Spies had to be clever outwit their counterparts in war. Secret messages could be small enough to fit into a button, or rolled up inside the shaft of a quill. These could be written by spies or people hoping to transmit secure messages. Benjamin Franklin's secretary was in fact a double agent . Edward Bancroft wrote messages to his British agents, who reported to the gifted spy Paul Wentworth, who was actually a New Hampshire native but who spoke excellent French. Bancroft

Have you visited Shepherd for Books to search for a new title? You'll find recommendations from authors for favorite reads. For my recent...

Jean O’Connor’s second book, Congress’s Cryptographer , about her five times great-grandfather, James Lovell, is even more remarkable...

James Lovell, Secretary of Foreign Affairs during the Revolution, knew that top secret information had to be transmitted securely. What...

With many ways to search the expansive site, you'll find something new to read. Shepherd now has Genre searching, including Historical...

The Montana Arts Council's publication, State of the Arts, provides updates on books, film, literary, visual, and performing arts...

I am pleased and excited to be offering Write the Revolution at the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, on the 252nd...

We had so much fun with this writing workshop that I thought I would add a handout to the site. Use these ideas to develop your own...

Driving through central Pennsylvania on highway 99, near Altoona in the Sinking Valley, we discovered Fort Roberdeau, built in 1778 to...

James Lovell is the subject of this interview on Founder of the Day with Jason Mandresh. See more Founder of the Day on his YouTube...

These days, we spend time online, whether for work, visiting with family, or catching up with our friends. Would you like to visit with...

Finding the original letter written from James Lovell to his sons from the Boston Stone Jail in 1775 was only part of the fun in...

Fake news, false information masquerading as news for the purpose of persuasion or intimidation, has been with us for centuries. In the...

"James Lovell: Schoolteacher, Prisoner, Patriot" is a non-fiction, quick (well, only 3800 words) look at some of the facts behind The...

History should be the study of what happened in the past, unfiltered, lacking bias. And the teaching of history, the same. That said, of...

You may have noticed the link on the page about The Remarkable Cause on my site, "The Original Letter." But in case you missed it, here...

My daughter was in her garden, digging to find a place for transplanting iris from the front yard. In the corner, against the fence,...

Have you ever nearly been stumped to find a solution, scratched your brain - and your sister's brain - over and over, then taken a turn...

Historical fiction needs not only character development, themes, and emotional connections for the reader, it needs authentic history. ...