabama) - See all my reviews

I read this book to my daughter, who is almost six. The narrative held her attention and she really enjoyed decoding the secret messages hidden in the text and learning about invisible ink. This is a fun, well-designed book for children.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He likes his redcoats shaken, not stirred., September 1, 2005

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

On the coolness scale, kids rank George Washington just above Chester B. Arthur and just below... oh, I dunno... pickled yams. Which is to say, GW's PR department needs some help. Enter the National Geographic publishing company. Continually churning out fine fine non-fiction titles for kiddies everywhere, the good folks at the National, with the help of author Thomas B. Allen, have done their darndest to make Mr. Washington less the kind of guy you're supposed to remove your hat in memory of, and more the kind of guy who'd give James Bond a run for his money when it comes to espionage. Sporting a cover on which George smirks slyly from beneath a dark and shadowy cape collar, the book makes the claim that the only reason we really won the Revolutionary War was because our first president was a whiz at spying. It's an intriguing premise and an amusing little book.

Let's say you're an up-and-coming young republic. You've been ruled by a distant country over the sea for quite some time but recently that rule's been chafing you. What is the answer then? Well, if you happen to be America the answer is open rebellion (if you happen to be Northern Ireland, good luck to you). As George Washington came of age in America, he learned how important a good intelligence network was in a time of war. Having served in the French and Indian War, George saw good spying done firsthand. When America next attempted to pull away from the British, Mr. Washington was able to put this theory into practice. Chronicling the course of the war and the significant changes wrought due to both American and British intelligence, Allen gives fresh insights into everything from Paul Revere's Ride to the heroism of Lafayette. Kids reading this book will learn how to create invisible ink, hide a message within a message, and codify their writing. There's even a complete word for word Tallmadge code at the back of the book for future use, and the book hides hidden messages on selected pages for translation.

So how readable is "George Washington, Spymaster"? Well, it has its moments, that's for sure. Allen is at his best when the action is at its peak. The sections describing Benedict Arnold's betrayal are fairly riveting as are the parts of the book that talk about double agents. One of the problems with the story, however, is the number of characters that randomly pop up in it. Keeping one spy apart from another is a hazardous undertaking. Allen provides the reader with a makeshift spy chart at the beginning of the book, but if you're able to refer to it then you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. I did enjoy seeing how many women and African-Americans aided the spy cause. What struck me as a little odd, however, was the fact that the blacks helped out the Revolutionaries at all. I mean, slavery was illegal in England and legal in America. Wouldn't the African-Americans have wanted to align themselves with a nation that disapproved of such a barbaric practice? Allen leaves such questions unaddressed and unanswered.

If you've a kid who has enjoyed the tricky techniques and clever underground networking of this title, then may I suggest the similarly tricky if fictional, "The Year of the Hangman" by Gary Blackwood. That book offers the what-if premise of "What if the British DIDN'T lose the Revolutionary War?" and utilizes all the spy techniques mentioned in "George Washington, Spymaster". The two books tackle the same subject from different angles and end up complimenting one another nicely. Not every kid is going to glom onto the notion that Washington was as cool a spy as 007 or whatever spy cartoon is currently all the rage. Still, this is one biography that's just a bit less fuddy-duddyish than its contemporaries. If I have a kid come into my library moaning that they need to read a bio on a Revolutionary War figure, this will be the first book I pluck from the shelves. A great addition to any collection.