Lincoln's Flying Spies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps

Young readers and old will find this account of the Civil War Air Force an imagination-stirring look at a rarely noted recorded aspect of the conflict. From tethered hot air balloons, linked by telegraph to the ground, showman and balloonist Thaddeus Lowe and his military observers could get magnificent views of enemy positions. One officer even registered his own first by directing ground artillery fire at a hidden Confederate battery. Lowe even launched the first aircraft carrier on the Potomac...a converted flat-deck barge from which his aerial observers were launched.Confederate maneuvers were constantly under the threat of the ubiquitous balloons showing up to foil their latest impressive maneuver. It was like having Superman flying overhead and reporting back to Union headquarters. Some of the more critical and famous Rebel maneuvers could've been completely foiled had balloons been present. Confederates fired their guns at the maddening balloons, but the only real danger was during launch, recovery, or the premature invention of Stinger missiles. As a rule, the balloons above were far out of range.President Lincoln was impressed when Lowe first approached him with his unique proposal for a Union Air Force, but aging General Winfred Scott arterioisclerotically resisted until, on the third attempt, Lincoln himself led Lowe to Scott's office and demanded Scott get on it. (Lincoln also had to intercede to get repeating rifles accepted after his War Secretary turned them down, saying soldiers would use up the bullets too fast. Alas, the supplier could not keep up with demand and most Yankees had to continue using rifle muskets.)Before mid-1863, Lowe's air force was grounded. Shortly before Gettysburg, biggest battle on the continent, the balloon corps became a fatal casualty of Federal beaurocrats because Lowe could direct armies at enemy targets but was unhandy with paperwork.If any military innovation offers a variety of what-if scenarios, Thaddeus Lowe's hot air balloons are it. One wonders how the balloon corps would have performed at Gettysburg battlefield and at subsequent battles. Unlike Scott, Meade was an early fan of Lowe's balloons and saw their potential, but of course wasn't the right person to prosecute the war. How would the much more aggressive Grant have benefitted from the balloon corps had it been available?What if Grant became a major proponent of Lowe's balloons and fully saw the potential, flooding the skies with balloons, not just to spot enemy movements, but Jules Verne-like to fill the skies over the front with observers and artillery spotters. It's unlikely but food for thought and the kind of ideas over which producers of historically anachronistic steampunk movies like Wild, Wild West drool.The book is a quick read at 109 pages which includes numerous photos, graphs, and sidebars - including one on Confederate balloon efforts, as well as notes, index, and bibliography.

Burns's CIVIL WAR was commended for its even-handed treatment ofthe North-South conflict; likewise Ted Turner in his epic GETTYSBURG.And the works of the now-departed Shelby Foote are respected on bothsides of the Mason-Dixon line.Any serious work about the Civil War, such as Jarrow's LINCOLN'SFLYING SPIES, must also pass that first test, whether it has abias for one region of the country. Jarrow's book handily passes.(I've spent a number of years in the South and North and won'twaste time with arguments about the superiority of one side orthe other.)In this heavily researched work, you are awe struck by the uniqueair advantage of the North with its balloon corps making successful(and unsuccessful) attempts at spying on Rebel movements. But thewriter then invites you to observe the cunning maneuvers andcamouflage by the South (tactics the British used 75 years laterto fool Germany's air reconnaissance --read Anthony Cave Brown'sBODYGUARD OF LIES about British counterespionage in WWII.) Seethe photo on page 49 showing dummy guns the Rebels used to foolUnion soldiers.Another way Jarrow does not disappoint is that her storytellingstyle belies the depth of her research. She does her readers, youngand old, a great service by giving life and color to an old, lost,but important story ... so much that you might think the many CivilWar photos included in her book are in living color (almost).Finally, I'm happy to find an author that makes history accessibledespite its weight of research. I remember trips to the library50 years ago where my mother helped me find "fun" history books--biographies, novels, etc. Thank you, Gail Jarrow, for diggingthrough dusty archives and making a balanced, fascinating bookfor young AND old alike.PS: This book, with its many Civil War photos and cited Web sites,would make a great eBook to browse on Kindle!

This was billed as a children's book, but I found it a fascinating read. In fact, I bought this AND "War of the Aeronauts" by Charles Evans, thinking to keep the most interesting and to donate the other to charity. In the event, I kept both! Both books are very readable, well illustrated, and tell the same basic story. The biggest difference is the length of the books. Evans' book is about three times as long as Jarrow's. This is because Evans' book contains more details about the progress of battles (as influenced by balloon observations) and more personal observations/quotes by the people involved.If you are a Civil War buff, then Evans' book will probably interest you more. If you are a general reader, then Jarrow's book will probably suit. You pay your money and make your choice (or buy both)

I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about the balloon corps.

Excellent, most interesting aspect of the civil war that I was not too informed about.

I found "Lincoln's Flying Spies" to be a compelling read, appropriate for adults and young adults alike. This is more than just a character sketch of an intriguing historical figure. As we follow Thaddeus Lowe and his balloons, we're given a front row seat to watch the Civil War unfold. An engaging and fresh way to learn about an important time in the history of the United States, this book is sure to capture the attention of Civil War enthusiasts, teenagers in school, and even just casual readers looking for an interesting read. Jarrow's clear and succinct language is accessible for young adults, while the content and historical insight is engaging enough for an older reader. Well-chosen historical documents and photos spice up the read. You'll even find gems in the captions, such as information about Abe Lincoln's patent and the origin of sideburns. I definitely recommend this excellent book!