How Blank Book Pages Won the American Revolution

blogicon

1106 Design

January 29, 2016

As some of you know I love, love, love to read history. This past weekend, while reading George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution, by Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) and Don Yaeger (@DonYaeger), I was amused to learn that often-reviled blank book pages played a crucial role in winning the war.

British and American spies were everywhere during the war, so creativity was needed to share intelligence that would not be detected. One method, employed by both sides, was to use “invisible” ink  to write between the lines of ordinary-looking letters and business documents. Codes such as “S.T.” were added to these letters to alert the recipient to apply a chemical stain to reveal the secret message.

George Washington knew that the couriers of these letters risked their lives with every delivery so he formulated a better plan:

“…he should occasionally write his information on the blank leaves…of a common pocket book, or on the blank leaves at each end of registers, almanacks, or any new publication or book of small value. …He may forward them without risk of search or the scrutiny of the enemy, as this is chiefly directed against paper made up in the form of letters.”

So, the next time you’re tempted to ask your book designer to remove those blank pages, think again. You just may be giving birth to a new nation. (I can’t wait to discover more hidden gems in the authors’ latest book, Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History.)

You may like these

What Does a Book Editor Do, and Do I Need One?

What Does a Book Editor Do, and Do I Need One?

Thanks to all the disparate information available online, a question that should have a straightforward answer can quickly become complicated. “What does a book editor do,” “what are the different stages of editing,” and “how can I find editors” are a few questions...

read more
Author Story: Stuart Fabe

Author Story: Stuart Fabe

Stuart Fabe is the author of ten novels, including his six-book Clay Arnold series, The Write House, Kindred Spirits, and his most recent novel, Given Names. The Write House was a project intended to help Fabe develop new characters and research early aviation in WWI...

Book Launch Party Ideas

Book Launch Party Ideas

You’ve completed the arduous but rewarding process of publishing your book. Congrats! Why not host a book launch party to welcome your book baby into the world? Book launch parties are unique in their focus, but above all, they’re still parties. Even if your primary...

Author Story: James Pace

Author Story: James Pace

In Mother of Exiles: Interviews of Asylum Seekers at the Good Neighbor Settlement House, Brownsville, Texas, James Pace documented what is happening on our Southern Borders, giving voice to thousands of desperate people fleeing their homelands. James Pace was inspired...