The Blue and the Gray Undercover: All New Civil War Spy Adventures - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312874871 ISBN 13: 9780312874872

Publisher: Forge Books, 2001

Synopsis

Battles were won with bullets and sabers on the battlefields of the War Between the States, for sure. But often, the outcome of those battles was affected by the heroic acts of spies--both Union and Confederate. Such heroes, unsung while they did their vital work, included those whose true stories are told in the pages of this book:

· Elizabeth Van Lew: Her Richmond, Virginia, neighbors thought her eccentric--or crazy--but her odd behavior covered her activities as a spy for the Union army.

· Belle Boyd: A daring Confederate spy whose charm and beauty were exceeded only by her boldness and resourcefulness in eluding Union's efforts to capture her.

· Serena Freneau: A beautiful spy who seduced secrets from Union officers--even marrying one of them!

· Timothy Webster: A Union spy who dared to infiltrate the South's infamous "Knights of Liberty" as a double agent.

Their exploits, and the other tales in this extraordinary volume, are as thrilling as any spy stories from the past or present--and many of them are true history.

The Blue and the Gray Undercover

No war is won on the battlefield alone, and the Civil War was no exception. Behind the lines, behind closed doors, in disguise, spies for both the Union and the Confederacy did what spies have always done: seek out information that will help their side get some advantage over the enemy.

In the pages of this unique volume some of the most gifted storytellers of our generation write about many different spies. Editor Ed Gorman has brought together never-before-published tales of undercover work during the War Between the States by such bestselling authors as Doug Allyn, John Lutz, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, and by other talented writers, including Janet Berliner, James H. Cobb, Bill Crider, Jane Haddam, Edward D. Hoch, Marie Jakober, Jane Lindskold, P. G. Nagle, Gary Phillips, Robert J. Randisi, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Aileen Schumacher, and Ray Vukcevich.

In cities and in the wild, north and south of the Mason-Dixon line, in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea--even in Canada--these stories capture the tension and excitement of the high-stakes risks numberless people took to help their side in the terrible war that sundered a nation.

Not all the stories are based on fact, but all show people doing the kinds of things that were actually done to win the war with brains instead of bullets. The result is a fascinating look at a little-known part of our Civil War heritage.

About this title

About the Author:

Ed Gorman, the Shamus Award winning author of more than a dozen novels and many short stories, has edited a number of anthologies, including The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories series. He lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

From Publishers Weekly:

This masterful selection of 18 original short stories based on little-known exploits by civilian Union and Confederate spies shines light on the spirit, resourcefulness and sheer bravery of men, women and children, both free and slave, who gave their all in the service of their ideals. At once educational and entertaining, tales like Janet Berliner's account of action in rough Nevada territory and Edward D. Hoch and Robert J. Randisi's stories of the exploits of unforgiving and coldhearted double agents are spun around actual events and known characters and are convincingly realistic. Feats of courage like as those described in Brendan DuBois's tale of an unlikely spy and James H. Cobb's Jane Bond-style outing thrill the pulse, while the usually cozy Jane Haddam and humorous Loren Estleman turn in bone-chilling and brutally perfect gems on the horror of war. Romantic themes are deftly explored in P.G. Nagle's "The Courtship of Captain Swenk," and Kristine Kathryn Rusch tells a brilliant flashback tale of a faithless wife and a rebel officer presumed dead in "The Dead Line." Editor Ed Gorman participates, too, giving a surprise ending to what is perhaps the saddest tale in the collection, and Marie Jakober's gut-wrenching story about an infamous Confederate prison in Richmond, Va., rounds out this satisfying and rewarding read. The balance struck between action and reflection, suspense and romance, humor and tragedy makes this a particularly fine collection, of interest to mystery readers as well as Civil War buffs.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Forge Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0312874871
• ISBN 13: 9780312874872
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304
• Editor: Gorman Ed