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General Washington's Commando: Benjamin Tallmadge in the Revolutionary War, by Richard F. Welch
Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2014. Pp. x, 194. Illus., maps, notes, biblio., index. $35.00 paper. ISBN: 0786479639.
Revolutionary War Master of Special Ops
Long Island native Tallmadge (1754-1835) was superintendent of a secondary school when the Revolution broke out. Commissioned in the Continental Dragoons in mid-1775, following the Battle of Long Island he began directing intelligence operations for Washington. He ran the Culper Spy Ring in the New York City-Long Island area. Recently the subject of the fictionalized television series Turn: Washington's Spies, the work of the ring was largely unknown, even among historians, until the 1930s. Tallmadge and his agents, which included men and women, both slave and free, many of whom still remain unknown, gathered information, conducted occasional commando raids, had a hand in the capture of John Andre, and so forth in support of the Revolutionary cause.
Postwar a founding member of the Society of the Cincinnati, Tallmadge prospered and died a highly respected citizen in Connecticut. Nevertheless, today he is largely unknown to the general public.
Dr. Welch’s highly readable and often lively book, which is the first life of Tallmadge in nearly 70 years, helps rescue this very interesting officer from obscurity, while throwing fresh light on some of the work of the Culper Ring. We not only get a look at Tallmadge’s actions and adventures during the war, but also some insights into military service and the spycraft of the times, Patriot life under British occupation, and more, not to mention a reminder that the Revolutionary War was not something that only happened in Massachusetts, the Carolinas, and Virginia.
General Washington’s Commando
is not only worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the Revolutionary War, but also for students of special operations and intelligence.
Note:
George Washington’s Commando is also available in e-Pub form.
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Reviewer: A.A. Nofi, Review Editor
Buy It At Amazon.com
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