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kecb12's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely an interesting book, one that all ages can enjoy. I chose it for my sophomore English class and the reading level is young adult. The information in the book is fascinating and covers a large timeline, but because it's written at a lower level, by the end I felt a little bored. I wanted more analysis and detail than this book gave.
destinyandpaper's review against another edition
4.0
There were some really interesting aspects but also less interesting ones.
kwarehime's review against another edition
3.0
Kelly Garwood
Janeczko, P. B. (2010). The dark game: True spy stories from invisible ink to CIA moles. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Genre: Informational
Award(s): YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction finalist
Format: book
Selection process: McGorray, K. (2010, August 1). Review [Review of the book The dark game: True spy stories from invisible ink to CIA moles by P. B. Janeczko]. School Library Journal.
Review:
From George Washington and the Culper spy ring to the Soviet Union and the Corona spy satellite, The Dark Game covers over 200 years of espionage, secrets and infiltration of the United States. Janeczko, poet and anthologist, takes a look at the spies throughout time who have shaped history. He does not go beyond the 9/11 terrorist attacks because, as he says, “that is a subject for another book” (p. 7). But in this book the time covered is more than enough for one book.
Benedict Arnold, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen are just some of the more well-known spies that are discussed in addition to technological advancements and secret missions. Other less well-known spies include: Elizabeth Van Lew, an aristocrat who worked against slavery during the Civil War; General John “Black Jack” Pershing, promoted to the highest rank held in the US Army during WWI; the Choctaw code talkers, a group of Native Americans who helped the Americans in WWII transmit cyphered messages.
In chronological order, The Dark Game comprehensively relays a fascinating topic. Since the point of spies is to remain secret Janeczko’s thorough research is useful and educational for anyone wishing to understand this world more. The bibliography and source notes at the end are excellent foundations for further study.
The photography of ciphers and documents, the spies themselves and scenes of famous meet ups and arrests help give authenticity to information. The reading level of the book is for about 13-15 year olds, but the information within is captivating for many ages. Examining both spies who worked for and against our country diversifies the book to help keep it realistic. This evolution of the complexity and intensity of spy craft is sure to interest any reader.
Recommend
Janeczko, P. B. (2010). The dark game: True spy stories from invisible ink to CIA moles. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Genre: Informational
Award(s): YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction finalist
Format: book
Selection process: McGorray, K. (2010, August 1). Review [Review of the book The dark game: True spy stories from invisible ink to CIA moles by P. B. Janeczko]. School Library Journal.
Review:
From George Washington and the Culper spy ring to the Soviet Union and the Corona spy satellite, The Dark Game covers over 200 years of espionage, secrets and infiltration of the United States. Janeczko, poet and anthologist, takes a look at the spies throughout time who have shaped history. He does not go beyond the 9/11 terrorist attacks because, as he says, “that is a subject for another book” (p. 7). But in this book the time covered is more than enough for one book.
Benedict Arnold, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen are just some of the more well-known spies that are discussed in addition to technological advancements and secret missions. Other less well-known spies include: Elizabeth Van Lew, an aristocrat who worked against slavery during the Civil War; General John “Black Jack” Pershing, promoted to the highest rank held in the US Army during WWI; the Choctaw code talkers, a group of Native Americans who helped the Americans in WWII transmit cyphered messages.
In chronological order, The Dark Game comprehensively relays a fascinating topic. Since the point of spies is to remain secret Janeczko’s thorough research is useful and educational for anyone wishing to understand this world more. The bibliography and source notes at the end are excellent foundations for further study.
The photography of ciphers and documents, the spies themselves and scenes of famous meet ups and arrests help give authenticity to information. The reading level of the book is for about 13-15 year olds, but the information within is captivating for many ages. Examining both spies who worked for and against our country diversifies the book to help keep it realistic. This evolution of the complexity and intensity of spy craft is sure to interest any reader.
Recommend
annieliz's review against another edition
3.0
Great spy stories - quick, vignettes perfect for reluctant readers to skip around in. Recommended for 5th(?) and up.
djblock99's review
4.0
Good book, the writing overall is strong, but some sections are stronger than others. Six chapters cover the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War and domestic moles. In Chapter 3, I was amazed by the section "Sabotage on U.S. Soil." There were details about World War I here that I had never read about before, like the blasts at Black Tom Island. The World War II story of double agent Juan Pujol (in Chapter 4) was similarly amazing. It was great to read about female spies like Mata Hari (was she a double agent?), Elizabeth Van Lew and Rose O'Neale Greenhow. The story of the Berlin Tunnel in chapter five is also fascinating. During the section on the Culper Spy Ring in the Chapter 1, however, I became a little frustrated that Janeczko focused more on speculation about spies' personal relationships than what they actually did to help win the revolution. The section on the Zimmerman Telegram in Chapter 3 also lost me a little.
One of my pet peeves with nonfiction are simple errors that render the factual infromation inaccurate or confusing. I found a mistake on page 180 in a paragraph about the effects of high altitude flight on the human body, and the special suits that were designed to protect U-2 pilots from drops in air pressure. Low pressure can cause the human body to expand, which is potentially fatal. The paragraph does a good job of explaining how inflatable tubes inside the pilot's suit would expand to protect the pilot if the pressure dropped; except for the first sentence. In the first sentence, instead of "low pressure" it says "high pressure."
One of my pet peeves with nonfiction are simple errors that render the factual infromation inaccurate or confusing. I found a mistake on page 180 in a paragraph about the effects of high altitude flight on the human body, and the special suits that were designed to protect U-2 pilots from drops in air pressure. Low pressure can cause the human body to expand, which is potentially fatal. The paragraph does a good job of explaining how inflatable tubes inside the pilot's suit would expand to protect the pilot if the pressure dropped; except for the first sentence. In the first sentence, instead of "low pressure" it says "high pressure."
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