Download PDF The First Conspiracy The Secret Plot Against George Washington Audible Audio Edition Brad Meltzer Josh Mensch Scott Brick Macmillan Audio Books

Product details Audible Audiobook Listening Length 11 hours and 8 minutes Program Type Audiobook Version Unabridged Publisher Macmillan Audio Audible.com Release Date January 8, 2019 Whispersync for Voice Ready Language English, English ASIN B07D83HZW9

The First Conspiracy The Secret Plot Against George Washington Audible Audio Edition Brad Meltzer Josh Mensch Scott Brick Macmillan Audio Books Reviews

• I received an Advance Reading Copy of The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and John Mensch from the publisher (Flatiron Books) in exchange for an honest review. The First Conspiracy is scheduled for release on January 8, 2019.
  
  The First Conspiracy is not a novel, it is a glimpse into a piece of history. We are dropped into the months leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the war that it launches. The focus of this history is a group of men who are secretly associated with the British. This group of men has a plan. They are out to get George Washington.
  
  This story is told in third person, which makes sense for a history. The story jumps around in both place and time, following different people and their actions. Given that we are piecing together a conspiracy, the jumping made sense. What made less sense to me was the tense Meltzer chose to write in. This history is written in present tense. I think his goal was to make us feel a sense of urgency, make us feel tension and anxiety over how things were going to turn out. This did not work for me. Since this is a history, I knew from the beginning that the attempt to assassinate Washington was going to be unsuccessful. The choice of present tense just felt awkward.
  
  The down side to the jumping in time and space was that we never get a chance to really attach to any of the characters. While we see what individuals are doing, we don’t get close to any of them. This made it difficult for me to sink into the story. I felt very distant from the action and the people involved.
  
  I also struggled with the writing style Meltzer used. Meltzer is a bestselling author, who typically writes thrillers. I could see this in his approach to this history. His chapter lead ins and endings had the feel of what I see in thrillers. Again, this felt out of place to me. It felt as if he were trying to force a sense of excitement into the story, rather than mining and developing the intrigue that was inherent to this conspiracy tale.
  
  While this was an interesting story about a piece of history that I honestly did not know about, I did not love this book. I wanted to be immersed in this conspiracy, immersed in the plotting and intrigue. Instead, I was overly aware of the author and his stylistic devices.
• In the US we are subject to sensational, yet dubious, newspaper headlines & web postings. Now we can add questionable “history books”
  The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington is based on nothing more than rumor & conjecture. The author provides only a handful of source facts and turns it into 410 pages of speculation and repetitive prose.
  In the books “Author’s Notes” Brad Meltzer writes about reaching out to historian Joseph Ellis who tells him that this topic will “…always be elusive” & Meltzer states “He was right”. Then the question begs, why try to write a book?
• One can be forgiven for speculating as to what might have happened to our thirteen colonies if George Washington had been murdered in the conspiracy detailed in this excellent work by Brad Meltzer. What might be even more salient, however, is what America did become because the great man was NOT murdered. Much of what America has become is owed to those who stopped the plot to assassinate the father of our country.
  
  Imagine yourself as a writer. Now, assume you have stumbled across some disjointed information that indicates an attempt to kidnap or murder the one key figure in America's quest for self-governance. What would you do?
  
  Brad Meltzer probably has a little more backbone than most of us. As for myself, I might have entertained the thought to try writing a novel on the topic. With novels, people are more forgiving than with nonfiction. But, honestly, I probably would have given up after fifty or so pages.
  
  So, I bought Meltzer's book, including the Audible Whispersync edition so I could listen to it when actually reading was not possible. How was it?
  
  Excellent. From the get-go I was fascinated by the prospect, if not so thrilled with some of the early statements.
  
  What I mean is that, early on, (for just one example), Meltzer states
  
  '...This small, inexperienced, poorly equipped group of soldiers needs to stand up to what is probably the biggest and most powerful military force in the world. By any normal measure, they don’t stand a chance—and Washington knows this, just as he knows that with every decision he makes, thousands of young soldiers’ lives could be lost...'
  
  Meltzer, Brad. The First Conspiracy (pp. 1-2). Flatiron Books. Edition.
  
  So, why does this bug me? Perspective. Through eight years of conflict, the total number who were killed by the fighting was 8,000. Yes, that is thousands, but is far less than one might suppose. When Meltzer stresses thousand of young soldiers lives could be lost, I imagine, readers are likely to conjure up far larger numbers in their minds.
  
  Yes, I know I am being a bit picky. I am merely trying to show how this otherwise terrific history falls short of being a great story for us today.
  
  The writing and editing are good.
  
  BOTTOM LINE
  
  I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in American colonial history. Remember to get the Audible edition and listen to it with you kids and/or parents.
  
  Four stars out of five.
• Just finished Brad Meltzer’s latest novel “The First Conspiracy”. Instead of reading as a novel like his earlier books, it is a disjointed repetitive history book. In an attempt to make the book authentic, he uses quotes and turns around and rewrites the essence of quote. He keeps repeating the nature of his characters. I truly enjoyed his earlier books and was looking forward to this book. I am very disappointed with it.