The first conspiracy the secret plot to kill George Washington

Biography & Autobiography. History. Politics. Nonfiction. HTML: This program includes a bonus conversation with the authors. Taking place during the most critical period of our nation's birth, The First Conspiracy tells a remarkable and previously untold piece of American history that not only reveals George Washington's character, but also illuminates the origins of America's counterintelligence movement that led to the modern day CIA.In 1776, an elite group of soldiers were handpicked to serve as George Washington's bodyguards. Washington trusted them; relied on them. But unbeknownst to Washington, some of them were part of a treasonous plan. In the months leading up to the Revolutionary War, these traitorous soldiers, along with the Governor of New York, William Tryon, and Mayor David Mathews, launched a deadly plot against the most important member of the military: George Washington himself. This is the story of the secret plot and how it was revealed. It is a story of leaders, liars, counterfeiters, and jailhouse confessors. It also shows just how hard the battle was for George Washington and how close America was to losing the Revolutionary War. In this historical masterpiece, New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer teams up with American history writer and documentary television producer, Josh Mensch, to unravel the shocking true story behind what has previously been a footnote in the pages of history. Drawing on extensive research, Meltzer and Mensch capture in riveting detail how George Washington not only defeated the most powerful military force in the world, but also uncovered the secret plot against him in the tumultuous days leading up to July 4, 1776. Praise for The First Conspiracy: "This is American history at its finest, a gripping story of spies, killers, counterfeiters, traitors�??and a mysterious prostitute who may or may not have even existed. Anyone with an interest in American history will love this book."�??Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God "A wonderful book about leadership�??and it shows why George Washington and his moral lessons are just as vital today. What a book. You'll love it."�??former president George H.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member labdaddy4

An interesting read. I am not sure if this is fiction or non-fiction - history or pseudo-history. There does not seem to be much in the historical record to support everything posited in this book. There were enough factual tidbits to make me keep reading. It was an enjoyable trip through an

imaginative look at our early history.

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LibraryThing member jfe16

General George Washington’s handpicked bodyguards were, unbeknownst to the general, part of a treasonous plot. Along with the governor of New York and the mayor of New York City, they launched a deadly scheme against the leader of the Continental Army.

This narrative reveals the little-known

story of the secret plot as it details its ultimate revelation. Detailing the difficulties faced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental forces, it tells how the Revolutionary War was almost lost.

Suspense fills the unfolding story and imparts a sense of urgency to the tale. Despite knowing how the story ends, readers will find this urgency keeps the tension building. It’s a riveting, easy-to-read, thought-provoking story filled with revelations that are sure to keep the pages turning. Readers will find an extra chapter included in the Barnes and Noble Special Edition of the book.

Highly recommended.

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LibraryThing member GShuk

This book reads like a novel and near the end I found it hard to put down. Brings to life the concept that it was not everyone from the colonies against England.

LibraryThing member Renzomalo

A fairly good read, all things considered, but not great. Although the research behind "the conspiracy" seems legitimate, the telling borders on a dime-store mystery novel. It seemed that Brad Meltzer effort to create a page-turning drive resulted in a somewhat pulpy narrative. My feeling is that

David McCullough would have wrapped this up in a chapter or two. Still, not a bad read. Three and a half stars.

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LibraryThing member Tim.Roberson

This was a fascinating read for me as I had never heard of this conspiracy in any of the historical books or documents I had ever read previously and for good reason. The intricacies of the plot were well laid out and dissected with very few unanswered questions by the end. Despite there being not

a lot of official documentation to work with, Mr. Meltzer once again did a fantastic job of researching his subject and brought this story to life in a refreshing, engaging way, just as he does with his fiction. I've been a fan of Brad Meltzer for some time, and have read several of his fictional works, and this book further solidified my fandom and did not in any way disappoint.

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LibraryThing member lbswiener

The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington is a book that was well researched about a part of history that is not taught in school. One could conclude that it was a miracle that George Washington was not killed. Not only did he have to worry about feeding and leading the army

but he also had to worry about his own men turning on him. This book was rated at five stars. Excellent and highly recommended.

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LibraryThing member dasam

Repetitive, facile, with lots of filler, this book could have been 100 pages shorter. The authors try to end each chapter with phony cliffhangers, like that on the History Channel at its worst before each commercial break.

There is room for a book on the creation of counterintelligence under

Washington. This is not it.

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LibraryThing member MikeBiever

The book is a simple and quick read. The authors found a subject that reminds the reader that events and history are shaped by many factors. To imagine that a plot to capture, assassinate or otherwise take away the influence of George Washington as commander of the Continental Army would have

succeeded warrants a considerable speculation on the impact to the outcome of the American Revolution and independence. We must take into account that records and documents are limited by time and left to educated interpretation. Nonetheless, the intrigue and calculation of the independence movement entails more than the simple explanation.

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LibraryThing member Jerry.Yoakum

This book covers more than just the conspiracy to kidnap or kill Washington. It also discusses some of the things that shaped his life and character. Definitely a good read. Educational and enjoyable.

LibraryThing member jtsolakos

I. Never Knew.
Fascinating history never taught in school. Why? Chopping down a cherry tree doesn’t cut it anymore.
Mr. Meltzer and Mr. Mensch are great researchers and storytellers. The story grabs your attention and keeps you reading. As you finish, your mind wanders to what might have been.

LibraryThing member janerawoof

Is this completely nonfiction or is there some fiction added in? The author states he wanted at first to write a spy novel. Whatever this is, one or the other or a hybrid, it was fascinating to read of a little-known incident in American history: in the earlier years of the Revolution, the possible

assassination [or kidnapping] of George Washington, blowing up powder magazines, and sabotage of the colonials' cannons. This was masterminded by the Tory governor of New York, with the mayor of New York City heavily involved. Also some of Washington's bodyguards, the "Life Guards", were involved. Oh yes, the subverting of colonial soldiers to the British side was also a part of it. Writing style seemed to me like the book was written for high school students. That is fine with me; I understand nonfiction books better if the writing style is simpler. The author should have not kept explaining the same item over and over in different places in the book; that was a little TOO simplistic. All in all, a good and educational read.

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LibraryThing member shayes1

I like the series. It has a lot of historical background and as a government information librarian, I enjoy the setting -- Washington, DC, and the National Archives. It kept me engaged as well as entertained.

On to the next book in the series.

LibraryThing member buffalogr

I really wanted to like this. I am a fan of early American history. This book covers more than just the conspiracy to kidnap or kill Washington which adds fluff to the story. The book is 11 hours long and the author spent the first two on background. Cliffhangers and repetition reduce the enjoyment

of this story. Yes, William Tyron, the New York Royal Governor, was the bad guy here....again, again, and again. Only about a quarter of the book is about a conspiracy, the rest if fluffy puffy. It's hard to believe all the five-star reviews here, one star is generous. Did not finish.

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LibraryThing member JosephKing6602

Interesting history; but the book was about 100 pages too long

LibraryThing member Jarratt

I've read A LOT about this time period, but didn't know much at all about the plot to kill Washington.

The book tells the little-know story of how NY Gov. Willian Tryon, who's been forced to live on a British ship in the harbor, masterminds a plan to have Washington and his top generals killed or

captured just as the British are arriving in America. In the end, this is very much a legal thriller as members of the Committee on Conspiracies, the super-secret group comprised of John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, and Philip Livingston, must parse through witnesses to get to the nuggets of truth.

It's clear Brad Meltzer is a thriller writer. Most of the chapters end with a single, cliffhanging sentence and most begin in a similar fashion. For those well versed in the happenings of 1776, there's a lot of retread. But this kind of book is written for those who don't spend much time in the 18th century so I think it's a great refresher for most readers to relearn how truly desperate the American cause was.

Well worth the read!

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LibraryThing member la2bkk

A well written narrative of a little known British/loyalist conspiracy involving General George Washington in the early period of the Revolutionary War (just prior to the New York campaign).

As a fan of this period of American history I am quite well informed and have read many books on the various

personalities and events. Nonetheless, this particular conspiracy was mentioned, if at all, only in passing. This book explores in depth the inner workings and personalities involved. It also provides a nice introduction and context so the reader has a good understanding of the trials and tribulations that General Washington and his army were facing at the time.

The book is generally narrow in its focus, yet it’s easy reading style should appeal to both introductory and more well read fans of the period.

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LibraryThing member zot79

Brad Meltzer tells a very compelling story. I liked the detailed explanations of political relationships and the chronological revelation of the story. It does almost read like a novel. But it's also very interesting history for a reader that is not well-read on the era.

I do agree with other

reviewers that the narrative is very repetitive and overblown - very much like the author's breathless television shows, including frequent [chapter] breaks [for commercials].

A pretty solid 4-star book, with a half star off for being a pot boiler, and a half star back on for keeping me reading to the very end.

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