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George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War
by
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 th
...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
January 9th 2007
by National Geographic Children's Books
(first published 2004)
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Showing 1-30
My husband insisted on buying this book at the Mount Vernon bookshop even though it is intended for children. Well, I ended up reading it before he did and found it to be an easy, enjoyable read about spies during the Revolutionary War. This is exactly the kind of book that I enjoyed as a child (I LOVED the Dear America series). This book is full of interesting snippets of history that often get left out from more traditional history narratives. Who doesn't love a story about a woman throwing ba
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George Washington was a SPY?!
One simple thought struck me about halfway through this book: this is not the Revolutionary War I learned about when I was a kid. Not even close. I vaguely remember learning about the many problems folks in America had with King George (so many, in fact, that they made a list). There were lessons about the desire for independence, about military strategy, muskets, and a guy riding around on a horse waking people up. Don’t even get me started on the military commander ...more
One simple thought struck me about halfway through this book: this is not the Revolutionary War I learned about when I was a kid. Not even close. I vaguely remember learning about the many problems folks in America had with King George (so many, in fact, that they made a list). There were lessons about the desire for independence, about military strategy, muskets, and a guy riding around on a horse waking people up. Don’t even get me started on the military commander ...more
For a man who "couldn't tell a lie," Washington was pretty deceptive.
Also, he didn't tolerate the deception of others very well, as there were a lot of hangings going on.
The book doesn't deal with Washington as much as it does the spies he handled. (I'm using handled there ambiguously - did you catch that? Handled as in "is in charge of" as well as in "dispatched." Not too shabby...)
It was nice reading this after reading The Notorious Benedict Arnold last year and The Inner Circle the year befor ...more
Also, he didn't tolerate the deception of others very well, as there were a lot of hangings going on.
The book doesn't deal with Washington as much as it does the spies he handled. (I'm using handled there ambiguously - did you catch that? Handled as in "is in charge of" as well as in "dispatched." Not too shabby...)
It was nice reading this after reading The Notorious Benedict Arnold last year and The Inner Circle the year befor ...more
Dec 28, 2018
Porter Broyles
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
five-star-reviews,
genre-children-s-book
This was a fun little history book for older elementary school kids. I thought it covered a lot of material and was enjoyable.
Jumped around a bit, which made it a little confusing, but a fascinating look at the spy network that Washington ran during the Revolutionary times. But my favorite part was the description of Washington's false teeth.
I read this book for research purposes and it brought to light some angles and names I'd not known/considered before, and helped fill in some holes I'd found in other sources. This should be required reading for students learning about the Revolutionary War. Not only is it truthful and engaging, it proves that history is anything but boring!
Feb 25, 2013
Laura Verret
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-sale
Military secrets! Double agents! Undercover missions! Betrayal, intrigue – espionage.
If any of that up there sounded exciting to you, or if you happen to be a fan of the American War for Independence, then George Washington, Spymaster is the book for you!
Most books about the American Revolution focus on the philosophical causes for the war, or the politically charged atmosphere which surrounded its necessity. Some talk about the famous figures who spurred on that war, or the important battles th ...more
If any of that up there sounded exciting to you, or if you happen to be a fan of the American War for Independence, then George Washington, Spymaster is the book for you!
Most books about the American Revolution focus on the philosophical causes for the war, or the politically charged atmosphere which surrounded its necessity. Some talk about the famous figures who spurred on that war, or the important battles th ...more
I would not recommend this book for children. This book deals with a LOT of different people, and the author is not good at reminding the reader who these people are when they show up again. The main problem is that the scope of this book is just too big, making the content overwhelmingly detailed and specific. The language itself is appropriate for children between 10 and 12, but no child would ever read this book unless it was assigned because it is confusing, deals with too many people, and d
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Nov 09, 2007
Meagan
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Fans of American history
Shelves:
kids_materials_class
This book tells the story of the Revolutionary War from the angle of the spies who helped win it. The story of America's first spies lends the history a sense of adventure and an immediacy that's lacking in so many historical books for children, making this an excellent choice for kids who have trouble enjoying history. In addition, the book is well-researched and includes the web addresses where readers can find the original letters and journals online. Finally, readers can get involved with th
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Nov 06, 2008
Scott Dunham
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Young people interested in History
Recommended to Scott by:
Local library chose it for a Book Study group
My 10 year old son and I read this together before bedtime, and we devoured it over 3 nights! I've studied the Revolutionary War just a bit, but never realized how much espionage and plain old fooling the British Army played a role in our becoming a Nation!
This book touched on Benedict Arnold, so now we've gone and checked out 3 more books on the man whose name has become synonymous with "TRAITOR"! My son wants to know what happened to Arnold. Sounds like it all could make a great movie someday ...more
This book touched on Benedict Arnold, so now we've gone and checked out 3 more books on the man whose name has become synonymous with "TRAITOR"! My son wants to know what happened to Arnold. Sounds like it all could make a great movie someday ...more
It's rather like a picture book version of Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring and would be better for younger people. However, the fact that it had codes hidden in the margins, and that it used a Colonial type gave it bonus points.
Aug 04, 2008
Denise Ortakales
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kids-non-fiction
This is a wonderfully designed little book–feels good in your hands, pages have deckled edges, uses a font reminiscent of the time, and the jacket is printed in letterpress. I can see where kids, especially boys, would get caught up in the whole spy thing; there are codes to decipher throughout the whole book. Kudos to National Geographic for making history fun!
*Mitten Award Honor Book*
Not only does this book have great information on Washington's network of spies, it also gives sample codes and coded messages throughout. What a fun way to learn about codemaking, history, strategy and more!
Not only does this book have great information on Washington's network of spies, it also gives sample codes and coded messages throughout. What a fun way to learn about codemaking, history, strategy and more!
I'm not a big fan of reading history but this book is so cool! It's a different take on the American Revolution by talking about how George Washington was a spy with many undercover agents working on both sides. I wish my American History textbooks were written this way.
This little book is so much fun! A very quick read, but original and entertaining!
I bought this book at the International Spy Museum while on vacation in DC. It is totally outside of my usual subject matter but it looked interesting because the title made me think I could actually understand how the Americans outspied the British and won the Revolutionary War.
It took me a long time to comprehend the text because some of it is written in Old English...I believe. The text notes in the back of the book did aid in my understanding.
What helped me also is my natural proclivity to ...more
It took me a long time to comprehend the text because some of it is written in Old English...I believe. The text notes in the back of the book did aid in my understanding.
What helped me also is my natural proclivity to ...more
Love this book. Small, clear, concise. Historically appropriate. Used it multiple times from 2009-2013 in my Intelligence and Democracy course I taught at the undergraduate level. Pick it up from time to time when I want to refresh my memory on the history of this issue. The French definitely helped wrap things up at the end, but I will always contend it was Washington's masterful employment of intelligence (including denial and deception) (along with the efforts of Hamilton and Tallmadge) that
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I found this to be a quick and interesting read on the use of espionage during the Revolutionary War and George Washington's role in it. It discusses how certain spy technique's came about and includes what they are called today. He also discusses how information, or misinformation, affected battles during the war.
I would suggest reading the text notes included in the back as well, as they give some interesting side bits of information.
While this book is geared toward children 10+ (could be rea ...more
I would suggest reading the text notes included in the back as well, as they give some interesting side bits of information.
While this book is geared toward children 10+ (could be rea ...more
George Washington was born February 22,1732.His father died when he was just eleven years old.George Washington was an officer in the Virginia militia.He had been made major in February 1753.He was thrown into swift moving water and saved himself by grabbing on a log and escaped the French and Indian War unharmed.He had resigned from the Virginia militia to join the Continental Army.A few years after George had joined, he was named commander-in-chief.He had named a site Fort Necessity and public
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Some of this is a little difficult to follow because there are so many names. There are also lots of agents who spied for both sides. BUT it was an interesting perspective on the Revolutionary War-it covers women spies and Benedict Arnold too. One of my favorite things is that it ties into the Hamilton frenzy--my current obsession. I was singing some of the Hamilton soundtrack while reading the parts about Hercules Mulligan, Layfayette, and Rochambeau. It's going to make the summer reading list
...more
The book is an adorable size and the topic is interesting, I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe I should have read it when I was more mentally alert. It is the short story of how George Washington used his spy skills to win the Revolutionary War. He did some sneaky, tricky things! Some of the names started to blend together and remembering all the pieces and how they fit was not as easy as I would have liked. Kids and adults who like history or intrigue would enjoy this read.
I really enjoyed reading this book . It was very easy to read and comprehend and full of information about George Washington and the spies that helped him win The Revolutionary War. This is great for anyone at any age . I didn't realize how much I have forgotten ..
I really enjoyed this little book with only 149 small pages filled with large type and a number of images and maps. It did not pretend to be a great treatise and was thoroughly and enjoyable read that was quickly digested and finished.
I thought it was a good book, and I learned a lot about the war against the British in America. I would recommend someone who reads this to know a little bit about this time so its more of an enjoyable read.
This little book is full of good information on the spy system set up by George Washington during the American Revolution. The names of known spies, codes, and spy rings, are discussed. A great starter book for anyone interested in this subject.
What a fascinating book! This one was recommended to me by my son and I'm glad I read it. Great youth literature on a whole new side of the Revolutionary War. What boy wouldn't be enticed to read about spies and battles?
Interesting book with good information. So many things I didn’t know about the war.
Lots of really interesting facts, but the writing was on the plain side due to its reading level. Would really suit young or struggling readers interested in history.
One of the most fascinating stories I've read to the kids as we study the Revolutionary War.
Good for middle school students. Fun read and information.
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Thomas B. Allen's writings range from articles for National Geographic Magazine to books on espionage and military history.
He is the father of Roger MacBride Allen.
He is the father of Roger MacBride Allen.
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