Major John André: A Gallant in Spy's Clothing

by Robert McConnell Hatch

The story of the British intelligence officer whose undercover dealings with Benedict Arnold came very close to winning the Revolutionary War for King George III

Genres: History

333 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1986

Reviews

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already read tons on Major Andre over the past few months, I already knew the timeline of events; however, I enjoyed Hatch's semi-novel style approach to telling the story, and he also had quotes from some of Andre's letters that I'd not come across before. He does make a few leaps of judgment based on personal opinion, but most authors writing about Andre do the same and it can be taken with a pinch of salt.
If you've already read about Andre and have no especial interest, this book is probably not worth your time. But if you are an Andre fan, this is one I would recommend for your library.

[Thirteen Orange Ivy Designs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know why but ever since I was younger I have had a weird attachment to John Andre and I’m heartbroken that he died. Which I know is insane because by the time I was born he would have been dead for hundreds of years regardless!
Anyway. I’ve read a lot of John Andre stuff and visited almost everywhere I can find related to him (this book gave me many more places to visit) but this is probably the best account I’ve read of him. Reading the ending FELT like silence and I can’t describe it. Even though I knew it was coming it still broke my heart.
I loved the chapters showing what Tallmadge was doing as well. All of it was brilliantly put together and beautifully told.
If you like history, especially American history, this is a must read.

[P.Wiltse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the soberest of all the André biographies I've read. Granted this isn't a high bar, but I'd probably recommend this or Flexner to someone looking for a first André biography. (It's tied with Flexner's The Traitor and the Spy because Hatch's sobriety unfortunately makes it a little bit boring, as opposed to Flexner, whose tendency to forget he's not writing a novel does make him fun to read. And both Hatch and Flexner do seem to be attempting to be intellectually honest, unlike some more recent writers.)

[Annika Hipple · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first heard about John André through the TV series "Turn: Washington's Spies," to which I was drawn as a fan of JJ Feild, the actor who portrays André. I quickly became interested in learning more about the real Major André, and chose this book due to its excellent reviews. After reading it, I remain interested in André as a historical figure but found this book disappointing. Hatch makes extensive use of long blocks of direct quotations, which does much for historical accuracy but breaks up the flow of the narrative. More irritating is the almost complete absence of dates. I found it very frustrating not to have clearer time markers—for much of the narrative I wasn't even sure what year the events being described were taking place in. Most of the time, all I could be sure of was that the date had to be before October 1780, since André's story had not yet reached its tragic conclusion. Also frustrating was Hatch's tendency not to introduce characters properly; many were simply mentioned by last name the first time they appeared in the narrative. Even in the case of well-known historical figures such as the Marquis de Lafayette (introduced simply as "Lafayette," with no further details), a proper introduction would have been appropriate.

The biggest flaw with this book, however, was that—contrary to most other reviewers, it seems—I simply didn't find it all that interesting. John André himself appears to have been a man of many talents, respected and well-liked by people on both sides of the Revolutionary War conflict. The last days of his life were filled with drama, danger, and tragedy. This would seem to be ideal material for a compelling historical biography, yet even the most dramatic episodes in André's life are rather bland in Hatch's telling. The story picks up slightly when it reaches André's final days, and I found Hatch's brief analysis of why André made the many mistakes that led to his ultimate fate very interesting. Overall, however, the feeling I am left with after reading this book is one of surprise at how boring the author has managed to make the story of a fascinating historical figure and the ill-fated mission that prematurely ended his life.