Washington's Spies

The Story of America's First Spy Ring

By: Alexander Rose

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Based on remarkable new research, acclaimed historian Alexander Rose brings to life the true story of the spy ring that helped America win the Revolutionary War. For the first time, Rose takes us beyond the battlefront and deep into the shadowy underworld of double agents and triple crosses, covert operations and code breaking, and unmasks the courageous, flawed men who inhabited this wilderness of mirrors—including the spymaster at the heart of it all.

In the summer of 1778, with the war poised to turn in his favor, General George Washington desperately needed to know where the British would strike next. To that end, he unleashed his secret weapon: an unlikely ring of spies in New York charged with discovering the enemy’s battle plans and military strategy. Washington’s small band included a young Quaker torn between political principle and family loyalty, a swashbuckling sailor addicted to the perils of espionage, a hard-drinking barkeep, a Yale-educated cavalryman and friend of the doomed Nathan Hale, and a peaceful, sickly farmer who begged Washington to let him retire but who always came through in the end. Personally guiding these imperfect everyday heroes was Washington himself. In an era when officers were gentlemen, and gentlemen didn’t spy, he possessed an extraordinary talent for deception—and proved an adept spymaster.

The men he mentored were dubbed the Culper Ring. The British secret service tried to hunt them down, but they escaped by the closest of shaves thanks to their ciphers, dead drops, and invisible ink. Rose’s thrilling narrative tells the unknown story of the Revolution–the murderous intelligence war, gunrunning and kidnapping, defectors and executioners—that has never appeared in the history books. But Washington's Spies is also a spirited, touching account of friendship and trust, fear and betrayal, amid the dark and silent world of the spy.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2006 Alexander Rose (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good Quick Listen

What did you love best about Washington's Spies?

It was a brief only about six hour so quick and to the point

What did you like best about this story?

Just hearing about the backgrounds of the spies and how they never wanted any credit or recognition. Just impressed with their patriotism

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator seemed like a kid reading a book report. Just wasn't my favorite narrator

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yeah it was certainly short enough but not on your edge type of story.

Any additional comments?

I just got finished reading a longer more detailed account about Washington's spies so this was a quick read and recap. Also I am watching the TV series "Turn" and it makes the tv show much more enjoyable

Good story but too much detail at times

The overall story was great. I learned a lot about the aspects of the war that go unheralded. This book at times went into details that weren't pertinent to the story and were distracting at times.

History not covered in school.

I enjoyed it very informative I would recommend to any history buff. Better than most fiction military books.

Very Good

You may not appreciate it unless you are into history, but if you are not into history you would probably not select it to begin with. It seems to be very well researched and contains a lot of information that I found interesting and presented in a very appropriate form by the narrator. I liked it very much.

not as interesting.

It was good history but not as interesting as I thought it would be.

Best book on the topic

This is the most thorough account of the spy ring I have read. It is well written and rich with details and nuances.

An important look at the Culper Spy Ring.

An important look at the Culper Spy Ring, whose work in the American Revolution helped secure freedom!

Great background on the nation’s nascent intelligence capabilities

Very much enjoyed the author’s take on how intelligent was collected and conveyed in a non-digital age. For fans of AMC’s TURN, it is a worthwhile listen to ferret out the artistic liberties the show took with history.

PUNCTUATION: It's there for a reason

Later the author & book. First, the reader. Who taught this reader to read and why was he hired??? He has absolutely no idea how to use punctuation. Maybe he thinks it's optional. It is so difficult listening to this book because the reader seems to end a sentence, but then continues on to the actual end. This disrupts comprehension and is so irritating. Add to that, he completely lacks voice inflection (hello, Ben Stein). If I weren't so interested in the subject I would have quit in the first 10 minutes.
Now, the author, who is thoroughly researched to a fault. I listened for nearly an hour to the history of code writing. That could have been a footnote or end note. Yet, the story is so compelling that I keep listening.
Final note: If you're hoping to get the low down on the love affairs we watched in TURN, you may be disappointed. This is history....but still more interesting than high school.

So... Not at all like the show, but a different, good story!

Was driven to this book by the recent television adaptation. Not that I ought to be surprised to learn that a television program did not follow the historically accurate train of events, but— wow! A finely far-pushed use of the words "inspired by".
This book tells the true story as we know it to have been. An excellent telling of an otherwise overlooked part of the American Rebellion.