Lincoln's Spymaster

July 15, 2015
A Scottish immigrant who came to America on the run from the law established the agency that stopped an early plot against Abraham Lincoln and became the best known detective of his era.Allan Pinkerton honed his detective skills working for the Chicago police force until political corruption led him to leave and begin his own agency. He soon developed a reputation for honesty and relentless determination and notably thwarted a plot to sabotage the railroad lines while Lincoln was en route to his inauguration. Pinkerton's connections to Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan and his proven skills opened a role for him: heading up the Union Intelligence Service. Pinkerton and his cohorts, including the first female agent, provided much information for the Union effort. Following the war, Pinkerton became famous for pursuit of criminals such as Jesse James and controversial efforts against strikers. As the agency grew and changed, it became synonymous with security well into the 21st century. The detailed stories of thwarted plots, gambits behind enemy lines, and efforts to bring outlaws to justice will appeal to readers. The prose is serviceable for the subject; the design is dominated by static portraits of the mentioned historic figures for an overall stuffy effect, although a list of important players in the beginning of the text is helpful. The absorbing subject matter will carry readers past design hiccups. (source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-This serviceable biography sheds light on Allan Pinkerton, America's most famous detective. Readers learn how Pinkerton, a wanted man, fled a life of poverty as a labor dissenter in Scotland for America, where he became a cooper in Illinois. He used his keen observation skills to uncover several counterfeiters and was promptly deputized. This small start in law enforcement grew into employment with the fledgling (and very corrupt) Chicago Police Department. Unable to stomach the corruption, the principled man left after a few years to open Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. The agency's motto: "We never sleep." The agency pioneered many techniques commonly used today, such as working undercover and shadowing suspects. Pinkerton also employed male and female detectives, a practice that was highly unusual at the time. He and his detectives served their country during the Civil War as spies for the Union, occasionally corresponding with Abraham Lincoln himself. After a personal disagreement regarding Union leadership, Pinkerton returned to private detective work. The detailed descriptions of his pursuit of famous outlaws, including Jesse James and Frank Younger, are quite interesting. The overall writing is effective, though not riveting. The photographs and documents are clear, and the bibliography is highly detailed. VERDICT A welcome but not essential addition.-Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 This engrossing biography of Scottish-born Pinkerton recounts his immigration to America in 1842 as a wanted man to his transformation into America's first private eye with the founding of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Less a biography and more a brief overview of Pinkerton's major cases, both his triumphs (preventing the Baltimore Plotters from assassinating President Lincoln) and defeats (his inability to catch Jesse James). Plenty of interesting tidbits should resonate with today's readers. Pinkerton believed in choosing the best people for the job regardless of their gender, hiring the first woman detective and continuing to hire women throughout his career, despite the disapproval of male employees. Pinkerton's family ran the agency for more than 100 years, until it went public in 1967 and was sold to a series of companies in the 1980s. But the legacy lives on as the related undercover operations going on today. This appealing book reads like a novel and, despite not having an index, contains both photos and source notes for further reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)