Book Review: Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose

Centered around a group of friends who become spies for George Washington during the Revolutionary War, Washington's Spies gives an in-depth history of espionage in the early days of the United States. Alexander Rose does a tremendous job of painting a portrait of America at the time of the Revolution, building the world in which the spies he writes about inhabit. The result is a book which educates you on not only military and espionage history, but the culture of the colonies which rebelled against Great Britain and why they did.

Rose expounds upon each spy's background and personality, which in the hands of a lesser writer would come across as tedious and exhausting. But Rose is able to pull interesting tidbits and quirks from each person, giving the reader a full understanding of their personality. Granted, he had a lot of material to work with, because these spies wrote quite a few letters, but it's still an impressive feat.

If you have any interest in history, this book will appeal to you.