America's First Spy Ring: Washington's Spies

Historian Alexander Rose’s acclaimed new research brings to life the true story of the spy ring that played a crucial role in America's victorious fight during the Revolutionary War. Rose’s narrative invites readers beyond the battlefront, deep into the shadowy underworld of double agents and covert operations, and unmasks the courageous, flawed individuals who inhabited this world of espionage, including the spymaster at the heart of it all. In the summer of 1778, as the war began to turn in his favor, General George Washington urgently sought information on the British next move. To achieve this, he activated an unlikely ring of spies in New York tasked with uncovering the enemy’s battle plans and military strategy.

Washington’s small band of spies featured a young Quaker torn between political principle and family loyalty, a daring sailor addicted to espionage, a hard-drinking barkeep, a Yale-educated cavalryman and friend of the ill-fated Nathan Hale, and a peaceful, sickly farmer who repeatedly begged Washington to retire but always came through in the end. Personally guiding these imperfect everyday heroes was Washington himself, who possessed an extraordinary talent for deception and proved to be an adept spymaster despite the era’s standards against gentlemen spying.

The men he mentored became known as the Culper Ring. Despite being pursued by the British secret service, they narrowly avoided capture thanks to their ciphers, dead drops, and invisible ink. Rose’s enthralling narrative reveals the untold story of the Revolution – an intelligence war involving murder, gunrunning, kidnapping, defectors, and executioners not found in history books. "Washington's Spies" is also a touching account of friendship and trust alongside fear and betrayal, offering a glimpse into the dark and silent world of espionage.

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