The Secret War for the Union: The Untold Story of Military Intelligence in the Civil War

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Synopsis
&“A treasure trove for historians . . . A real addition to Civil War history&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). At the end of the American Civil War, most of the intelligence records disappeared—remaining hidden for over a century. As a result, little has been understood about the role of espionage and other intelligence sources, from balloonists to signalmen with their telescopes. When, at the National Archives, Edwin C. Fishel discovered long-forgotten documents—the operational files of the Army of the Potomac&’s Bureau of Military Information—he had the makings of this, the first book to thoroughly and authentically examine the impact of intelligence on the Civil War, providing a new perspective on this period in history. Drawing on these papers as well as over a thousand pages of reports by General McClellan&’s intelligence chief, the detective Allan Pinkerton, and other information, he created an account of the Civil War that &“breaks much new ground&” (The New York Times). &“The former chief intelligence reporter for the National Security Agency brings his professional expertise to bear in this detailed analysis, which makes a notable contribution to Civil War literature as the first major study to present the war&’s campaigns from an intelligence perspective. Focusing on intelligence work in the eastern theater, 1861–1863, Fishel plays down the role of individual agents like James Longstreet&’s famous &‘scout,&’ Henry Harrison, concentrating instead on the increasingly sophisticated development of intelligence systems by both sides. . . . Expertly written, organized and researched.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Fundamentally changes our picture of the secret service in the Civil War.&” —The Washington Post
Copyright:
2014

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
760 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780544388130
Related ISBNs:
9780395901366
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
status in your country.
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Nonfiction, Politics and Government
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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