Washington’s Spies: America’s First Spy Ring is a comprehensive account of espionage during the Revolutionary War. Author Alexander Rose shares countless details about how spy rings operated in a time when undercover work was not deemed respectable. Rose provides fascinating accounts about a myriad of subjects, including spy code, invisible ink, and the double agent, Benedict Arnold. Maps, photos of original letters and illustrations of characters were an added bonus. 

Despite its interesting detail, Washington’s Spies is hard to follow. New characters are frequently introduced and the book’s small text and long chapters hamper its readability. Washington’s Spies would be a good read for a devoted fan of espionage or Revolutionary War trivia. 

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bantam

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  2 religious exclamations, 5 mild obscenities, 2 derogatory names.

Violence/Gore:  A few implied occurrences of violence; frequent secondhand reports of violence involving war; several brief scenes of violence involving battle and a prison escape; several scenes of property destruction with no casualties; several non-detailed scenes of violent death by hanging or battle; a few brief scenes with blood, gore and intense violence while characters are plundered and attacked by the enemy. 

Sex/Nudity:  A few sexual references; implied or reported sexual activity with prostitutes.  

Mature Subject Matter:

War, espionage, theft and plundering, prostitution, abortion, illegitimate children, kidnapping, execution, hangings, betrayal.  

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Individuals frequently drink; several men are mentioned as “drunks”.