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253 reviews for:
The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington: Library Edition
Brad Meltzer, Brad Meltzer
3.53 AVERAGE
253 reviews for:
The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington: Library Edition
Brad Meltzer, Brad Meltzer
3.53 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
A thriller isn’t all that thrilling if one already knows how it ends. The First Conspiracy, co-written by Brad Meltzer, the author of many bestselling political thrillers, and Josh Mensch, a respected documentary TV producer, focuses on the secret plot to kill George Washington, a little-known chapter from the otherwise well-documented run-up to USA’s independence from Great Britain in the late 18th century. This is not a work of alternate history, so it’s not exactly a spoiler to disclose that the plot didn’t succeed. Washington, after leading his troops to a hard-fought victory in 1783, went on to serve as the newly independent nation’s first president from 1789 to 1797.
The continuous attempt to instill suspense into this story, therefore, gets a bit out of hand. Usual thriller novel tropes like short sentences and sudden movements across locations add an element of breathlessness that this already captivating story does not need. Even the insistence on it being a plot to kill George Washington seems a little forced when it has never been confirmed by any official document. In fact, one of the main conspirators admitted years later that the aim had been to kidnap the top brass of the Continental army.
Thankfully, these weaker aspects do not mar the book so much that it can’t be enjoyed for everything else that it has to share with the reader. The book scores when it is talking about the circumstances that thrust a retired army veteran to the forefront of the Revolutionary War, where he had to cope with seemingly insurmountable setbacks to lead thousands of inexperienced soldiers through a series of losses to eventual victory.
Along with relatively famous personalities like Washington, New York’s Governor Tryon, and New York City’s Mayor Mathews, the book is filled with lesser-known characters like a gunsmith from New York who played a critical role in the conspiracy taking form and a hapless trader from Long Island who ended up helping bring the culprits to justice. The book scores in the research gone into bringing these obscure characters to life and into sourcing the letters and newspaper articles that show how these secret events looked to people on the outside.
An important consequence of the effort that went into uncovering this plot was the birth of USA’s counterintelligence services, whether it was the Committee on Conspiracies, the earliest avatar of today’s CIA and FBI, or Washington’s secretive Culper Ring, which Meltzer has written much about in his fiction. The book scores in making the reader realize that counterintelligence played as important a role in helping America win its freedom as did the more out-in-the-open bravery of its armed forces.
Finally, the book scores in presenting to fans of both thrillers and American history the fascinating story of how close the Patriots came to losing the Revolutionary War thanks to the treasonous machinations of a small group of people for whom personal gains mattered more than the glorious cause of American independence.
The continuous attempt to instill suspense into this story, therefore, gets a bit out of hand. Usual thriller novel tropes like short sentences and sudden movements across locations add an element of breathlessness that this already captivating story does not need. Even the insistence on it being a plot to kill George Washington seems a little forced when it has never been confirmed by any official document. In fact, one of the main conspirators admitted years later that the aim had been to kidnap the top brass of the Continental army.
Thankfully, these weaker aspects do not mar the book so much that it can’t be enjoyed for everything else that it has to share with the reader. The book scores when it is talking about the circumstances that thrust a retired army veteran to the forefront of the Revolutionary War, where he had to cope with seemingly insurmountable setbacks to lead thousands of inexperienced soldiers through a series of losses to eventual victory.
Along with relatively famous personalities like Washington, New York’s Governor Tryon, and New York City’s Mayor Mathews, the book is filled with lesser-known characters like a gunsmith from New York who played a critical role in the conspiracy taking form and a hapless trader from Long Island who ended up helping bring the culprits to justice. The book scores in the research gone into bringing these obscure characters to life and into sourcing the letters and newspaper articles that show how these secret events looked to people on the outside.
An important consequence of the effort that went into uncovering this plot was the birth of USA’s counterintelligence services, whether it was the Committee on Conspiracies, the earliest avatar of today’s CIA and FBI, or Washington’s secretive Culper Ring, which Meltzer has written much about in his fiction. The book scores in making the reader realize that counterintelligence played as important a role in helping America win its freedom as did the more out-in-the-open bravery of its armed forces.
Finally, the book scores in presenting to fans of both thrillers and American history the fascinating story of how close the Patriots came to losing the Revolutionary War thanks to the treasonous machinations of a small group of people for whom personal gains mattered more than the glorious cause of American independence.
Interesting content, but really didn't like the writing style.
The book has 80-ish very short chapters, most of which have the format (1) re-introduce settings and characters that were already thoroughly introduced, (2) disclose some new information, and (3) hype the next chapter by saying something along the lines of "but what happened next would change everyone's life and the history of the world!"
That sort of build-up can be fun if used sparingly and actually building up to something, but when you see it every 3-4 pages it's just tedious and starts to feel like an internet listicle - "click through to see something even more outrageous!"
The book has 80-ish very short chapters, most of which have the format (1) re-introduce settings and characters that were already thoroughly introduced, (2) disclose some new information, and (3) hype the next chapter by saying something along the lines of "but what happened next would change everyone's life and the history of the world!"
That sort of build-up can be fun if used sparingly and actually building up to something, but when you see it every 3-4 pages it's just tedious and starts to feel like an internet listicle - "click through to see something even more outrageous!"
9/10
A deeper look into a conspiracy against George Washington that could have stopped the American revolution.
There are parts that aren't related to the plot against Washington (Boston/Dorchester heights) but for the most part this book stays right on target. It deals mostly with New York just before the British attacked and took the city.
I hadn't thought much about how quickly people could change their allegiance and how it was so hard to really know who the enemy was, but that is at the heart of this book and plot.
I love American revolution and George Washington books, and this one doesn't disappoint
A deeper look into a conspiracy against George Washington that could have stopped the American revolution.
There are parts that aren't related to the plot against Washington (Boston/Dorchester heights) but for the most part this book stays right on target. It deals mostly with New York just before the British attacked and took the city.
I hadn't thought much about how quickly people could change their allegiance and how it was so hard to really know who the enemy was, but that is at the heart of this book and plot.
I love American revolution and George Washington books, and this one doesn't disappoint
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Love Brad Meltzer
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced