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

Book 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Author Thomas B. Allen has sifted through dozens of historical documents and coded letters to uncover the facts about a time shrouded in secrets.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.

Customer Reviews:

History of the American Revolution made fun!.......2007-07-16

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!!!!!.......2006-05-09

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.

Fun children's book.......2006-04-22

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.

For the Revolutionary War enthusiast there is nothing better!.......2005-10-17

When George Washington stepped into the position of General, the tide turned. "There is nothing more necessary than good intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy and nothing that requires greater pains to obtain." - George Washington. This book proves that statement on many accounts.
This book is crafted in a clever style that makes the book impossible to summarize. It relates to the reader the exact intelligence used and devised by Washington to win countless battles during the revolutionary war.
The book pulled me into it amazingly far as non fiction was never an interest of mine let alone the revolutionary war. I loved how it was explained in such detail, relating the accounts yet holding my attention. Sort of. As I have already stated, I do not enjoy reading about the revolutionary war. So I did not enjoy the book as much as I would have other genres. But I would recommend this book to any enthusiast of the Revolutionary War.

He likes his redcoats shaken, not stirred........2005-09-02

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.

When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots

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WHEN WASHINGTON CROSSED THE DELAWARE: A WINTERTIME STORY FOR YOUNG PATRIOTS
Great story from our beginnings.
Fabulous book
Great book for your little patriots
History at its finest!

When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots
Lynne Cheney , and Peter Fiore
Manufacturer: S&S BFYR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689870434

Book Description

"This is the story that I tell my grandchildren at Christmas. I hope that this book will bring the tradition of sharing history to families all across America."
-- Lynne Cheney

Christmas night, 1776, was a troubled time for our young country. In the six months since the Declaration of Independence had been signed, General George Washington and his troops had suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the British. It looked as though our struggle for independence might be doomed, when Washington made a bold decision. He would lead the main body of his army across the Delaware River and launch a surprise attack on enemy forces.

Washington and his men were going against the odds. It seemed impossible that the ragtag Americans could succeed against the mightiest power in the world. But the men who started across the icy Delaware loved their country and their leader. Under his command they would turn the tide of battle and change the course of history.

Best-selling author Lynne Cheney tells the dramatic story of the military campaign that began on Christmas night in 1776. When Washington Crossed the Delaware will teach the young about the heroism, persistence, and patriotism of those who came before them.

Customer Reviews:

WHEN WASHINGTON CROSSED THE DELAWARE: A WINTERTIME STORY FOR YOUNG PATRIOTS.......2007-06-02

THIS BOOK IS A TRUE TREASURE OF GREAT HISTORY . AN EXCELLENT STORY TO READ FOR HISTORY PURPOSES ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON IN 1776 AND TO READ ON A COLD WINTER NIGHT. A STORY FOR ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO ENJOY DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND THROUGH THE YEAR... FOR ANY YOUNG PATRIOTS AND FAMILIES THAT LIVE WHERE GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HISTORY TOOK PLACE YOU WILL JUST LOVE THIS STORY..........AN EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS GIFT............

Great story from our beginnings........2007-05-08

A great story told! A very inspiring book for young ones, even older young ones and adults!!!

Fabulous book .......2007-05-04

about George Washington! Would be great for a Revolutionary War unit study. My children and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Great book for your little patriots.......2006-08-10

Nicely written teachig our children about their heritage and how they can influence their country positively. After they read this book, they will be a proud American.

History at its finest!.......2005-09-14

A contemporary retelling of one of the greatest military victories in our nation's history. My favorite part is when Washington tells his assembled troups, "Yea, verily, I wouldst not want thine smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud over Trenton," setting a precedent for military action that has rightly endured for centuries.

Martha Washington: First Lady of Liberty

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Excellent Book - a must read!
I am a feminist,ardent anti-racist; I am not enjoying this
More than a biography!
Highly compelling and thoughtful review
Boring

Martha Washington: First Lady of Liberty
Helen Bryan
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471158925

Book Description

"A contempary anecdote not only confirms that Martha commanded respect in her own right during her lifetime, but also suggests an awkward truth later historians have preferred to ignore-that without Martha and her fortune, George might never have risen to social, military, and political prominence.Toward the end of his life, George Washington, war hero, retired president, and object of universal fame and veneration, was negotiating to purchase a plot of land in the new capital city, to be named in his honor. The seller, an aged veteran of the Revolution, was reluctant to part with the plot, even to so distinguished a purchaser. Washington persisted until the veteran's patience snapped: `You think people take every grist that comes from you as the pure grain. What would you have been if you hadn't married the Widow Custis!' "
-from the Introduction to
Martha Washington: First Lady of Liberty

From the glittering social life of Virginia's wealthiest plantations to the rigors of winter camps during the American Revolution, Martha Washington was a central figure in some of the most important events in American history. Her story is a saga of social conflict, forbidden love affairs, ambiguous wills, mysterious death, heartbreaking loss, and personal and political triumph. Every detail is brought to vivid life in this engaging and astonishing biography of one of the best known, least understood figures in early American life.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book - a must read!.......2007-01-18

I have read thousands of pages of biography related to the Revolutionary War but only recently began reading about the ladies of that period beginning with "Founding Mothers". I purchased this book at Mt. Vernon during our recent visit there thinking at the time that I may never even read it. After all, I like most people think of Martha Washington as similar to Mrs. Claus: short, chubby, and interesting only because of whom she was married to. WELL, once I started reading this book it was extremely difficult to put it down. It's a page-turner. It has details that I'd never read before. It makes the reader feel as tho he/she is living during that time and feeling what they felt and seeing what they saw. I love it. Former reviewers mentioned the "Good Ole Boy" phrase used about George Washington and they clearly don't understand what the phrase really means. It does not mean country bumpkin. It more likely means a man who is well-known in his circle, from a prominent family, who knows others from other prominent families and they all have their way of doing things and want it to stay that way. I highly recomment this book and believe it could be used as required reading in college and it is long enough and great enough to be well worth paying full price! Keller

I am a feminist,ardent anti-racist; I am not enjoying this.......2004-02-11

I have not finished this book yet; I will. And I am enjoying much of the historical and social background -- but Bryan's need to repeat certain 'facts' verges on perseverism. Sometimes, she even acknowledges that she has said the same thing before. Then why say it? Do we not have memories when we read?

The 'scholarship' is quite specious -- undocumented 'facts,' episodes and experiences of Martha Washington that are pure supposition.

The book starts as an interesting concept but is becoming an annoying and repetitive hypothesis.

More than a biography!.......2003-08-10

This book was a wonderful insight into America's "first" First Lady. Not only did the book delve into Martha's life, it painted a picture of the times in which she lived. I learned more about the period and slavery than I thought I would ~ very well written. My favorite part was learning more about her first marriage to Daniel Parke Custis. Background is everything and most biographies lack it ~ this book doesn't. Read it and learn.

Highly compelling and thoughtful review.......2003-03-13

Ms. Bryan does for Martha Washington what David McCullogh did for John Adams. This compelling and thoroughly researched account brings Mrs. Washington to life and paints the social forces in operation during her time. It is only once we understand the context in which important historical figures exist that we can understand those figures as people.

Boring.......2003-01-19

This thing reads like a college dissertation. And calling George Washington a "good old boy"? Horrors. If you can fight your way to the end of this one, you've got more patience than me. And people who know me say I am VERY patient.

First American Army : The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men behind America's First Fight for Freedom

Average customer rating:

Oversweeping Generalizations
A 1776 follow-up
Good Despite Some Oddly Jarring Inaccuracies
Ordinary people make history, too
Enjoyable to read, but not really much new information...

First American Army : The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men behind America's First Fight for Freedom
Bruce Chadwick
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402207530

Book Description

"This is the first book that offers a you-are-there look at the American Revolution through the eyes of the enlisted men. Through searing portraits of individual soldiers, Bruce Chadwick, author of George Washington's War, brings alive what it was like to serve then in the American army.

With interlocking stories of ordinary Americans, he evokes what it meant to face brutal winters, starvation, terrible homesickness and to go into battle against the much-vaunted British regulars and their deadly Hessian mercenaries.

The reader lives through the experiences of those terrible and heroic times when a fifteen-year-old fifer survived the Battle of Bunker Hill, when Private Josiah Atkins escaped unscathed from the bloody battles in New York and when a doctor and a minister shared the misery of the wounded and dying. These intertwining stories are drawn from their letters and never-before-quoted journals found in the libraries belonging to the camps where Washington quartered his troops during those desperate years."

Customer Reviews:

Oversweeping Generalizations.......2006-12-29

Those who are educated on the soldiers in the American Revolution will be offended by the oversweeping generalizations in this book. Chadwich uses only the journals of soldiers within the war. Roughly 150 journals were used in making his observations, when nearly 200,000 plus served. He should of spent more time at the National Archives going through the pension records of each soldier. Most soldiers came from the lower spectrum of the social economic ladder, not the professions Chadwick states. In addition, most soldiers could neither read or write, leaving them no opportunity to write a journal or track their journey through the Revolution. Only by having someone else fill out their pension applcation years later have we learned much more about the common soldier in the Revolution. I do not reccomend this book. I think Caroline Cox's "A Proper Sense of Honor and Courage" is much better.

A 1776 follow-up.......2006-10-24

If you loved the book "1776" you will love this book. It is written much the same way. The author mixes first hand accounts with explanations of events and strategic implications. He also focuses on things most authors forget. This book is an excellent way to tell the story of the American Revolution.

The author tells the story of George Washington's Army through the eyes of those who fought it. He does intermingle some background history to help the reader better understand what the soldier writes about. Where as his history isn't comprehensive it is enriching. He does talk about certain campaigns of the American Army like our attempt to capture Canada which most people forget about. Through the eyes of the soldiers you get a true idea of the kinds of sacrifices the first soldiers endured to bring about our freedom. The descriptions are good in the soldiers writings makes you personnally feel these sacrifices. The writing makes the issues facing the Army like disease outbreaks like small pox, walking around in snow without shoes, hunger and other things come alive almost like you are experiencing it. You will understand the Revolution better than anything else by reading this book.

I highly recommend this book for any history lover no matter what your level of history knowledge is.

Good Despite Some Oddly Jarring Inaccuracies.......2006-08-15

I found this book both informative and in many ways refreshing. There are too many narrative accounts that tend to slide past what it meant to be a member of the Continental Army on a day-to-day basis--and what fighting the war meant to the individual soldiers who did it.

On the other hand, there were more than a few oddly jarring notes in a work which purports to break new ground. Early on, Chadwick exclaims that "Hundreds of residents of Charlestown [Mass]...raced out into nearby streets and meadows to watch the fighting...." Maybe so, but since the town was being burned down to the ground, more likely they were fleeing for their lives.

A few pages later, in describing the battle on Breed's (misnamed Bunker's) Hill, Chadwick declares that "...throaty cheers from the Americans despite cannonballs exploding around them." Well, eighteenth century cannonballs did not explode. Common shells did, but field guns fired solid shot and canister which did not include explosive properties.

There are not very many of these sloppy errors, fortunately, but the fact that some are present suggests a certain carelessness with detail. In a book that hopes to open a new and somewhat revisionist approach to studying the war, this can be a problem.

Ordinary people make history, too.......2006-07-15

I really enjoyed this book. It brought to life in vivid detail the deprivations and tribulations faced by the ordinary soldier in the Revolutionary Army. There have been so many books written about the leaders of the Revolution (some good, some pretty boring), but so few volumes about the ordinary men who made up the colonial troops. These people were the foundation of the new country and they deserve to be documented. The author chooses to give us their stories in an interesting way and paints word pictures that let the reader see exactly what conditions were like for the common soldiers. I was fascinated and could hardly put the book down. If all history was presented in this easy to understand and interesting way, more students would love it as much as I do.

Enjoyable to read, but not really much new information..........2006-04-22

This is a generally well-written and enjoyable to read book, but it doesn't quit live up to its sub-title: The Untold Story of George Washington and the Men Behind America's First Fight for Freedom. The book is foremost a retelling of the Battles of the Revolution. It does present viewpoints from the soldiers and others who fought, but I didn't really find a great deal that hasn't been written before, although the portion devoted to Blacks in the Revolution was interesting. Interesting also is how many soldiers died from poor conditions and disease. But I didn't come away feeling that I really got to know the "Men Behind America's First Fight for Freedom." As I said before, the book is mainly a retelling of the story of the battles of the War and secondly, a telling of the battles from the perspective of the common soldier.
For those who haven't read a great deal on the Revolutionary War, this would be a good book to start with. It is enjoyable, easy to read, presents an overview of the history of the War, and gives a perspective on the War from both the commanders and the common soldier. However, if the reader is one who has read a great deal on the Revolutionary War, there isn't really a great deal that is new here. It is a good book, but not one I would put on my top-ten list of Revolutionary War books.
The one thing I found irritating about the book is that several times it left some loose ends dangling. For example, one point in the book tells of George Washington's sometimes leniency toward those who were being disciplined. The author goes on to tell of a group of men sentenced to death for desertion and re-enlisting in order to collect another sign-on bonus. Washington, however decides the punishment is too harsh and so asks "...their officers if there was some mitigating circumstance that he could use...to spare them." Then the author states that Washington pardons them all. Okay, but what did the officers present to Washington to enable him to pardon them? I don't know and apparently neither did the author because we are never told in the book. This same lack of relevant information appears several times in the book.
If it were me and I really wanted to look at the war from a soldiers viewpoint, I would read a book such as "Private Yankee Doodle" by J.P. Martin. Martin's story has been described as "One of the best first-hand accounts of war as seen by a private soldier ever written." In my opinion, the Martin book is much better at describing the life of the soldier in the Revolutionary War. "The First American Army" does, in fact, use the Martin book as source of information.
All in all, "The First American Army" is an enjoyable to read book that presents a decent view of the War from the viewpoint or the soldier. It isn't a great book however. And it doesn't present a great deal of new information. This book would probably be more enjoyed by those with only a general knowledge of the War, not by those who already have read a great deal on the subject. To sum up, this is a good, enjoyable to read book that gives an overview of the battles of the Revolution while at the same time giving us some insight into the lives of the common soldier.

George Washington's Schooners: The First American Navy

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George Washington's Schooners: The First American Navy
Chester G. Hearn
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1557503583

Martha Washington: A Brief Biography (The George Washington Bookshelf)

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Martha Washington: A Brief Biography (The George Washington Bookshelf)
Ellen McAllister Clark
Manufacturer: University of Virginia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Martha Washington An American Life LARGE PRINT

ASIN: 0931917395

Rules of Civility: The 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President in War and Peace

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A Personal Constitution
a man is known by his actions
Those Dignified Gentlemen
Should Be Standard Issue
recipe for decency

Rules of Civility: The 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President in War and Peace
George Washington , and Richard Brookhiser
Manufacturer: University of Virginia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0813922186

Book Description

As a young man, George Washington admired and copied into a little notebook 110 rules for civil behavior that originated from a Jesuit textbook. Washington took these rules very much to heart, and that handwritten list remained with him throughout his life, serving as inspiring guidance from his military days at Valley Forge and Yorktown to his two terms as president.

Guidance that at first sounds archaic, it is in fact just as relevant as--indeed, possibly more necessary than--it was nearly three hundred years ago. Richard Brookhiser makes clear the pertinence of these rules for modern readers and proposes that now more than ever we will be wise to follow the modest example of such a great man. Witty and insightful, Brookhiser's commentary offers real-world instruction in the lost art of self-discipline, and his new preface provides a compelling and timely context in which to employ these guidelines today.

Customer Reviews:

A Personal Constitution.......2007-03-01

This enjoyable short book has within it, a serious message about our first president. The character of the man and how he quite deliberately constituted himself for the challenges of his life, is quite enthralling. He was self reflective enough, without a great formal education, to have required of himself a set of high, and somtimes challenging, personal standards...based upon the cardinal virutes set form in a little Jesuit reader, meant as a guide to leaders. To meditate upon, and require such precepts of personal conduct, turned out to be a prescient insight into what was essential to his very public life.....the life of the irreplaceable leader, of the early days of the American republic.

It says much about the man, who worked ever diligently to improve himself in such a way. Nothing could be more helpful in considering the personal qualities of character that we Americans should expect, for all of our leaders.

In addition, the compiler/author's commentary is often quite entertaining, and always right on the mark.

a man is known by his actions.......2007-03-01

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Initially, I started reading it because I had liked Brookhiser's biography on Hamilton and was looking for something else by the same author. The occasional asides that Brookhiser included helped to bring some of the antiquated rules into the 21st century. While reading this book, at first I found myself making notes as to which person should hear about a particular rule. After a while, however, I began to be aware of some of my behaviors that should change. I have since passed this book on to a young friend very concerned about character. And...I try not to roll my eyes any more. Recommended - but I suggest also reading Washington's Farewell Address as a way to better understand the man's character.

Those Dignified Gentlemen.......2002-02-09

I bought this book about six years ago because I had been told that George Washington had used these rules of civility to guide his own life and actions. I cherish this book. There are a few rules that are dated, but they are entertaining. The rest is pure gold and timeless.

A few examples:

5. If you cough, sneeze, sigh, or yawn, do it not loud but privately; and speak not in your yawning, but put your hankerchief or hand before your face and turn aside.

65. Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none although they give occasion.

82. Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise.

If you can't figure out what to give that new graduate who already has everything, I highly recommend this book. I recommend it for everyone.

Should Be Standard Issue.......2002-01-05

If I win the lottery I am buying the entire supply and handing them out on the street corners. Our society would be a lot more tolerable if everyone followed these simple rules of manners and courtesy. What would Washington have written about inconsiderate cell phone use? A must read for everyone. Buy this as a gift for your teenager or college student. Start your own revolution against boorish behavior.

recipe for decency.......2001-02-17

Though certainly the most ubiquitous, George Washington has also always been the most mysterious of the Founding Fathers; the one whose greatness is most difficult for us to comprehend. Here was a man who was less well spoken and less brilliant than many of his peers. He was not a great philosophical or political thinker. He lost most of the military engagements he led. And yet, the men of whom we think more highly in these regards almost universally revered him. What quality was it that made men like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and the Marquise de Lafayette defer to him ? The answer must surely lie in the character of the man, and character seems to be a uniquely difficult quality to convey in writing. Perhaps it is actually impossible to describe the quality itself; instead the effects of it must be described.

One example from Washington's life seems to me to stand out above all others : his handling of the Newburgh Conspiracy. When, after the War, disgruntled officers, led by Horatio Gates, circulated a letter suggesting that the Army march on Congress to demand back pay and hinted at taking control of the government, Washington used a simple but elegant ploy to defuse the crisis. Having summoned the men to his tent so that he could read a letter meant to dissuade them from their proposed course of action, he paused, reached into a pocket, and withdrew a pair of glasses, which, thanks in large part to his vanity, few knew he even required. As he unfolded them and put them on, he said :

Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray, but almost blind in the service of my country.

It is reported, perhaps with some hyperbole, that men wept; but at any rate, the insurrection crumbled.

It is hard for us, jaded as we have become about our leaders, to imagine the drama of this scene and the effect it must have had on his comrades, but then again, we are unfortunate enough to have a recent Commander in Chief whose preference in underwear, bizarre sexual proclivities, and genital deformities were all common knowledge. It is perhaps instructive that when he was at Boys' State as a teenager (as related in David Maraniss's excellent biography First in His Class), Bill Clinton devoted himself to one single purpose and achieved it : to have his picture taken with President Kennedy. At a similar age, sixteen year old George Washington copied by hand 110 maxims from a guidebook on manners originally compiled by Jesuits in 1595. Both men were trying to improve themselves, but there's a key difference : Clinton sought a photo opportunity that would be personally gratifying and which he might use to advance his political career down the road; Washington sought out those precepts which would help him to discipline himself, to develop his character, and to make himself more presentable to society. The fundamental object of Clinton's effort was personal aggrandizement, of Washington's, to make himself a better person.

In this little book Richard Brookhiser, who wrote a terrific biography of Washington, reproduces the 110 "Rules of Civility" in a much easier form to read than the original text (for example, check out an online version), along with a brief introductory essay and explanatory, often amusing, comments on many of the rules. Here are some examples (with Brookhiser's comments in italics where applicable) :

(1) Every action done in company ought to be done with some sign of respect to those that are present.

(4) In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise or drum with your fingers or feet.

Don't carry a boom box either.

(13) Kill no vermin, as fleas, lice, ticks, etc., in the sight of others. If you see any filth or thick

spittle put your foot dexterously upon it, if it be upon the clothes of your companions put it off privately, and if it be upon your own clothes return thanks to him who puts it off.

Useful advice on the frontier. In 1748, when Washington was sixteen, he went surveying in

the Blue Ridge mountains and was obliged to sleep under "one thread bare blanket with double its weight of vermin." The last two clauses are useful anywhere: Don't embarrass those you help, and however embarrassed you may be to discover that you have been in a ludicrous or disgusting situation, don't forget to thank those who helped you out of it.

As the last example demonstrates, many of the rules seem at first to be hopelessly antiquated, but on further reflection, in the concern they display for personal dignity and humility, thoughtfulness of and respect for others, maintenance of civil standards, they are truly timeless. The final precept is the most famous and allows Brookhiser to sum up all that have come before :

(110) Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

The only open reminder of what has been implicit all along: Petty morals and large morals are linked; there are no great spirits who do not pay attention to both; these little courtesies reflect, as in a pocket mirror, the social and the moral order.

And this is the significance of Washington's attention to these seemingly petty rules, that the conscience is only a spark and that it may be extinguished unless one labors to maintain it. Because Washington did take that labor seriously throughout his life, he had the reserve of respect and honor built up with others which enabled him to cow the rebellious officers at Newburgh and had the personal moral fiber which enabled him, at the vital moments in the life of the new republic, to refuse political power, both when it was there for the taking and when it was freely offered. In some sense, these 110 maxims helped to create the man of whom King George III said, when he heard that General Washington planned to surrender command of the Continental Army to retire to his farm :

If he indeed does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.

That assessment, from a humiliated enemy, was accurate then, and the bloody course of every subsequent revolution, suggests that it may understate the case.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Short Military Biography of George Washington.......2007-02-12

This short volume (only 73 pages, including more than a dozen illustrations) is a good military biography of George Washington, the Soldier.

Author David Palmer, a well known and respected Soldier and Historian, divides Washington's military career into four parts - Aspirant, Colonel, General, and Commander in Chief and concludes with a brief examination of Washington's legacy, which was considerable.

Indeed, at the end of the Revolutionary War, Britain's King George himself stated that if Washington voluntary surrendered the immense power Congress had given him during the war, he would be the greatest man of the Eighteenth Century and one of the greatest men that had ever lived.

Palmer, however, mythologizes Washington, giving him too much credit for the success of others. The reality is that the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army had to learn the business of war against the British the hard way and suffered defeat after defeat in the first two years of the war. Had it not been for the likes of brilliant general such as Benedict Arnold, Nathanael Greene, Ethan Allen and others - and the repeated bungling of battle after battle by a long line of less than competent British generals - the war might have well been lost.

There is, however, no denying that Washington evolved into an extremely effective military strategist and field commander later in the war, maintaining an army in the field under almost impossible conditions and then defeating the British (with considerable help from his French, Spanish and Dutch allies) again and again.

Still, those who know little about George Washington the Soldier and Commander and Chief will find this small and inexpensive volume a good read!

George Washington: First in War, First in Peace (American Heroes)

Average customer rating:

Good book to get someone interested in the time period

George Washington: First in War, First in Peace (American Heroes)
James A. Crutchfield
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Americas First Hero George Washington rose from anonymity as a minor landowner and surveyor to become Americas first national hero. With no military training he led the thirteen fledgling colonies through five years of grueling war against England, steered the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and served two terms as the first president of the United States. He was so revered that by the end of the war some of his generals urged him to install himself as king, an idea he looked upon with abhorrence. Nor would he consider standing for a third term as president. In this revealing book, James Crutchfield writes of Washington as an enigmatic man (No more elusive personality exists in history, an eminent Harvard historian observed) whose outward commonness concealed a quick, analytic mind, capable of learning from mistakes, gauging his successes not by winning battles but by the effect his decisions would have on the future of his country.

Customer Reviews:

Good book to get someone interested in the time period.......2006-05-16

The book gives a concise narrative of the life of George Washington, from birth until death. It makes every attempt to debunk popular myths about our nation's first president, and gives as much historical information as possible without making the book overly pedantic.

All and all, the book was a pleasant read. Imagine my surprise upon finding a book that actually had historical subsistence and wasn't overly dense. The Flesch-Kincaid level, for the passage I randomly picked, pegged at 12.0, but I find that hard to believe. If I had read this book as a senior, heads would have rolled. Fine read, yes; reflective of grade level, no. The book, I would think, could be easily approachable for middle school, granted that it's not a "throw-me-into-the-deep-end" read, but even then, it may be achievable for some. I have few real complaints about the book. The biggest that I have is the lack of maps. Personally, I come from upstate New York and have resided in Pittsburgh (you'll see what I mean when they start hashing out Pittsburgh's three different rivers during the Fort Duquesne/Fort Pitt skirmish. Even I had to pay attention to remember which river was which), so I was quite familiar with the areas being discussed throughout the book. Someone, especially a middle schooler, from anywhere else would have a hard time keeping geographical track of things, and unless they're a devotee of history, reading about events that are 200+ years old while trying to keep track of then-General Washington's movements is not conducive to gaining someone's interest. Next, while the book tries to not put Washington on a pedestal, like most do, it still has the aura of it. There are a few attempts in the book to show Washington's "human" nature, but even then, these descriptions are quickly followed by "but then he got right up and persevered!"-ims. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but come now. Other than that, like I said, the book was quite readable and not historically dense. I give the book a 7 because, frankly, I don't think I'd read it again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. If someone came up to me and specifically said: "I need a book that details all of Washington's life briefly, and details major events in an easy-to-read format," only then would I mention this book. This shouldn't deter you from considering it. If you have a budding interest in the Revolutionary War period, this book will give you solid footing in the names, events, treaties, and nuances of the time. If you already know a lot about the Revolutionary War, you could safely pass the book up for something more investigative. In brief: good beginner book, good book to get someone interested in the time period, good book to hack through together as a class, perhaps; but hardly fulfilling for someone that has Revolutionary War knowledge and a decent grasp of the diplomacy of that era.

[...]

21st Century U.S. Military Documents: Army Intelligence History Sourcebook ¿ Comprehensive History from George Washington (America¿s First Spymaster) through the Civil War, World War I and II, and Desert Storm

Average customer rating:

21st Century U.S. Military Documents: Army Intelligence History Sourcebook ¿ Comprehensive History from George Washington (America¿s First Spymaster) through the Civil War, World War I and II, and Desert Storm
Department of Defense
Manufacturer: Progressive Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
ASIN: 1592484832

Book Description

This is a comprehensive history of Army intelligence from George Washington (America's First Spymaster) through the Civil War, World War I and II, and Desert Storm. The dedication reads: "MI soldiers have been the harbingers of the Age of Information throughout the 20th century. They have recognized early, spurred on by the urgency of military contingencies, that information is the lifeblood of military operations and they sought to devise more and better ways to collect and disseminate intelligence. Since the days of the Revolutionary War when George Washington, starved for information about his enemy's intentions, ordered spies to send reports to him exclusively by express courier, intelligence-minded officers in the U.S. Army have inventively ushered in the Age of Information. Thaddeus S. C. Lowe unspooled a telegraph wire from the basket of his balloon in 1861 so that he could pass along his observations instantaneously. Benjamin Foulois, suspended in his Army Aeroplane No. 1 from the ceiling of a Chicago Exposition hall, sent the first wireless message to the ground below in 1910. In the DESERT STORM operations of 1991, TV pictures of battle damage were viewed by millions of Americans hours after the air strikes had taken place. From Valley Forge to the Basra Valley, from lanterns in church bell towers to TROJAN SPIRIT, the intelligence-minded have relied upon their resourcefulness to send out their early warnings. They are the cognoscenti of the Information Age. As we turn the corner into the 21st century, their day has come."

Contents include:

George Washington: America's First Spymaster; Army Intelligence at Yorktown: Catalyst to Victory; Deserter in Ranks The Civil War; Military Intelligence Sources During American Civil War; Confederate Espionage, Indian Wars; The Apache Campaign Under General Crook.

Military Information Division: Origin of Intelligence Division; Spanish-American War; Intelligence in Peace: A Historical Example: Military Information Division (MID) in Cuba, 1906-1909; World War I Era; United States Army Intelligence School, France, 1918; Army Counterintelligence in CONUS - World War I Experience; MID and German Spy in Arizona; Army COMSEC; Aerial Reconnaissance-Its Beginning; Invasion of the Ether: Radio Intelligence at Battle of St. Mihiel; Brief History of Signal Intelligence Service.

World War II Era - Army Signals Intelligence; Enigma Cipher Machine; Assignment with Third United States Army, Special Research History; Auschwitz - Birkenau; Eisenhower and Intelligence; Intelligence in the Philippines; Battle of the Bulge: The Secret Offensive; Big Business: Intelligence in Patton's Third Army; Heroic Stand of an Intelligence Platoon: A Symbol of the Combat Ability of MI Soldiers.

Disaster Along the Ch'ongch'on: Intelligence Breakdown in Korea; Spot Report: Intelligence, Vietnam; PERSHING II: Success Amid Chaos; Which Way for Tactical Intelligence After Vietnam; Lessons Learned; Operation URGENT FURY: The 525th MI Group Perspective; JUST CAUSE: Intelligence Support to Special Operations Aviation Operation; Divisional MI Battalion, Nonlinear Battlefield, and AirLand Operations.

DESERT STORM: A Third U.S. Army Perspective; A Division G-2's Perspective of Operation DESERT STORM; Successes and Failures; Joint STARS Goes to War; Deep Attack: A Military Intelligence Task Force in DESERT STORM * XVIII Airborne Corps Desert Deception * Battlefield TECHINT: Support of Operations DESERT SHIELD STORM

History of American Military Intelligence: Selected Literature; UAVs-Where We Have Been; History of Security Monitoring; Moveable Beast: The Travels of the MI Sphinx; Uncertain Oracle: Intelligence Failures Revisited; History of U.S. Army Military Intelligence Training; Heraldry.

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