President Lincoln's Spy

By Steven Wilson

Book Overview

1861. As the Civil War rages on, one man is determined to prove himself on the front lines of battle. But destiny has far greater plans for him. . . On the battlefield, Captain Fitz Dunaway is a man of action with a keen, intellectual prowess. But when he humiliates his commanding officer, he finds himself facing a court martial for his maverick behavior. Now his only chance to redeem himself is by working as a spy to uncover a plot to assassinate President Lincoln. Searching through gas-lit alleyways for traitors who will embrace him as one of their own, Fitz discovers just how fine the line is between allegiance to your cause--and allegiance to your country. . . In this rousing novel of loyalty and patriotism, betrayal and scandal, honor and valor, Lincoln scholar and expert Steven Wilson blends meticulous detail with captivating characters, taking readers back to one of America's most defining moments in history. "The reader can taste the grit and feel the excitement and expectations of a pivotal time in American history. In President Lincoln's Spy, Wilson has given us a time machine." --John Lutz "Steven Wilson writes a story as vivid and engrossing as the Civil War itself." --Troy Soos "If Robert Ludlum had written a Civil War novel filled with spies, double-crosses, murders, romances, and battlefield mayhem, it would read like President Lincoln's Spy." --Clint Johnson, author of Pursuit: The Chase, Capture, Persecution and Surprising Release of Confederate President Jefferson Davis

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0758225148
• ISBN13: 9780758225146
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 334 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Time and Mood

As a Lincoln worshiper and fascinated with the period, I was drawn into Wilson's setting. I found myself imagining the Capitol at that period with the troops marching off to battle down streets amid cheers, at first, but as the war went on, the cheers died as the men marched by. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the author's attention to trivia which brought Lincoln and the period alive.

Trip back in time to Washington DC

Reading Steven Wilson's PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S SPY is a fascinating trip not just to the battlefield, but from it to the nation's capital during the Civil War. As hero Captain Fitz Dunaway finds his way around the city, one of foul smelling canals, and construction sites of places we visit as tourist sights today, time falls away. It's a different world, Wilson reminds us as Fitz loses his way on the streets or meets the President himself who shuns security and enjoys chats with the underlings in his government, such as the telegraph clerks in the War Office. Dunaway is a man out of his comfort zone in Washington, not only in longing to be back on the battlefield where he knows what he's doing in leading men, but also in a city of politicians, a world where he soon believes the only man who tells the truth is the man known as Honest Abe. Once Dunaway was a man who spoke his mind and hid nothing, but doing so has landed him in trouble and to extricate himself he must become like so many others in Washington, a man who is hiding the truth of both his thoughts and actions. For those who enjoy a glimpse of a world long past, PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S SPY is an excellent way to board the train back in time -- in this case, to the early years of the War Between the States and the intrigues that plagued Washington, D.C., even then.

A great historical / mystery novel

This book was very enjoyable. It's perfect for the legions of Civil War / Abe Lincoln history buffs out there. Lincoln appears twice in the novel, and the author conveys a very good image of him. Wilson is an under-rated novelist. His characters are lively and believable, and his knowledge of history is excellent. Why just 4 stars ? I guess the love story in the book drove the narrative a bit too much. But hey, at least the women readers will like this aspect !

engaging well written historical fiction

In July 1861, during what later became known by historians as the Battle of Bull Run, Northern Colonel Pettibone calls for a retreat as the rebel forces appear ready to break through his line. Thinking no retreat or surrender, Captain Fitz Dunaway ignores the order and instead leads a counter surge that prevents the Confederate army from breaching the Union lines. Outraged by the defiance of his inferior officer, Pettibone has Dunaway detained in the guardhouse. U.S. Assistant Secretary of War Thaddeus Prescott offers Dunaway a job that will get him out of the jail and allow him to take the risks he seems to relish. Dunaway accepts being part of President Lincoln's protective force, but understands his mission is to uncover who is plotting to kill the leader of the Free States. To do this he must pose as a Lincoln hater so that the conspirators ask him to join the plot to kill the President. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S SPY is an engaging well written historical fiction thriller that paradoxically suffers from Steven Wilson choosing so well known of a figure and adhering to facts that readers know what will ultimately happen at least to the President. Still Dunaway's escapades make for an interesting tale as the hero begins to understand politics has strange bedfellows so not to trust anyone who just might be undercover working for some other side. Harriet Klausner