I have always appreciated the Revolutionary War, knowing that it was a critical and major part of the process of America becoming America. There is a very real chance that I would not be who I am today if it were not for the revolution. It then goes without saying that I am indebted to the great leaders of nascent America. Sadly, it’s not a big stretch to say that I don’t know enough about them and about the war they fought to secure both their freedom and my freedom. The subject has always captured my imagination, though, and I am always excited to learn more about how the United States miraculously overcame Great Britain.
George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger (ISBN: 978-1-59523-103-1) tells a very interesting story and gives some important insights into just how Washington and the other rebels upset one of the greatest empires in the world. Washington was not opposed at all to spying, and the methods he was willing to employ were rather cutting edge for his time. Importantly, the American forces were first to plunge into the spy game, so the British, who eventually put off the old ways of thinking about spying and the old ways of spying itself, had to play catch up. Since New York was of such great importance to the warring armies, getting solid intelligence out of the Tory-held area was critical to the American cause. Washington’s chief of intelligence, Benjamin Tallmadge, was able to recruit six agents in New York, known as the Culper Ring, after the pseudonyms of the main agents, who then provided the Continental Army with key information throughout the war. They were able to help thwart a British attack on French forces friendly to the American rebels, they helped capture traitor extraordinaire Benedict Arnold, they helped Washington avoid defeat by warning him not to chase after what was a British diversion, and they helped the Continental government fight against British attempts to infuse America with counterfeit money. Kilmeade and Yaeger provide a number of details about those involved in the spy ring, the officers on both sides, and the various events they were involved in from the ring’s inception to the end of the war.
I enjoyed the book and was pleased to learn a number of new things. The book was relatively light reading, though, which was slightly disappointing, but expected considering the author with top billing used to be a cable news morning show host. I liked getting a look at a part of the Revolutionary War that I was unaware of before, especially considering its relative importance. This book spent a bit of time on each of the main characters in the spy ring, including one the authors (and some others, it turns out) refer to as “Agent 355.” There are various theories as to who this person is, but the authors of this book leaned heavily toward the idea that this person was a woman involved in the spy trade. It very well could have been, but I remained unconvinced and thought that this was more of a ploy to appeal to today’s reader. Overall, I would’ve liked a more academic treatment of the subject, but found the book to be a great introduction to a fascinating piece of American history.
George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger (ISBN: 978-1-59523-103-1) tells a very interesting story and gives some important insights into just how Washington and the other rebels upset one of the greatest empires in the world. Washington was not opposed at all to spying, and the methods he was willing to employ were rather cutting edge for his time. Importantly, the American forces were first to plunge into the spy game, so the British, who eventually put off the old ways of thinking about spying and the old ways of spying itself, had to play catch up. Since New York was of such great importance to the warring armies, getting solid intelligence out of the Tory-held area was critical to the American cause. Washington’s chief of intelligence, Benjamin Tallmadge, was able to recruit six agents in New York, known as the Culper Ring, after the pseudonyms of the main agents, who then provided the Continental Army with key information throughout the war. They were able to help thwart a British attack on French forces friendly to the American rebels, they helped capture traitor extraordinaire Benedict Arnold, they helped Washington avoid defeat by warning him not to chase after what was a British diversion, and they helped the Continental government fight against British attempts to infuse America with counterfeit money. Kilmeade and Yaeger provide a number of details about those involved in the spy ring, the officers on both sides, and the various events they were involved in from the ring’s inception to the end of the war.I enjoyed the book and was pleased to learn a number of new things. The book was relatively light reading, though, which was slightly disappointing, but expected considering the author with top billing used to be a cable news morning show host. I liked getting a look at a part of the Revolutionary War that I was unaware of before, especially considering its relative importance. This book spent a bit of time on each of the main characters in the spy ring, including one the authors (and some others, it turns out) refer to as “Agent 355.” There are various theories as to who this person is, but the authors of this book leaned heavily toward the idea that this person was a woman involved in the spy trade. It very well could have been, but I remained unconvinced and thought that this was more of a ploy to appeal to today’s reader. Overall, I would’ve liked a more academic treatment of the subject, but found the book to be a great introduction to a fascinating piece of American history.
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