Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army - a review

Spy on History: Victor Dowd and  the World War II Ghost Army
by Engima Alberti and Scott Wegener
Workman Publishing, 2018

Perhaps you've heard of the "Quaker guns" used in Revolutionary and Civil War battles—wooden logs painted to look like cannons to fool enemy soldiers into thinking that they faced a superior force.  In the 1980s, the little-known history of the 23 Headquarters Special Troops (a.k.a. the Ghost Army) was declassified, and uncovered a WW II deception of epic proportions.

This second book in the Spy on History series is the true story of the Ghost Army's role in defeating the Nazis—how a battalion of artists, set designers, and similarly creative individuals used elaborate sound, visual, radio, and atmospheric effects to fool the German Army.

Persistent readers will find it chock full of coded messages and clues to discover.  An envelope marked "TOP SECRET" and "CONFIDENTIAL" contains the necessary spy craft tools to decode the book's secrets, but it will take a careful eye to find them.  Clues are within text, borders, images, maps—even the copyright page!

In this sample page from Victor Dowd and World War II Ghost Army, the included red acetate sheet would uncover a clue within the illustration.  Other images require use of the included cipher wheel, velum, or informational WW II "poop sheet."

It should be noted that this book may not be an appropriate purchase for public libraries because the spy craft materials included in the book's "Top Secret" folder may not withstand multiple uses.  If funds were available, however, it would make an excellent choice for a middle-grade book club.  Kids could work cooperatively to find all of the clues, crack the code, and decipher the secret letter from Victor Dowd.

Upon purchase, the final pages that reveal the answers are sealed to avoid premature peeking. I confess that although I found almost all of the clues, I did not fully crack the code before peeking.  I do think, it can be done, however, with a little bit of time and perseverance.  The story of the Ghost Army is fascinating and true, and the book is entertaining on many levels.

National Archives Identifier 292565 "Inflatable dummy weapons" Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Note:
My copy of Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army was provided by the publisher.

Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye - an audiobook review

Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple, Read by Danny Campbell
Scholastic Audiobooks
3.5 hours
Best for upper middle grades and/or high school

I recently reviewed Lincoln's Spymaster for AudioFile Magazine.  A link to my review of this biography of the nation's most famous private investigator is here: [http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/107600/]  Pinkerton's is a compelling story, well-told and read.

Antietam, Md. Allan Pinkerton ("E. J. Allen") of the Secret Service on horseback, Creator(s): Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882, photographer, Source: Library of Congress

 

Bomb - an audiobook review

(My review of Steve Sheinkin's, Bomb, as it appeared in the July 2013 edition of School Library Journal)

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon.By Steven Sheinkin. 6 CDs. 7:12 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2013. ISBN 978-0-8041-2220-7. $39.


Sheinkin’s stellar nonfiction account (Flash Point, 2012) captures the science, technology, logistics, and politics of the race to build the first atomic bomb. The book gives listeners a holistic perspective, highlighting the fact that the story of the bomb, while a technological miracle of the time, is at its core, an intricate tale of daring individuals whose actions affected families, friends, communities, and nations. The story begins at the end, with the capture of American spy Harry Gold in Philadelphia. From Gold’s seizure, Sheinken takes a retrospective look at events from the discovery of nuclear fusion to the deployment and the aftermath of the uranium and plutonium bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Gold, a chemist, in his role as Communist sympathizer and Soviet courier, is the thread that weaves this fascinating book together as it follows the trail of scientists, Nazi resisters, Soviet and American spies, workers, military commanders, and political leaders across the globe. The author’s narrative is as gripping as that of nonfiction masters such as Jim Murphy and Russell Freedman. Roy Samuelson’s clear diction and measured delivery complements the subject matter, offering students the opportunity to absorb sometimes complex material without pause. This award-winning, meticulously sourced book deserves a spot in every library.



Copyright © 2013 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

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Listen to an audio excerpt from Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, here.

Bomb is a National Book Award Finalist, and the recipient of the Newbery Honor, Sibert Medal, and YALSA Award.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Wrapped in Foil, 

where "finding a great children's book is like unwrapping a perfect sweet."

Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender

Jones, Carrie. 2011. Sarah Emma Edmonds was a Great Pretender. Minneapolis: Lerner.

Author, Carrie Jones, probably best known for her Need series, is not be the first author who comes to  mind when thinking of picture book biographies, however, in Sarah Emma Edmonds, she has clearly found a subject that sparks her interest.
Sarah Emma Edmonds was born in Canada to a cruel father who wished she were a boy.  Unhappy and unable to please him, she eventually fled to the United States and began a new life on her own. She began by selling Bibles, door-to-door, and soon discovered that she sold more and was more readily accepted when dressed as a man. When her adopted country began recruiting soldiers for the Union Army, Sarah joined up, disguised as a man, and giving the name of Frank Thompson.  This would be remarkable enough, but Sarah Emma Edmonds went on to become a successful Union spy. She darkened her skin with silver nitrate and posed as a Southern slave, stealing information on Southern positions and fortifications.  Two months later, she returned to the Confederacy. 

This time she pretended to be Bridget O'Shea, a chubby Irish peddler. She was a woman (Sarah) pretending to be a man (Frank) pretending to be a woman (Bridget).  This would be confusing for most people, but not for Sarah.

Jones does a fine job of distilling the life of this complex woman into a hero story that can be easily understood by younger readers.  The basics of the war are explained, but the war is not the story here.  Sarah Emma Edmonds is the story; children should find her bravery and cunning fascinating.

Although the Author's Note reveals that Sarah Emma Edmonds later revealed her Civil War exploits in a memoir and was belatedly accepted by her fellow soldiers (even the federal government eventually granted her a pension), the book ends with the following, 

She pretended that she was never Frank Thompson, never a spy, never rode a horse named Rebel, and never stole Confederate secrets. Sarah Emma Edmonds was a fantastic pretender.  No one had a clue.

Hopefully, readers will persevere through the fine print author's note and discover the successful resolution of Sarah Emma Edmonds' dual life. Leaving the reader with the impression that her valor and determination went unappreciated is a bit disheartening. Overall, though, this is an inspiring story of a young woman who took a bad beginning and turned it into a grand and honorable adventure.

Sarah Emma Edmonds bookmark available as a PDF download.


Digital Advance Reader copy supplied by Netgalley.

Because I do not own a Color Nook, I will again refrain from commenting the double-spread, painted illustrations by Mark Oldroyd.  In the future, I will be sure not to request picture book review copies in digital format.  My apologies to Mr. Oldroyd.



Photo from Library Archives Canada
Emma Edmonds in women's clothing

Source: Frank Thompson : her Civil War story
by Bryna Stevens 1st ed. -- New York : Macmillan Pub. Co. ; Toronto :
 Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International,
 c1992. -- 144 p. : ill., map, ports. ; 22 cm. -- ISBN 0027881857. -- P. 124
© Public Domain
nlc-10242

 Today's Nonfiction Monday is at Great Kid Books.

A Whole Nother Story

Soup, Cuthbert Dr. 2009. A Whole Nother Story. New York: Bloomsbury.

How can one resist a book that sports a sock puppet named Steve on its cover?  A Whole Nother Story is a madcap chase involving the brilliant scientist, Mr. Cheeseman, his "three attractive, polite, relatively odor-free children," Pinky, their physic hairless dog, government agents (known only by their initials - Atich Dee and El Kyoo), international spies (including a chimpanzee with a fondness for pet fish), corporate villains, and of course, Steve.

The story is narrated by Dr. Cuthbert of the National Center for Unsolicited Advice, who, at various times, interrupts his narrative with unsolicited advice, such as his "generous advice on gift giving,"

All gifts are not created equal.  Historically speaking, there are good gifts and there are bad gifts.
Good gifts: A bottle of champagne, a box of fine Belgian chocolates, the Statue of Liberty.
Bad gifts: A bottle of shampoo, a box of fine Belgian matches, the Trojan Horse.
...
So, be it a new hat, a box of matches, or a giant wooden horse full of bloodthirsty Trojans, the thing you should remember above all else when giving someone a gift is to make certain that you are not giving him something that might provide nosy government agents with information as to your whereabouts.

Oops!

Ethan Cheeseman, his sons Jough Smythe and Gerard LaFontaine, his daughter, Magenta-Jean Jurgenson, their dog Pinky, and Steve, the "snarky" sock puppet, are the owners of a nearly-operational time machine - the LVR.  Can they keep it away from their pursuers, decipher the missing launch code, and travel back in time to save the children's mother?  Perhaps they can, with a little help from a traveling circus and a cowboy poet.

A Whole Nother Story is a slapstick, sci-fi adventure for readers who appreciate truly silly humor.
(264 pages)