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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I think the author did an excellent job bringing these diverse women to life. All four of these real women were spies in the Civil War.
Karen Abbott's book highlighting four strong women who helped alter the course of the Civil War is mesmerizing. She interweaves the lives of the four throughout the book, detailing the wild adventures of Confederate courier Belle Boyd; the shocking transformation of Emma Edmonson into Union soldier Franklin Thompson and back again; the sexual exploits of Confederate spy Rose Greenhow and the extensive spy network devised by Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union loyalist who lived in the middle of Richmond, the Confederate capital, and who was able to insert a spy into the Confederate White House. This is history at its best - a living history that reads like a novel yet is extensively researched. I highly recommend it.
I liked this book but I struggled through it. I felt like there was so much information and so many characters that I had a hard time keeping up. The fact that these stories were true is fascinating and what kept me reading to the end.
I have a 'love/hate' relationship with this book. I loved reading about how clever the women spies were during the Civil War. I disliked how detailed this book was....I appreciate the diligent research, but it was pretty dry. I will say thank goodness for Elizabeth and Frank.
I enjoyed this very much. It reads like a novel and gave me a glimpse into the lives of four women I never knew.
An interesting book that highlights women's contributions to the Civil War. What perhaps was the most interesting to me was not how varied the actions the women took were (and they were all incredibly unique in the beliefs and actions) but also how easy it was sometimes for women to get away with what they did. Belle Boyd was a recognized spy, but the idea of stopping her from visiting her sister was just so ungentlemanly that she was allowed to pass through Union and Confederate lines alike. Emma/Frank had a harder time of it, but basically would saunter over to Confederate Lines in blackface and work a chaingang for a while. It the day of modern security- satellites, real time war, boundaries, guillotine wire- such mobility seems absurd to me.
In the end, however, I never felt as though I was invited to share in the adventures or trials of these women. I never grew to care about any of them the way I cared about the Everleigh sisters in Abbott's other (and in my opinion far more interesting) book. Never did I eagerly turn the page, never did I worry that the stakes were just too high, never did I feel involved.
But may be that is just me. I still give it three stars because I was perfectly happy to finish it, it was meticulously researched and well-written, and I learned quite a lot.
In the end, however, I never felt as though I was invited to share in the adventures or trials of these women. I never grew to care about any of them the way I cared about the Everleigh sisters in Abbott's other (and in my opinion far more interesting) book. Never did I eagerly turn the page, never did I worry that the stakes were just too high, never did I feel involved.
But may be that is just me. I still give it three stars because I was perfectly happy to finish it, it was meticulously researched and well-written, and I learned quite a lot.
informative
Didn't finish, though I made it past the 80% mark. I listened on audiobook, which was a poor choice, since it made the "characters" blur together a little more than normal. The narrators voice was distractingly stilted.
I really tried. The stories were sensational, though probably true, because truth can be stranger than fiction. I had high hopes for the subject matter, the characters, and since I have a physical copy I may go back and try again.
I really tried. The stories were sensational, though probably true, because truth can be stranger than fiction. I had high hopes for the subject matter, the characters, and since I have a physical copy I may go back and try again.
this was a terrific read. it's very clear abbott has done tremendous research in creating this book, and the biographies and history are presented well in a very engaging style.
over the past year, i have been hearing more about women serving in the civil war, whether they went incognito, disguising themselves as men, or functioned as supporters and spies - there may be a mini-movement in publishing to get these stories some attention. novels like [b:I Shall Be Near to You|20026466|I Shall Be Near to You|Erin Lindsay McCabe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389984589s/20026466.jpg|25756917] and [b:Neverhome|20454109|Neverhome|Laird Hunt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394566779s/20454109.jpg|32074256] would be great companion reads with [b:Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War|18679391|Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy Four Women Undercover in the Civil War|Karen Abbott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395710606s/18679391.jpg|26470461]. (which i suggest only because a) they are also quite recent, and b) i enjoy 'paired reads' - a fiction work with a nonfiction - so maybe you will too.)
as i was reading abbott's book, i found myself most drawn to emma's and elizabeth's stories. i found i had more empathy for them, over belle and rose. (not for where their sympathies lay, but just in how their personalities were presented and in the way they conducted themselves.) but, overall, all 4 women are fascinating subjects and could easily carry their own books.
over the past year, i have been hearing more about women serving in the civil war, whether they went incognito, disguising themselves as men, or functioned as supporters and spies - there may be a mini-movement in publishing to get these stories some attention. novels like [b:I Shall Be Near to You|20026466|I Shall Be Near to You|Erin Lindsay McCabe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389984589s/20026466.jpg|25756917] and [b:Neverhome|20454109|Neverhome|Laird Hunt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394566779s/20454109.jpg|32074256] would be great companion reads with [b:Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War|18679391|Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy Four Women Undercover in the Civil War|Karen Abbott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395710606s/18679391.jpg|26470461]. (which i suggest only because a) they are also quite recent, and b) i enjoy 'paired reads' - a fiction work with a nonfiction - so maybe you will too.)
as i was reading abbott's book, i found myself most drawn to emma's and elizabeth's stories. i found i had more empathy for them, over belle and rose. (not for where their sympathies lay, but just in how their personalities were presented and in the way they conducted themselves.) but, overall, all 4 women are fascinating subjects and could easily carry their own books.
Excruciatingly dull. Wish I’d quit before I got to the point I was spite-reading it. I don’t know how something with such potential could fall so short of the mark. Read like the author stapled together a slew of Wikipedia entries.