Liar, temptress, soldier, spy : four women undercover in the civil war

Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and “pioneer of sizzle history” (USA Today), tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything to become spies during the Civil War. Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women—a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow—who were spies. After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O’Neale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives. Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies’ descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy contains 39 black & photos and 3 maps. An Amazon Best Book of 2014 A Library Journal Best Book of 2014 A Christian Science Monitor Best Book of 2014 Belle Boyd Emma Edmonds Rose O'Neal Greenhow Elizabeth Van Lew In Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, bestselling author Karen Abbott tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything?their homes, their families, and their very lives?during the Civil War. Seventeen-year-old Belle Boyd, an avowed rebel with a dangerous temper, shot a Union soldier in her home and became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her considerable charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds disguised herself as a man to enlist as a Union private named Frank Thompson, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the war and infiltrating enemy lines, all the while fearing that her past would catch up with her. The beautiful widow Rose O'Neal Greenhow engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians, used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals, and sailed abroad to lobby for the Confederacy, a journey that cost her more than she ever imagined. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring?even placing a former slave inside the Confederate White House?right under the noses of increasingly suspicious rebel detectives. Abbott's pulse-quickening narrative weaves the adventures of these four forgotten daredevils into the tumultuous landscape of a broken America, evoking a secret world that will surprise even the most avid enthusiasts of Civil War?era history. With a cast of real-life characters, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, Detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napol?on III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy shines a dramatic new light on these daring?and, until now, unsung?heroines The Never-before-told Story Of Four Real-life Women Who Risked Everything To Take On A Life Of Espionage During The Civil War--provided By Publisher. Splendid And Silent Suns (a Note) -- The Fastest Girl In Virginia (or Anywhere Else For That Matter) -- Our Woman -- A Shaft In Her Quiver -- As If They Were Chased By Demons -- Never As Pretty As Her Portrait Shows -- Little Rebel Heart On Fire -- Admirable Self-denial -- The Birds Of The Air -- The Secret Room -- Stakeout -- Hard To Name -- Crinoline And Quinine -- Dark And Gloomy Perils -- Unmasked -- The Defenseless Sex -- Not Your Ideal Of A Beautiful Soldier -- She Will Fool You Out Of Your Eyes -- Rebel Vixens Of The Slave States -- Wise As Serpents And Harmless As Doves -- A Woman Usually Tells All She Knows -- A Slave Called Ned -- Perfectly Insane On The Subject Of Men -- The Other Side Of The River -- My Love To All The Dear Boys -- One Grain Of Manhood -- The Madam Looks Much Changed -- The Secesh Cleopatra -- The Bright Rush Of Life, The Hurry Of Death -- She Breathes, She Burns -- The Still, Small Voice -- Richmond Underground -- Playing Dead -- When You Think He May Be Killed Tomorrow -- Bread Or Blood -- A Wean That's Born To Be Hung -- A Dreadful Blow -- No One Ignorant Of The Danger -- La Belle Rebelle -- Women Make War Upon Each Other -- Please Give Us Some Of Your Blood -- That Unhappy Country -- Despicable Remedies -- The Sanctuary Of A Modest Girl -- You Are Very Poor Company -- Be Prudent And Never Come Again -- Good-bye, Mrs. Greenhow -- This Verdict Of Lunacy -- The Delicacy Of The Situation -- Not At All Changed By Death -- The Sweet Little Man -- Like Most Of Her Sex -- The Way A Child Loves Its Mother -- As This Mighty Work Was Done. Karen Abbott. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 483-495) And Index. Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City, tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything to become spies during the Civil War. Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous womena socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widowwho were spies. After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose ONeale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives. Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy contains 39 black & white photos and 3 maps.