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Nathan Hale: The Life And Death Of America's First Spy (2008)

by M. William Phelps(Favorite Author)

3.4 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0312376413 (ISBN13: 9780312376413)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Thomas Dunne Books

review 1: The only reason this book received two stars from me was because in the end, it did have some information in it that I didn't previously know. Otherwise, the book was poorly researched (he quotes more historians than primary sources it seems) and poorly written. Full names were used over and over again (Washington is well known enough to go by his last name), and extensive background was given for even the most minor of characters. Every British soldier was apparently a terrible, godless person, as opposed to Nathan Hale who was heroic. Not once does Phelps mention that atrocities were committed by both sides, rather, the British spies are awful, sketchy people yet Hale is heroic and patriotic. Phelps is so biased towards Hale that it's almost nauseating at times, repeatin... moreg yet and yet again how courageous and noble Hale was, even as a youth. The word "perhaps" is also used much too frequently for a scholarly work. All in all, I gleaned a few useful things from this book but I wouldn't recommend it.
review 2: A good story worth about half the pages in the book. Somewhat meandering and unfocused, not sure what the author was attempting to do. With that said, I learned much more than the minimal, inaccurate phrase, "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country."Spies were considered the lowest of the low, and summarily executed by most countries in hostilities. So there was some interesting conjecture and discussion of what effort Nathan Hale had to work through to leave a respected, patriotic teacher and soldier role, a Yale graduate, a staunch Christian, and take this lowly position. He did not do well as a spy - he talked too much, was too trusting, and dallied after his mission was complete. Upon capture, the author captured the horror and brutality of the quick descent from capture to being strung up like a dog - the end. The following chapter described how his brother searched for why Nathan had suddenly not been heard from for a month, only to find the bitter truth which at the time was traumatic for the patriotic family, besides the loss of one of their own. less

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