George Washington's secret spy war : the making of America's first spymaster / John A. Nagy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nagy, John A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Washington, George, 1732-1799--Career in espionage.

Washington, George.

Washington, George, 1732-1799.

Espionage.

History.

United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Secret service.

United States.

Secret service.

Espionage--United States--History--18th century.

Spies--United States--Biography.

Spies.

Genre:

Biographies.

History.

Physical Description:

viii, 374 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, N.Y. : St. Martin's Press, 2016.

Summary:

The untold story of how George Washington took a disorderly, ill-equipped rabble and defeated the best trained and best equipped army of its day. Author John A. Nagy has become the nation's leading expert on Revolutionary spies, discovering hundreds who went behind enemy lines to gather intelligence during the American Revolution, many of whom are completely unknown to most historians. Using Washington's diary as the primary source, Nagy tells of Washington's experiences during the French and Indian War which honed his skill and upon which he heavily depended. He used espionage to level the playing field and then exploited it on to final victory. Filled with thrilling and never-before-told stories from the battlefield and behind enemy lines, this is the story of how Washington used a "Deception Battle Plan", fishermen's observances, false information, and misdirection to out-spy the British.

Contents:

French lessons

Drinking, flashing the ladies, and grave robbing

Desperate times

Pools of blood

Quaker chicanery

We danced the minuet

Double agents

Traitors and licensed spies

Black chambers and the medicine factory

Petite guerre

Deception battle plan: the objective

Deception battle plan: enemy assumptions

Deception battle plan: method

Deception battle plan: the sting-executing the plan

Deception battle plan: exploitation

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-355) and index.

ISBN:

9781250096814

1250096812

OCLC:

932576894