Brian 's Reviews > Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring

Alexander Rose delivers a well researched and well thought out book on the history of American (and some of the British) spy rings that influenced the battle plans of the American revolutions. From the famous story of Nathan Hale to the operations around New York the first real intelligence organ of the United States is revealed. The book is not only an overview of the lives of the spies who fed intelligence to the Continental Army but goes into the methods in which they used. There is an entire chapter devoted the development of ciphers and code books that were used by the spy masters to encode messages. There is also a chapter devoted to the ways in which routes were developed and the invisible ink that was used to hide the messages of importance. It is a fascinating look at these men who shaped the outcomes of the army and while I will concede to some previous reviewers that it is thick in detail at time it provides a rich tapestry from which to understand the American Revolution. This area is only now being written about in greater detail but this is really the first major book to look at the entire spy operation from start to finish during the American Revolution and it is an excellent start. You do need to be a fan of American history due to the thick detail but if you enjoy the American Revolution this is one you can't miss!

Special Note
There is also a fascinating account of a little know story on the attempted abduction of Benedict Arnold from New York for those interested in how the operation was set up.