Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and “pioneer of sizzle history” (USA Today), tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything to become spies during the Civil War.
Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women—a socialite, a farmgirl, an … women—a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow—who were spies.
After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O’Neale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.
Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies’ descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy contains 39 black & photos and 3 maps.
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I became bored with the repeated descriptions.
Interesting look at females spies on both sides of the American Civil War. Follows the true stories of 4 women. Gives insight on how brutal and tragic that war was.
This in a wonderful historical semi-fiction about on real women during the Civil War and most of the information is drawn from their letters and their museum sites. I loved it!
nice to see the contributions of women in the civil war and their story in depth
Absolutely loved this book. Have recommended it to many who feel it is really great, and so well researched.
Loved reading a brief summary of strong women in a turbulent time. Well written
The author gave me some new information that I had not known!
I’ve just started to read this. A good read for history buffs.
Just based on their faith and human values. We are one people. God Bless.Interesting facts about women during the civil war. Times have have changed so much. Women were not of anymore value than a piece of furniture. Women were assumed to be brainless. The Civil War period was not a Political Correctness Society.. Very hard to think of men , women and childern to be thought of as animals. I can’t judge the people of that time based on our values and norms.. It took the Civil War to really light the fuse. Wouldn’t it be nice if we valued people
400 women impersonated men in the northern and southern armies? Just an amazing window into civil war history.
Characters in American history of which I was not aware.
It certainly was realistic, but so loaded with dry facts that there was no excitement.
Interesting writing style. Really enjoyed reading it!
Excellent behind the scenes stories of four very brave women.