The American Revolution was not simply a battle between the independence-minded colonists and the oppressive British. As Thomas B. Allen reminds us, it was also a savage and often deeply personal civil war, in which conflicting visions of America pitted neighbor against neighbor and Patriot against Tory on the battlefield, on the village green, and even in church.

In this outstanding and vital history, Allen tells the complete story of the Tories, tracing their lives and experiences throughout the revolutionary period. Based on documents in archives from Nova Scotia to London, Tories adds a fresh perspective to our knowledge of the Revolution and sheds an important new light on the little-known figures whose lives were forever changed when they remained faithful to their mother country.

Thomas B. Allen's follow-up to the multi-award-winning "George Washington, Spymaster" is now available in paperback. This compelling biography tells the amazing tale of Harriet Tubman using details uncovered from military and intelligence archives, diaries and little-known memoirs from ex-slaves. In a compelling narrative, surprising new facts about Harriet's story are brought to light: readers discover that the ex-slave who led hundreds to freedom along the Underground Railroad was also a spy for the Union Army
"Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent" brings readers deep into the undercover world of African-American spies--enslaved and liberated--risking everything in the name of freedom. How were the Underground Railroad and slave songs used to pass secret messages? What were "contrabands" and "black dispatches?" What did Harriet share with the Secret Six and a maidservant in the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis? The answers are revealed as history's irresistible plot unfolds.
This detailed account of one of America's most fascinating figures provides an authoritative source for paper writers and research students. Thomas B. Allen's narrative is augmented with attractive woodcuts by Carla Bauer, archival photographs, artwork, and maps. The time line of events, references to Web sites, footnotes with extensive source listings, and comprehensive index make Allen's biography an invaluable addition to every public and school library.
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"No future session of Congress will ever have so arduous and weighty a charge on their hands," the New York Gazette observed in summer 1789. "No examples to imitate, and no striking historical facts on which to ground their decisions--All is bare creation." The constitution had been written in 1787 and ratified in 1788. But 1789 was the year the government it described--albeit only in the broadest of terms--had to be brought into being. 1789: The Founders Create America draws on hundreds of sources to paint a vivid portrait of the new nation, setting out to show the world at large that a new--and very American--form of government was calling itself into being. Veteran journalist Thomas B. Allen brings decades of experience and a gifted storyteller's eye to the long-hidden history of how George Washington and the other Founders set the Federal government into motion.

A new neighborhood. A new school. An unhappy birthday. Things aren't looking great for Gregory. But when he discovers an abandoned chalk factory behind his house, something magical happens: a beautiful garden and a quiet friendship spring up within its walls.

Random House is proud to present the tenth anniversary edition of a book Publishers Weekly called "a gem of a book...a story that goes straight to the heart."  When nine-year-old Gregory experiences several upsets in his life, he responds by creating a fantastic chalk garden on the charred walls of a burned-out factory behind his house.  As his garden grows and flourishes, Gregory finds a voice through his art and, for the first time, is able to find his own place in the world.  The Chalk Box Kid is sure to delight a new generation of children and their parents.  

The world's first Time Capsule, filled with artifacts and documents that tell the story of 1930s America, was buried at the site of the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair. Time Capsule II was buried ten feet away at the 1964-1965 Fair. Together, the two Time Capsules comprise a message to the future, meant to be opened by the people of the year 6939 A.D. But what if, by that date, all knowledge of the Fairs, of New York City, of the English language itself, has been lost in the mists of time? How were the Futurians to find this hidden trove of knowledge, or know what it contained? The simple but wildly ambitious answer: The Book of Record of the Time Capsule--a treasure map in book form, intended to teach the Futurians our language, tell them who we were, and lead them to the buried treasure that awaits them. Time Capsule: The Book of Record precisely reproduces every page of the text typesetting and illustrations of the original Book of Record, and includes a brief but detailed history of the Time Capsules and the original Book of Record, brief biographies of the men who created The Book of Record, and a full index.

The Loyalists were Americans who opposed the Revolution and took up arms to fight for King George III. The Loyalist equivalent of the Continental Army was the Loyalist Corps. More than 150 military units were raised by Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. In the South alone, British military archives list twenty-six Loyalist units that fought in southern campaigns. There, a Continental Army officer wrote, Loyalists and Rebels fought "with little less than savage fury." In this volume are the stories of these military units, and the men who fought in them--Americans in the Service of the King.

Hyman G. Rickover was not long removed from his Jewish roots in Poland when he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922. After a respectable career spent mostly in unglamorous submarine and engineering billets, he took command of the U.S. Navy's nuclear propulsion program and revived his career, being retired-involuntarily-some thirty years later in early 1982. He was not only the architect of the nuclear Navy but also its builder. In the process, he erected a network of power and influence that rivaled those who were elected to high office, and that protected him from them when his controversial methods became objectionable or, as critics would suggest, undermined the nation's vital interests. Authors Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar, whose full-length biography of Rickover (in manuscript in 1981) was consulted by the Reagan Administration during the decision to remove him from active duty, are eminently qualified to write an essential treatment on the controversial genius of Admiral Rickover.

Now in paperback--the award-winning National Geographic book that presents the untold story of the invisible war behind the American Revolution. A riveting tale of intrigue, spies, counterspies and secret agents, "George Washington, Spymaster"is a unique and entertaining account of one of the most important chapters in our nation's history. The compelling narrative reveals the surprising role played by the first commander-in-chief, General George Washington in the War of Independence.
Follow the action as 1775 dawns, and Washington finds himself in serious trouble. At war with Britain, the world's most powerful empire, his ragtag army possesses only a few muskets, some cannons, and no money. The Americans' only hope is to wage an invisible war--a war of spies, intelligence networks, and deception.
Enter the shadowy world of double agents, covert operations, codes and ciphers--a world so secret that America's spymaster himself doesn't know the identities of some of his agents. Meet members of the elusive Culper Ring, uncover a "mole" in the Sons of Liberty, and see how invisible ink and even a clothesline are used to send secret messages. You can even use Washington's own secret codebook, published here for the first time. Experience at close quarters the successes and failures of the Americans as they strive to outwit the British. Meet the chief of covert operations, one Benjamin Franklin, and several other surprising players in America's secret war.
Author Thomas B. Allen has sifted through dozens of historical documents and coded letters to uncover the facts about a time shrouded in secrets. Archival art, coupled with lively pen-and-ink sketches by children's illustrator Cheryl Harness, detail all the action and adventure of this momentous tale. Like the highly acclaimed hardback, this little paperback is sure to have a big impact on the imagination of readers everywhere.