Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy audiobook

Four Civil War femme fatales? Yes, please.This book is EVERYTHING!* It's like A League of Their Own had a lovechild with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and Doris Kearns Goodwin's (DKG) Team of Rivals , and seasoned with an extra dash of siren song. (Or does one not season children?) Actually, it's hard to dream up a single concoction to represent all that is contained in Karen Abbott's Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy . It is a unique breed of narrative non-fiction, with dialogue taken from primary sources (à la Eric Larson or DKG), but with a bit more literary leeway given (e.g. I can't imagine how one would garner access to the dying thoughts of a drowning woman and/or the extent to which a purse full of gold may have tugged at her neck). Additionally, the four women do not share a single story by any stretch of the imagination — a good thing if, like me, you enjoy "rotisserie-style" narration.** Setting the Scene:We open curtain around summertime 1861, which (and I hope you already know this) coincides with the American Civil War. Since any man worth his mettle is battlefield-bound (click the picture below, The Art of Inspiring Courage, for some of the means by which the lady-folk made sure of this), there are bound to be many changes in the women's world. While some members of the fairer sex were content to contribute to the war effort by darning socks, others went above and beyond the typical call of duty. Belle Boyd:Belle's name was the only one with which I was familiar prior to reading this book. If ever there comes a time when we all get to go back in time to slap a person of our choosing, Belle would be pretty high up on my list (though don't tell her that, she'd probably take it as a compliment).† "Why pick on poor Belle?" you ask. Where do I begin? For one thing, I have an (admittedly ironic) disdain for women who hate other women, and boy did Belle ever begrudge fellow females. She was also a media/attention hound (note how I refrained from using the word whore? oops!) before it was even a thing. When she was finally tossed into Old Capitol Prison (after her sixth or seventh arrest), she was "insulted" by the lack of torment she received relative to Rose O'Neal Greenhow (whom you'll meet soon enough). I couldn't help but feel smug satisfaction when I read that Belle was rebuffed by a fellow inmate in her constant search for a man to marry. Also, she was super into General Stonewall Jackson — to a near pathological extent (some might call it John Hinkley-esque), she tried to blackmail Lincoln, and so many other things, but my blood pressure can't take any more contemplation of the self-proclaimed “Cleopatra of the Secession.” Sarah Emma Edmonds:Unlike a certain southern drama queen, Emma Edmonds was hoping not to be noticed for her participation in the war. Why? Well, it wasn't strictly legal for a woman to impersonate a man to join the ranks (though, Abbott speculates, that there may have been up to 400 women who did so). However, Emma, not usually one for lying and deception, felt that it was her god-given duty to help with the war effort in whatever way possible. And, thus, one Frank Flint Thompson enlisted with the 2nd Michigan Infantry. "Frank" logged most of his time as a battlefield medic, known as a "field nurse" (which had no feminine connotation at the time). Her story has the trials that often come with being a woman playing a man, especially in context intense for all. Edmonds/Thompson's role got even more gender-bending when she was sent undercover as a man pretending to be a woman across enemy lines in order to collect some intel. Her story takes many a turn that I consider spoiler-worthy, so do with that what you will. Rose O'Neal Greenhow:Remember the lady who was lucky enough to receive way more torment than the envious Belle Boyd while locked up in Old Colony Prison? That would be Rose. And, while I'm no fan of Rose's politics, I've gotta give it to her when it comes to spycraft. There are over 174 documents intercepted going to and from Greenhow (some in pretty impressive ciphers) in the National Archives. Why so much fuss over Rose? Well, she was pretty good at her "job," which, after her recruiter/handler, Thomas Jordan, officially defected to the CSA and went off to war, was pretty much Spymistress of the Confederate Secret Service. And, arguably, it was her communication of Union intel to General P. G. T. Beauregard that sealed the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run . Rose had access to important information as a Washington socialite, well versed in "flattering" information out of the city's political elites (and potentially paramours). So, soon enough, Detective Allan Pinkerton, head of the Union Intelligence Service, was building up a dossier of info on Rose's activities. Rose Greenhow, like Belle Boyd, had the annoying habit of "unsexing" herself (as far as I'm concerned, if you're running a spy ring and packing heat, you're kind of fair game), and then whining about how unfair it was to subject a woman to such barbarous treatment. Between referring to Unionists as "slaves of Lincoln...that abolition despot," and (pro-slavery as ever) describing seasickness as "..the greatest evil to which poor human nature can be subjected," my patience wore thin with Rose. Also, if you don't want your daughter, Little Rose, in prison, you should probably avoid using her as a spy. Elizabeth Van Lew (and Mary Jane too):Elizabeth Van Lew sacrificed what could have otherwise been a cushy life for her abolitionist beliefs. She emancipated her family's slaves (though some opted to stay as paid servants), and spent the bulk of her inheritance buying and freeing their relatives. Living in Richmond, hers was not a particularly popular position to take. Like Rose Greenhow, Van Lew ran a sizable spy ring, but her real stroke of genius involved a collaboration between Elizabeth and her much beloved servant (for lack of a better word), Mary Bowser aka Mary Jane Richards. Having taught Mary Jane to read and write, referring to her as a “maid, of more than usual intelligence,” was quite the understatement. Mary Jane had an exceptional eidetic memory, which was what made her such an amazing asset "on the inside," when Van Lew "offered" Mary Jane to Varina Davis, First Lady of the CSA. Parting words:In an attempt to keep this review from becoming book-length, I'll stop here. If the subject(s) of this book are of interest to you, then I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the writing well enough, though it was hard to separate content from form. However, there aren't nearly enough books out there on kick-ass ladies in Civil War lore, so thanks, Karen Abbott, for that!_______________________________________* That's a thing kids say on the internet these days, right?** Not a real term, but I can't think of a better way to describe the method of rotating among otherwise separate stories. Suggestions are welcome!† I feel like a lot of people would want to take a swing at Hitler, and I really hate waiting in line.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Karen Abbott's History of Four Women in the American Civil War I am always on the women's side.-The Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut Whoever said history has to be dull? Well, when Newsweek Magazine asked one thousand Americans the same U.S. Citizenship Test questions required for an immigrant to gain United States Citizenship, 38% must have found it pretty dull stuff. They failed. Seventy percent couldn't tell you what the Constitution was. That's a pretty bleak look on Americans' knowledge about their own country. Take The Quiz: What We Don't Know Newsweek Magazine, March 20, 2011.So it is especially refreshing to find a book as skilfully written by an author as talented as Karen Abbott who brings a lesser known area of the American Civil War brilliantly alive. Any reader will find her story of four women and their involvement in the American Civil War anything but dull. With the skill of a novelist, Abbott weaves the lives of four exceptional and independent women into the complex history of the times. Nor does Abbott accomplish her task without the credentials to back up her work. Abbott writes the History column for Smithsonian.com and Disunion, the continuing series on the American Civil War for The New York Times. Karen Abbott is the author of Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul, and American Rose. Writing of strong, independent women, outside traditional roles, I consider her a feminist historian. Oh. Don't be misled by the author's looks. Yes, she's a beautiful woman. Yes, she certainly turned this reader's head. But make no mistake about it. She has a mind as sharp as the finest Toledo steel. This is a history that is fully noted with a bibliography of sources that should satisfy any historian.Writing of women's role in the American Civil War, Abbott said in her introductory note: Some--privately or publicly, with shrewd caution or gleeful abandon --chafed at the limitations society set for them and determined to change the course of the war. In the pages that follow I tell the story of four such women: a rebellious teenager with a dangerous temper; a Canadian expat on the run from her past; a widow and a mother with nothing else to lose; and a wealthy society matron who endured death threats for years, and lost as much as she won. Each, in her own way, was a liar, a temptress, a soldier, and a spy, sometimes all at once."If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will.Belle Boyd, the teenager with the dangerous temper.Belle was seventeen when the war began. She lived with her parents in Martinsburg, Virginia, near the top of the Shenandoah Valley. She was impetuous. As one of the belles of Martinsburg described her, she was "man crazy." When Union troops entered Martinsburg and invaded her home, she killed a Yankee soldier whom she thought was too rough with her mother. Early in the war, there were no repercussions. The North wanted no repercussions among Southern civilians--yet. Belle's father was a member of Stonewall Jackson's Brigade, though he had not earned that nickname yet. During the battle of Falling Waters, Belle Boyd ran across the field of battle to warn Jackson of the number and deployment of Union troops. She was instrumental in Jackson's victory. Belle, ever the romantic, became enamored of Jackson. Surprise. Belle's feelings were not returned. Eventually Belle became a courier for the Confederacy. She was imprisoned in the Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. She was subsequently exiled to the South, paroled on the condition that she never return to Union soil. Ironically, Martinsburg was located in what became West Virginia. Belle Boyd would be exiled from home or in violation of her parole. It is left to the reader to discover what happened to Belle.Rose Greenhow, the widow and mother with nothing left to lose.To be continued...

When I say I want to read about interesting women, this is EXACTLY what I mean. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy tells the story of:•BELLE BOYD : self proclaimed "Cleopatra of the Secession" and a real piece of work. Before the age of 20, Belle had already killed a man, become a spy for the Confederacy, and been arrested (for being a spy). Always on the lookout for a husband, and pathologically obsessed with Stonewall Jackson, Belle Boyd flirted and canoodled her way through the Civil War. I found her epilogue in particular extremely interesting.•EMMA EDMONDS : youngest child of a father who never loved her, Emma pulled a Mulan and joined up. Serving in the Union army as a war nurse, post master, and spy, Emma (who went by the name Frank Thompson) managed to conceal her gender for years, all the while surrounded by thousands of soldiers - never able to let her guard down. Emma's story was my personal favorite, and I highly recommend this book if only for Emma.•ROSE O'NEALE GREENHOW : another piece of work. Rose, a widow with a young daughter (named Little Rose), became a Confederate spy whilst living in Union territory. Rose gathered an astonishing amount of information and passed it on in the early days of the war. Rose's whole thing was seduction. She had many an affair with Union soldiers, all for the cause. While I didn't agree with her politics or personal beliefs, I can respect that this woman was damn formidable.• ELIZABETH VAN LEW: abolitionist and spy. Elizabeth lived in Richmond and spied for the Union. She could easily have lived a quiet life of comfort, but instead, she spent the majority of her sizable inheritance freeing slaves and helping smuggle Union POWs to safety. Elizabeth would go on to become close friends with Ulysses S Grant, but would continue to be ostracized by Richmond society following the war.Each one of these women were compelling. Even though I didn't agree with all of their actions or beliefs, I respect every one of them for having the conviction to stand by their beliefs and the follow through to do something about it.Update: Since reading this I've been seized by a wild desire to read and/or watch Gone With The Wind.

I completed this book in the nick of time for a book group discussion. So glad the group chose a book I had been wanting to read. The four women in this book prove the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction. You can't make this stuff up! A woman impersonating a man who ends up impersonating a woman. A southern belle who weaves her way through a battlefield to deliver a message. A Richmond spinster who aids Grant so substantially he rewards her with a government post. A Washington socialite who fully supports the cause of the South and abuses all relationships to further the cause. Fascinating facts and stories from the war between the states. Highly recommended!

"Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy" is a fantastic nonfiction narrative about four women and their daring undercover actions during the Civil War. In my own head, I typically don't think about women having a role in fighting the Civil War. We don't typically hear about them out on the battle field unless they are in a nursing role. This book sheds light on some of the bravery that women showed during the Civil War.The Civil War definitely isn't my favorite historical event to learn about but with books like this to make it a lot more exciting to me, it makes me think that maybe I need to give the Civil War more than a passing glance when it comes to my reading. I love nonfiction, especially narrative non-fiction. This book has something for everyone. There's great people and great story lines. There's intrigue and espionage. I found myself reading parts of it to my husband even though I'm totally making him read this book now that I've finished!!!This book is anything but dry and feels very much like fiction. The way that the author weaves in so much detail about these four women and their lives really drew me into the book. Some of the women identify with the Union and some identify with the Confederacy but all four are committed to their various causes. It was so interesting to me to see how of these women were able to move about in a society that it wasn't necessarily very permissive for women at that time. I love that the way that the author told the story of all of these women. It was really well done and I would love to read more by this particular author!

This book about 4 female Civil War spies was a must-read for me and was everything I'd hoped-- the final line of the epilogue leaving me with goosebumps (I'm not even kidding). I already knew about each of these women-- had even read parts of Rebel Rose's and all of Sarah Emma Edmonds' memoirs-- but I feel like I learned SO MUCH about them and the lengths that they and many others went through in pursuit of their ideals. Abbott gives a thorough, compelling, suspenseful account of each woman's life during the war years, portraying them each with sensitivity and careful detail, giving voice to their beliefs and allowing the reader to come to her own conclusion about each woman (my conclusion: I'd like to hang out with Sara Emma Edmonds and be a fly on the wall near the rest, just to watch them in action). I am so impressed with the amount of research that went into this book and the seamless way Abbott combines direct quotes with novelistic description, often managing to end chapters on cliffhangers. My one criticism, which is owing to my preference for reading fiction and that I mostly read in fits and starts these days, is that I had a hard time keeping track of the many minor personages who dot the pages. I don't see how this could be avoided in a work of non-fiction, however. I hope this book will help these ladies (and others!) take their rightful place in history-- they're a fascinating lot!

I was completely entertained; best time I’ve had reading a history book! Abbott gives that extra hundred pages of personality that all of my Erik Larson reads have lacked.Frank Thompson/Emma Edmondson A Union soldier, nurse, and spy. There were as many as 400 women, on both sides, posing and fighting as men.Rose Greenhow DC socialite ran a Confederate spy ring in the Union capital and later became the first American woman to represent her country abroad.Elizabeth Van Lew Ran a Union spy ring in the Confederate Capital and often hid escaped prisoners on their way north. Belle Boyd A brave drama loving southern belle who saw the war as her stage. She’d race across a battlefield, getting bullet holes in her hoop dress, to provide intelligence to the Confederacy... and to provide her dinner guest with sensational stories of her feminine courage!Best of the history genre: five stars!

This book examines the lives of four courageous women during the American Civil War: two for the Union and two for the Confederacy. On the side of the Union there's Emma Edmonds, a Canadian woman who disguised herself as a man and fought, nursed and spied for the Union. There's also Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Union supporter living in Richmond who dared use her personal resources to help escaped prisoners and pass on information to General Grant. Honorable mention to her friend and former slave Mary Jane Bowser who worked undercover as a servant in the Confederate White House spying and passing information on the Union Underground Railroad of information. The Confederate women include Mrs. Rose O'Neale Greenhow, a beautiful widow living and spying in Washington, DC and Belle Boyd, a Virginia teenager enamored with Stonewall Jackson and the Southern cause who brashly and boldly flirted, flattered, spied and carried messages for the Confederacy. The writing is lively and easy to understand for non-academics. Each chapter ends in suspense, urging the reader to keep reading. I got really caught up in the stories of the Confederate women, of whom I had heard but knew little and also Emma's story because I'm certain I read a YA fiction novel based on her story. It was thrilling enough without fiction. The one story I knew well was Elizabeth Van Lew's because of two fictional books I had read about her. Still I enjoyed reading the true story behind the fiction. The stories of these amazing women would make a great movie and no one would believe it! They were all so strong under enormous pressure. Their clandestine activities meant life or death and the fate of our nation was on line. My biggest problem with this book is lack of footnotes. There are endnotes in the back but they're not numbered in the text. I know casual readers find footnotes annoying but I'm an academic and need footnotes. My other beef is the author likes to add little flourishes to her prose like "she left in a swirl of petticoats and a stomp of boots." or something like that. It's not good writing for a non-fiction book. Again I am sure that's what readers of popular history want but it's not the way I was taught. I was also taught to clarify - don't say mothers smuggled medicines in the heads of their daughters' dolls. How many women, where, when? This isn't even an accurate statement - there are two dolls in one museum believed to have been used to smuggle drugs during the Civil War. I also question some of the sources used in this book. Many of the information on Elizabeth Van Lew comes from family members decades after the fact. If I wasn't an academic, I probably would have rated the book 5 stars. I think my grandmother, a history buff but not an academic, will enjoy this book. Civil War enthusiasts, women's history enthusiasts and spy history buffs will love this book.

As someone who's super scared of nonfiction and who hates reading about wars, I was nervous about this book. But when I heard that Karen Abbott was coming to town, I decided it was time to give this book a chance. Everybody who has read it loved it and the subject matter certainly sounded interesting. Badass women undercover?? Sign me up. I've just always had trouble with history, for whatever reason. Abbott makes Civil War history so interesting and accessible, without dumbing it down. All of the women included were incredible in what they were willing to do either for their sides of the war.Something I really liked was how Abbott doesn't present those who fought on the Confederate side of things like villains. She just presented the facts and the personalities; what the women did without judgement. No side was glorified, every woman flawed and incredible in their own way. Also, when I saw Abbott speak she described one of the women, Belle Boyd, as a mixture of Sarah Palin and Miley Cyrus, which is SO ACCURATE. If that doesn't make you want to know more about these women, I don't know what will.Full review: Outlandish Lit - 3 Books About People Who Aren't What They Seem

I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins. In this work of non-fiction, Abbott tells the story of four women who served as spies during the Civil War. Belle Boyd was a teenager when work broke out, and a hotheaded one at that. Belle became a spy for the Confederacy, seducing men to get them to tell all. Emma Edmonds ran away from home to avoid a forced marriage. To survive, she dressed as a man and joined the Union army, where she was eventually recruited to serve as an undercover spy. Rose O'Neale Greenhow was a widow who seduced Unionists to gain intelligence for the Confederacy. She and her young daughter were imprisoned for their crimes against the United States. And finally, Elizabeth Van Lew, a well-to-do Richmond spinster with Union loyalties, served as bath a Union spy and a safe house for Union soldiers escaping from the Southern prison. This account was fascinating, but that's largely because Abbott has cherry picked four of the most fascinating stories from the Civil War to include. These women did not know one another and never met, yet Abbott has done an excellent job of weaving the four disparate stories together into one chronological tale. However, at times I had a difficult time to keep the four women separate in my mind, and to even remember for which side which woman was spying. I couldn't help but have my favorites among the four women portrayed. Emma Edmonds fascinated me because she successfully pulled off serving as a female in a male army. Emma was one of around four hundred women who posed and fought as men during the Civil War. Perhaps even more impressive, once recruited to be a sspy Emma posed as a man posing as at times as a black man, and at times as a woman in order to infiltrate into the Southern army - which surely must have been confusing. Yet she was never caught and exposed as a woman. Many years later after the end of the war, she did reveal her gender to her fellow soldiers.Additionally, I developed great respect for Elizabeth Van Lew, who was much hated in Richmond for her abolitionist beliefs, yet stood firm by them. Elizabeth managed to install her black servant Mary Jane in the Confederate president's house. Little did President Davis know that Mary Jane was "highly educated and gifted with an eidetic memory, capable of memorizing images in a glance, and recalling entire conversations word for word" (83). Additionally, Elizabeth successfully hid escaped Unionists in a secret room in her house, even when Southern army officers were staying with her. She was adept at aiding the Union army, and did so at considerable personal expense.All four women in this book were willing to risk their life for their beliefs. All four sacrificed in numerous ways, including in bodily comfort, health, finances, and safety. Abbott has done an excellent job of locating four fascinating stories of women involved in the Civil War and compiling them in an easy to read and well researched narrative.