Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War

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Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War (Reprint) Pub. Date: 12/23/2008 Publisher: National Geographic Society
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Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War Pub. Date: 10/10/2006 Publisher: National Geographic Society

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Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War (Library Binding) Pub. Date: 10/10/2006 Publisher: National Geographic Society

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Overview

It's 1863. Harriet Tubman is facing one of the biggest—and most dangerous— challenges of her life. She has survived her master's lash, escaped from slavery, and risked her life countless times to lead runaway slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Now she has a new role—that of Union spy! The outcome of a secret night raid deep into Confederate territory depends on the accuracy of the intelligence she and other black spies have gathered. Success will mean freedom for hundreds of slaves. Failure will mean death by hanging.

You are about to enter the undercover world of African-American spies—enslaved and free—risking everything in the name of freedom. How were the Underground Railroad and slave songs used to pass secret messages? What were "contrabands" and "Black Dispatches?" What did Harriet have in common with the Secret Six and a maidservant in the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis? You'll discover these answers and more as the action unfolds.

Thomas B. Allen, author of the award-winning George Washington, Spymaster, has sifted through military and intelligence archives, diaries, and little-known memoirs from ex-slaves to bring to light new facts about the role Harriet and other black spies played in helping the Union win the war.

This detailed account combined with powerful archival images supplemented with woodcuts by Carla Bauer, maps, a time line, footnotes, and extensive quote sources make this incredibly detailed account an excellent resource for report writing as well as an exciting true-life adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature

The author combines his knowledge of military history and spying techniques to bring to life a little-known chapter in the life of Harriet Tubman, who is more famous for her work to lead slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Excellent research using diaries, letters, and other primary sources, combines with compelling illustrations with the authentic feel of photography to make this a fascinating and insightful book. The twelve chapters in the book feature the work of Tubman and other runaway slaves or free Blacks in a spy network working for the Union during the Civil War. Each chapter contains a brief summary at the beginning, which will be helpful to younger researchers. Research tools include a time line, extensive text notes, maps, additional resources, an index, and a cast of characters, all done in an age-appropriate way. Throughout the book, the author has included notes in code. The end of the book contains the "cipher-square" necessary to read these codes. All of these features combine to make a handsome, intriguing book that will be perfect for students of U.S. history or African American history. Reviewer: Sheryl O'Sullivan

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8
This small book contains a lot of fascinating information on the network of slaves and free blacks who advanced the Union cause during the Civil War. The narrative is framed by the story of Harriet Tubman, the ex-slave and conductor of the Underground Railroad, whose work to help others escape is well known; less is known about her role as a spy. Tubman assisted Northern troops by tapping into a group of ex-slaves working in the South and passing information on to the Union forces. According to Allen, she led a raid along the Combahee River and may have led other expeditions as well. Readers also meet other people who participated in the espionage, including Elizabeth Van Lew, who devised a numerical code to transmit information that she picked up at society gatherings. Using this code, which is described in an appendix, the author includes several messages in the book. The type font and black-and-white reproductions and maps greatly enhance the presentation; in addition to illustrations from traditional sources, such as the Library of Congress, there are quality originals. A great addition to any collection.
—Elizabeth M. ReardonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-This small book contains a lot of fascinating information on the network of slaves and free blacks who advanced the Union cause during the Civil War. The narrative is framed by the story of Harriet Tubman, the ex-slave and conductor of the Underground Railroad, whose work to help others escape is well known; less is known about her role as a spy. Tubman assisted Northern troops by tapping into a group of ex-slaves working in the South and passing information on to the Union forces. According to Allen, she led a raid along the Combahee River and may have led other expeditions as well. Readers also meet other people who participated in the espionage, including Elizabeth Van Lew, who devised a numerical code to transmit information that she picked up at society gatherings. Using this code, which is described in an appendix, the author includes several messages in the book. The type font and black-and-white reproductions and maps greatly enhance the presentation; in addition to illustrations from traditional sources, such as the Library of Congress, there are quality originals. A great addition to any collection.-Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781426304019
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Publication date: 12/23/2008
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 192
Sales rank: 374,569
Age range: 10 years
Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 6.80 (h) x 0.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Thomas B. Allen is the author of the award-winning book, George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War. He is the co-author with Norman Polmar of Spy Book: The Encyclopedia of Espionage; Code-name Downfall; and Merchants of Treason, a report on modern espionage. He is also the co-author, with Paul Dickson, of The Bonus Army. Tom Allen lives in Bethesda, Maryland. You can visit him on the Web at www.tballen.com.

Carla Bauer is a woodcut illustrator whose work has been exhibited in the National Academy of Design. She lives in New York City.

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Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War

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Overview

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Children's Literature

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School Library Journal

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Meet the Author

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