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The first conspiracy : the secret plot to kill George Washington  Cover Image Large Print Book Large Print Book

The first conspiracy : the secret plot to kill George Washington / Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch.

Meltzer, Brad, (author.). Mensch, Josh, (author.).

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781432873172
  • ISBN: 1432873172
  • Physical Description: 629 pages (large print) ; 22 cm
  • Edition: Large print edition.
  • Publisher: [Waterville, Maine] : Large Print Press, a part of Gale, a Cengage Company, [2020]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 551-627).
Formatted Contents Note:
The commander -- Spies in Boston -- A bloody summer -- A most infernal plot -- Sacricide -- Aftermath.
Summary, etc.:
"Taking place during the most critical period of our nation's birth, The First Conspiracy tells a remarkable and previously untold piece of American history that not only reveals George Washington's character, but also illuminates the origins of America's counterintelligence movement that led to the modern day CIA. In 1776, an elite group of soldiers were handpicked to serve as George Washington's bodyguards. Washington trusted them; relied on them. But unbeknownst to Washington, some of them were part of a treasonous plan. In the months leading up to the Revolutionary War, these traitorous soldiers, along with the Governor of New York, William Tryon, and Mayor David Mathews, launched a deadly plot against the most important member of the military: George Washington himself. This is the story of the secret plot and how it was revealed. It is a story of leaders, liars, counterfeiters, and jailhouse confessors. It also shows just how hard the battle was for George Washington and how close America was to losing the Revolutionary War. In this historical page-turner, New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer teams up with American history writer and documentary television producer, Josh Mensch to unravel the shocking true story behind what has previously been a footnote in the pages of history. Drawing on extensive research, Meltzer and Mensch capture in riveting detail how George Washington not only defeated the most powerful military force in the world, but also uncovered the secret plot against him in the tumultuous days leading up to July 4, 1776"--Provided by publisher.
Subject: Washington, George, 1732-1799 > Assassination attempt, 1776.
United States. Continental Army. Commander-in-Chief's Guard.
Attempted assassination > United States.
Treason > United States.
United States > History > Revolution, 1775-1783 > Secret service.
United States > History > Revolution, 1775-1783 > Military intelligence.
Large type books.
Genre: Large type books.
History.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at GRPL.

Holds

0 current holds with 1 total copy.

Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Seymour Large Print 973.41 M496f (Text) 31307024309991 Large Print Available -

Electronic resources


Syndetic Solutions - BookList Review for ISBN Number 9781432873172
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
by Meltzer, Brad; Mensch, Josh
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BookList Review

The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

Booklist


From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

Best-selling novelist and television-host Meltzer (The Escape Artist, 2018) and documentarian Mensch bring the fast pace and sensibility of a thriller to the Hickey Plot, a failed 1776 scheme to kidnap and possibly murder George Washington. They vividly evoke the world of occupied New York City in which the scheme unfolded, describing the tensions within the overcrowded wartime community and the webs of relationships linking powerful backstage plotters with the greedy, desperate, or committed ordinary people designated to carry it out. Hickey itself was hardly a uniquely menacing undertaking, however. As the book makes clear, the Revolutionary War was fraught with conspiracies and plots against key leaders on both sides. What Meltzer and Mensch do bring out is how the scheme helped to inspire American innovations in defensive spycraft, eventually known as counterintelligence, by their juxtaposing the Hickey attempt with the ad hoc nature of the political and military leadership seeking to control the city and prosecute the war. Readers who like their histories full of twists, turns, and cliff-hangers will enjoy this romp through the Revolution.--Sara Jorgensen Copyright 2018 Booklist

Syndetic Solutions - Library Journal Review for ISBN Number 9781432873172
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
by Meltzer, Brad; Mensch, Josh
Rate this title:
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Library Journal Review

The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

Library Journal


(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

History Channel personality Meltzer and television producer Mensch collaborate on an account of a little-known assassination plot against George Washington, then leader of the Continental Army. This conspiracy occurred when Washington headquartered the army in New York during the spring and summer of 1776. The fast-paced narrative explores the rivalry between Washington and New York's colonial governor, William Tryon. Tryon, with British assistance, financed irregular operations against American patriots. Meltzer and Mensch reveal how Washington deciphered the plot against him by relying on the first documented instance of American counterespionage. What makes the story more intriguing is the portrayal of the divisions between loyalists and patriots in New York, as loyalty to the Crown is often underrepresented in Revolution histories. VERDICT Highly recommended for popular history fans, this work adds to the knowledge presented in David McCullough's 1776 and makes a great companion volume to John A. Nagy's Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution.-Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Syndetic Solutions - Publishers Weekly Review for ISBN Number 9781432873172
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
by Meltzer, Brad; Mensch, Josh
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Publishers Weekly Review

The First Conspiracy : The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington

Publishers Weekly


(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This protracted history of a conspiracy against the Continental Army before the American colonies had even declared their independence doesn't showcase thriller author Meltzer (The Escape Artist) at his best. Meltzer and television veteran Mensch set the scene of the conspiracy in the prologue-a moonlit night in 1776 in a clearing in Manhattan, as George Washington emerges from a coach into a planned trap. Then the narrative moves back to 1752; after several chapters, Washington and the Continental Army arrive in New York City in early 1776, where the British governor, William Tryon, is already gathering intelligence against them and pays a New York gunsmith, Gilbert Forbes, to recruit Washington's soldiers into a plot on his life. The authors recount the plot's thwarting by a nascent counterintelligence group led by John Jay, later the first Supreme Court Justice. The authors draw out the story a great deal, breaking it into brief chapters ending in often melodramatic statements like "One thing is clear: nothing in this war will be easy." Some readers may find that the choppy structure heightens the work's drama, while others may find it and the simplistic prose off-putting, but the topic is one that will draw interest. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Agency. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


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