Civil War Spies

The Civil War marked the only time that U.S. citizens went to war against each other. Discover how spies on both the Union and Confederate sides used the element of surprise to outsmart the enemy and gather important information.

Children's Literature

Part of the "Edge Books" series for struggling readers in grades three to nine, with a reading level of third to fourth grade, this title is not designed to be a comprehensive work with a lot of detail. Instead, it provides an overview of spying during the Civil War by both sides. Either short bios tell how a particular spy managed his or her trade, or high level information gives an overview of tactics used by the Union or Confederacy, or both, including hot air balloon surveillance. The subject itself should be appealing to reluctant readers, and there is information about the Civil War and history of the era that can be absorbed painlessly. Spy facts sprinkled through the text are tangentially related to spying but have more to do with the Civil War itself. A few phrases at the beginning of each chapter point out issues that are covered, alerting the reader what to look for. There is an index, a glossary, and a list of reference sources. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine