George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War | 
 enlarge | Author: Thomas B. Allen
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
Category: Book
List Price: $5.95
Buy New: $2.54
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 227486
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 5 x 0.5
ISBN: 1426300417
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.385092
EAN: 9781426300417
ASIN: 1426300417
Publication Date: January 9, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: New, unread, unused and in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages, may have a remainder mark.
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Product Description
Now in paperback—the award-winning National Geographic book that presents the untold story of the invisible war behind the American Revolution. A riveting tale of intrigue, spies, counterspies and secret agents, George Washington, Spymasteris a unique and entertaining account of one of the most important chapters in our nation's history. The compelling narrative reveals the surprising role played by the first commander-in-chief, General George Washington in the War of Independence.
Follow the action as 1775 dawns, and Washington finds himself in serious trouble. At war with Britain, the world's most powerful empire, his ragtag army possesses only a few muskets, some cannons, and no money. The Americans' only hope is to wage an invisible war—a war of spies, intelligence networks, and deception.
Enter the shadowy world of double agents, covert operations, codes and ciphers—a world so secret that America's spymaster himself doesn't know the identities of some of his agents. Meet members of the elusive Culper Ring, uncover a "mole" in the Sons of Liberty, and see how invisible ink and even a clothesline are used to send secret messages. You can even use Washington's own secret codebook, published here for the first time. Experience at close quarters the successes and failures of the Americans as they strive to outwit the British. Meet the chief of covert operations, one Benjamin Franklin, and several other surprising players in America's secret war.
Author Thomas B. Allen has sifted through dozens of historical documents and coded letters to uncover the facts about a time shrouded in secrets. Archival art, coupled with lively pen-and-ink sketches by children's illustrator Cheryl Harness, detail all the action and adventure of this momentous tale. Like the highly acclaimed hardback, this little paperback is sure to have a big impact on the imagination of readers everywhere.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 As informative as it is entertaining... June 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War is a National Geographic book written by Thomas B. Allen. This young adult book is as informative as it is entertaining. In the books that I have read about the Revolution, the Patriot spy network isn't given much coverage.
Allen starts during the French and Indian War when Washington was a young major. He was sent out by Virginia Royal Governor Robert Dimwiddie. Washington realized early on that he had to rely on intelligence gathered from civilians and the Indians to learn about French forces. Washington wrote "There is nothing more necessary than good Intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy & nothing that requires greater pains to obtain."
When the Revolutionary War began, Washington built on those information-gathering techniques that he used during the French and Indian War. Washington became a "spymaster," handling large numbers of individual spies. At first, Washington wanted an intelligence network of military men. The first such group was the Knowlton Rangers, which eventually evolved into the modern Army Rangers and Special Forces. The Rangers got off to a disastrous start, and Washington realized that "Instead of relying on officers to gather military intelligence, he would do what the Sons of Liberty had done in Boston. He would use civilians--sharp-witted Patriots who could spy while making believe they were Tories."
Thomas gives the reader a tutorial on spying and spies. He tells us the difference between an agent, a double agent, an intelligence officer and a snitch. He provides the code created by Benjamin Tallmadge for Patriot correspondence. He also hides messages throughout the book using this code. He details the tools of the spy trade from the 1700s including invisible ink, hiding messages in feather quills, small silver balls for hiding messages (they could be swallowed when captured), etc. Also, the Patriots were masters at forging documents and making sure they fell into British hands. One civilian woman relayed information to the military by the way she hung her laundry. But for all the information Washington received from his spy network, there was always the danger of dealing with double agents and traitors (Benedict Arnold).
One thing I found especially interesting about George Washington, Spymaster is how many agents and double agents were not identified until well after the Revolution. It has taken until the 1900s and the opening of British papers for Americans to discover that some of their trusted Patriots were actually working for Britain.
This may be a book written for young adults, but I certainly learned quite a bit from Thomas Allen in George Washington, Spymaster.
Book Artfully Done March 26, 2008
This small book is done just as if it were printed in Washington's time.
The lettering on the jacket is touchable just like real engraving. The pages in the small book are uneven. The illustrations are all black and
white, highly detailed, and just like what you would have seen in
Washington's day.
The names are sometimes hard to follow, but then the author gives you
a clue and you are again able to understand it.
The story gives you a real feel for how close the Colonies were to losing.
If Washington had not been cleverly making it look like he was
going to attack one place but actually hit them at another more vunerable place, we surely would not be free today.
I plan to gift every grandchild with this book when they are old enough to
really understand it. It makes the Revolution interesting, not stodgy.
Compelling read! November 16, 2007
This chronicling of the spies of the Revolutionary War (mostly viewed from the American side) was so interesting that I read it from cover to cover in one day. Even though it's targeted for 6-9th grades, I as an adult thoroughly enjoyed it. It's fun to get another view of the war from the espionage side. It made me appreciate the Patriots who fought for our liberty in a whole new way.
History of the American Revolution made fun! July 16, 2007
In preparation on a column that I am doing for middle and teen readers on espionage, I picked this title up at the library on the recommendation of the young adult librarian. What a great suggestion! Allen does a fantastic job of leading the reader through the incredible story of spying, double agents, and treason during the Revolutionary War. This book has it all - invisible ink, disguises, codebooks, hidden messages, and more. And readers are invited to test themselves at decoding, using a "mask", and other spy talents. Recommended for school use in American History units, and for anyone (gr 4 and up) that is looking for something really different and entertaining, while being completely factual! This would make a great read-aloud for teachers too.
George Washington: Spymaster is a great book!!!!! May 9, 2006
This is the best book ever. I highly recommend it, because it is easy to read, and gives you important information, the most history books leave out.
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