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 for sure.

George Washington, Spymaster was a fascinating account of an aspect of the Revolutionary War that we hardly ever hear about! We do hear of Nathan Hale, Benedict Arnold, Major Andre, but of the many other unsung heroes and villains of secrecy? Not so much, or not at all. In fact, the circles of spies and double agents--run by George Washington and/or several delegated friends barely managed to stay ahead of similar agents sent out by the British generals. But--they did stay ahead, and one British major credited them with winning the war for the rebellious colonies. (Whew!) "Washington did not really outfight the British, he simply outspied us!" (p.149)

The only issue I had with this book was that the documents shown were so small that I could hardly make them out--had to use a magnifying glass! And, I enjoyed them because one got to see how some of the different techniques for hiding the important information worked.

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.

My son enjoyed reading this book so much that he talked me into reading it, too. Filled with great details that well prepared us for a trip later to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

A fascinating account of the ups and downs of the intelligence rings involved in the Revolutionary War. I underestimated the intellectual capacity of Washington and am now fully impressed by his scheming and brilliance. The quote before the appendices tells it all: "Washington did not really outfight the British, he simply outspied us!" -Major George Beckwith, head of British intelligence in America

n  n    n  n

There Is Nothing More Necessary Than Good Intelligence To Frustrate A Designing Enemy, & Nothing That Requires Greater Pains To Obtain.

280 am 233 634 625 613 692 fought for us.

Washington Did Not Really Outfight The British, He Simply Outspied Us.

There Is One Evil I Dread, And That Is Their Spies.

n  n    n  n

TRAVELED TO // Back To The American Revolution Spy Days
MET ALONG THE WAY // George Washington Spymaster & His Spy Ring.

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 balls of yarn over a cliff, each with a secret message inside? That's the sort of thing that interests me.

This is a very good book for kids interested in espionage or the revolution. It's also good for adults who don't want to read a heavy tome on the subject.

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 that were fought. Few take on the subject of Washington’s network of spies, and the important part they played in the war. But this book makes the case as Major George Beckwith, head of British intelligence operations during the war, stated, “Washington did not really outfight the British, he simply outspied us!” [pg. 149]

While perhaps a stretch – there is no doubt that Washington was a brilliant General and a good fighter – it is also true that Washington’s network of spies formed a vital part of the war as they not only gathered information from the British, but also fed disinformation to the British. In fact, Cornwallis’ surrender was largely due to the fact that he had been fed disinformation from double agents who convinced him to send his troops to the wrong places and left himself open for attack.

My two favorite parts of George Washington, Spymaster were the chapter concerning Benjamin Franklin’s spying shenanigans in France [which were considerable], and the variety of methods used to convey information from one side to the other. One of my favorite stories was of “Old Mom” Rinker who would conceal a note inside a skein of yarn, sit out to do her knitting by the side of a cliff, then “accidentally” knock the yarn over the edge were it was found by Patriots. :)

Conclusion. Perhaps not the most thorough book, but a really fun one for students of the American War for Independence.

Thomas B. Allen's survey of spying during the Revolutionary War is thorough and concise, providing interesting information for younger teens interested in the subject. However, the editing and grammar in some places left something to be desired. Basic things were ignored, like avoiding the usage of 'and' as the first word in a sentence. While that doesn't usually matter much in children's books, at this age, it would be better to provide teens something more grammatically correct.

I'd recommend this book to younger teens who might be doing a school project related to the Revolutionary War. While the editing is less than stellar at some points, the information is solid and a good reference source for teens to use.

VOYA codes: 2Q, 2P, M.

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 does not really focus that closely on the premise of the book, that being what George Washington did as a spymaster. This book dwells a lot on speculation and records actions done by spies outside of Washington’s influence as well as British spies. It also deals with a lot of the surface battles as well to show cause and effect of the spies actions, but as mentioned, it just is not presented in a very engaging manner and is too much to take in. Because of this, though the information presented in this book is unique and informative, it is neither something children would like to read nor something they will enjoy reading, so I would not suggest recommending it to any child, though as an adult, I found it a fascinating read.

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.

Reading about spies and deception and secret messages in the Revolutionary War was interesting. If I read this with a student, I might make a t-chart with pro-American and pro-British headings to sort the many people named as the author weaved through his stories. This is definitely not a book to skim!