George Washington's Secret Six: the Spies Who Saved America by Brian Kilmeade

George Washington's Secret Six: the Spies Who Saved America Reviews

• 
  Yibbie

  Several years ago, I started the adult version of this book. I decided it was finally time to finish it, but I accidentally picked up this youth version. It was good, but so much detail was cut that it felt like an entirely different book. Maybe it was abbreviated just a little too much?
  For a very quick overview of the circumstances that lead to the formation of Washington’s spy network, it’s okay. It is divided into 40 ‘chapters’ with the longest being no more than 5 pages long with pictures. It covers the highlights of the occupation of New York and the lives of those who became spies to assist Washington to retake it.
  I do have one complaint. Most of the maps included are useless. Two of them have some notes that are clear enough to read. The rest have lots of detail but are so small and blurry that they are indecipherable. That same lack of quality affects many of the illustrations as well.
• 
  Marisa

  I need to read the adult version. Want so much more information!
• 
  Alicia

  Not having read the adult title, this seems and is presented in a fast-paced, very quick snapshot of the Culpeper ring and the military prowess of General George Washington and his army. But it wasn't just him, others were integral in moving troops in the dead of night, moving information through a string of well-connected spies, and moving toward independence from Great Britain. Some chapters are literally a page or two in length and it's peppered with paintings from the time period and demonstrate the need for spies to "save America" including a few well-known ones.
  
  I liked Kilmeade's foreward and introduction demonstrating the power of history and story. There was even so much that I would need to spend time thinking about in terms of espionage and understanding how information needed to be passed safely-- I even learned a few things about invisible ink and and creating written codes.
  
  It moves well and could be read for the history, for the military, or even just a good ol' fashioned adventure in a miniature version of James L. Swanson.
• 
  Jamie

  Good overview of Washington's Culper spy ring for the middle grades reader (and perhaps adults too). My boys enjoyed it and recommended it to me.
  
  I am interested in reading the adult version at some point, as this one was certainly missing information/details and left me with questions. Additionally, many of the illustrations and maps were small and dark, making them difficult to see.
  
  Whether good or bad, the chapters are very short. The storyline held my interest though. It provides a good sketch of the character of George Washington: a man who was steady, humble, wise, and a good strategist.
  
  "After five years, four major plots thwarted, countless misgivings and close calls, and untold sleepless nights, the Culper correspondence came to an end. The ring had operated effectively from the very heart of the enemy's headquarters and had never been successfully infiltrated, uncovered, or unmasked, despite the numerous efforts in that vein."
• 
  Marie

  Storyline and historical background was interesting, but I was expecting something more along the line’s of Bill O’Reilly’s youth adaptations (ie Lincoln’s Last Days — the book that hooked Austin on history!).
  
  What made this book special for me was the reading environment — It was probably the last full book I read to Austin where he was able to comprehend the book to the end. We finished it during a week when it was just us two together during the day. 💙📖
  
  (Side note: It’s really hard for me to give more than 3 ⭐️’s lately! Everything just feels kind of average.)
• 
  Jamie Gregory

  I do recommend this book despite reservations about the authors. However, as a young reader adaptation, there were a few annoying things. The illustrations, although fascinating and original to the time period, were so tiny! I could barely see them! Plus, some chapters were extremely short, like a paragraph, which felt sort of choppy to me. Otherwise, though, I loved the story about Washington's six spies who helped him win the Revolutionary War. I did recommend this one to my younger son. Maybe the adult version is worth looking into.
• 
  Shauna Yusko

  For your MS/HS fans of Hamilton who want to know some details behind General Washington’s spy ring that led to eventual surrender at Yorktown. Good for age group, but now I have so many questions I may have to read original, which I will get from library so I don’t have to support the author with my purchase.
  
  Not going to lie, it’ll be a struggle to include this book in my seminar. I never quite know where the line between author and their work should be drawn.
  
  
• 
  Beth

  Exciting in spurts, but I kept feeling like the real story was just off the page. I wonder if that's because this was cut down from the adult version? The illustrations also made me cranky -- they were lovely original images that I could often barely make out because of their size and the grey-scale coloring. I would have preferred fewer but an investment in color!
  
  It was good to be back in a simpler time, where patriotism is a given.
• 
  Chris

  This narrative nonfiction is short, succinct, and the short chapters with illustrations will make it appealing to middle grade students. The illustrations, however, are often very small and difficult to see much detail. Appendixes include a timeline, bibliography, more information about the people in the book, and more information about invisible ink and codes.
• 
  Kim

  An excellent edition featuring the development of spy-craft in Revolutionary War America, featuring the Culper Spy Ring, and written specifically for tweens and teens. It was very interesting and easy to follow and understand. I've read several books about the Culpers and very few of them have been written as well as this one. It kept me interested from start to finish.
• 
  Edy Gies

  This book was just okay for me. To be fair friends had recommended the original version but this was the young reader's adaption. I think in adapting it for young readers perhaps some of the interest was lost which is sad. I would recommend this book to students doing research or to an avid history reader but not to a reluctant reader.
• 
  Joanna

  An overview of the Culper spy ring, including its members, methods of communication, and plots thwarted. Though written for a younger audience, the writing is still a bit advanced for a lot of middle schoolers, but I appreciated the abundance of primary sources and helpful resources at the end of the book.
• 
  Marian

  We never heard of the Culper Ring, the ring of spies who helped Washington secure our independence, until we found this book. It was interesting to learn about the beginnings of espionage in the US. Definitely worth reading. Learning elements like this make history that much more interesting.
• 
  Monica Lit

  Great book! Intriguing... adventurous... loved the history and the layout. I had never heard of this spy ring. Informative.... enjoying... and great choice for more information on the sacrifice and determination to found this nation.
• 
  Brittany

  I read this simultaneously with the adult book on which this book is based. I disliked the adult version, but a lot of what I didn’t like about that version, this book did better. Almost no (if any) fictionalized dialogue (which I hated in the original). The added pictures and info added throughout the chapters seemed to build out the story while cutting out a lot of the fluff in the adult book. Plus! You get the added benefit of invisible ink recipes!
• 
  Celeste

  This is a fun quick glimpse at the spies who helped Washington win the Revolutionary War. This is for upper elementary or middle school readers who have a general idea of what caused the Revolutionary War.
• 
  Amy Sutton

  This was so interesting! The writing is really snappy and assumes you know a lot about American history, though. I'm not completely sure how much a middle grade reader would get out of this. It's definitely fast-paced and attention grabbing, though. I want to know so much more.
• 
  Andrea

  This book was really amazing. I did not realize it was not for adults when I checked it out of our library. Like other reviewers now I want to get the adult book for more information. I learned thing that I had never known and did not learn in school 50 years ago. A great read.
• 
  Michelle Gray

  I liked the narrator and the premise. I just felt the adaptation was a bit choppy. Actually, it made me want to listen to the full adult version even more because it felt like there were interesting bits left out.
• 
  This

  3.5
  An enjoyable look at George Washington's Culper spy ring. Would have benefited from more illustrations, especially if targeting middle schoolers, but overall enjoyable and informative. Start with this, then move on to George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas Allen.
• 
  Aly

  Very fascinating. This was an adaptation for young adults and I will definitely be reading the original book. I have always been interested in American history, specifically the revolution, civil war, and frontier eras. This was a great synopsis with resources provided for further reading.
• 
  KC

  Fun, interesting read but written for tween and middle grade readers. I was able to read it in a couple of hours. There is an adult version that I excited to read next.
• 
  Colleen

  Great, quick read!
• 
  Jonathan

  Interesting story
  
  Very interesting.
  Not the usual folklore you hear about the revolutionary war. I only regret getting the young reader version by mistake.