The American Revolution was a war fought by soldiers and won by spies. The Continental Army did not stand a chance against the British superpower, but with accurate and fast intelligence, General George Washington was able to gain an advantage and win the war. From early intrigue in France to the Culper Spy Ring in New York, this book explores it all. Readers will learn how the first American spies turned the tides of the war and helped win independence.

The world's great economic powers aligned into two opposing forces in World War I. Although still in its infancy by modern standards at the onset of the conflict, intelligence gathering and espionage would ultimately tip the balance. Readers learn how new technology exploded and resulted in developments in cryptography and surveillance as both sides raced to crack the codes and win the war.

Code breakers and spies are the stuff of legend and intrigue, but in reality, they dramatically impacted wars and influenced society, as well as altered the field of information technology. Technology during the 1940s was primitive by today's standards, but spying and cryptography were cutting edge for the time. Many have heard of the use of Navajo code talkers during World War II, but this text explores the code talkers and beyond to paint a vivid picture of how cryptography and spy technology shaped the conflict.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the conflict in Vietnam was much more than a battle between Vietnamese and American forces. Although the fighting may have taken place in monsoon-swept cities and booby-trapped jungles, the Vietnam War was fought on a much larger scale. Spies were active on all fronts, including within the United States itself. Readers will explore how technology and tactics not only shaped the Vietnam War, but changed the ethics of American surveillance from then until the present day.

After being uneasy allies in World War II, the 1950s saw the United States and the Soviet Union entering the Cold War, a thirty-year conflict in which the adversaries never went into physical battle with each other but fought many proxy wars in other nations. This gripping and fast-paced book traces the Cold War through the lens of spying and code breaking by showing how advances in computer technology and mathematics kept the technology race every bit as nerve-racking as the arms race that characterized the conflict.

The United States in the 1860s seemed poised to become one of the world's leading powers. Even with the benefits of new innovations such as the railroad and the telegraph, which brought the country together, unresolved issues between the North and the South broke the country in half. This book explores the ways in which the day's new technologies changed the face of warfare and how, in this bloody war for unity, spies from all walks of life, including immigrants, women, and black people, contributed to the struggle.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the U.S. government began both a ground and aerial military campaign in the Middle East in order to preemptively rout out terrorists. During the War on Terror, the cause of the United States and its allies was aided by many technical innovations in code breaking and espionage. In fact, increased surveillance went so far as to spy on regular citizens. This book explores the evolution of intelligence technologies and how these new methods controversially shape wars, and the dilemma many militaries and governments face in deciding how to use them in order to avoid political fallout in the global age of terrorism.

The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the American women who secretly served as codebreakers during World War II--a "prodigiously researched and engrossing" (New York Times) book that "shines a light on a hidden chapter of American history" (Denver Post). Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history; now, through dazzling research and interviews with surviving code girls, bestselling author Liza Mundy brings to life this riveting and vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Turn: Washington’s Spies, now an original series on AMC 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.

Sneak kids ages 8 to 12 behind enemy lines with this book about America's first spies If you want to get kids interested in history, the intrigue-filled tales of spies are a great place to start. Packed with exciting stories about the brave men and women who fought off the battlefield, this unique look into the American Revolution helps history come alive through explorations of secretive plots, inventive tools, and daring disguises that are sure to captivate kids. Go beyond other Revolutionary War books for kids with: Spies and the American Revolution—This book teaches kids about the American Revolutionary War and the many spies that played key roles in the conflict. Techniques, tools, and more—Kids will find out about the clever ways spies did their jobs with invisible ink, hidden messages, yarn balls, and hanging laundry. Illustrated history—Keep kids engaged with awesome full-color drawings of historical moments, spy gadgets, battle maps, and more. Show kids how exciting US history can be with Spies in the American Revolution for Kids.