On June 1, 1862, Thaddeus Lowe floated above a fierce Civil War battle in a silk hydrogen balloon. From the wicker basket dangling a thousand feet above ground, he telegraphed a message to Northern generals on the ground: Union troops were finally driving back the Confederate forces. Lowe's message was transmitted to the War Department in Washington, where President Abraham Lincoln read his flying spy's good news with relief. For two years during the Civil War, a corps of balloonists led by Thaddeus Lowe spied on the Confederate army. They counted rebel soldiers, detected troop movement, and directed artillery fire against enemy positions. Lowe and his aeronauts provide valuable intelligence to the Union army, even after the balloons became targets of Confederate shooters and saboteurs. Using Civil War photographs and primary sources—including Lowe's papers in the Library of Congress and the writings of Confederate and Union soldiers—Jarrow reveals the dangers, personality clashes, and other challenges faced by the nation's first air force in this Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor List book. This well-researched volume introduces American aeronaut and showman Thaddeus Lowe, who convinced President Lincoln that hydrogen-filled balloons, rising high above the countryside, could provide Union generals with useful information about the position, strength, and movements of Confederate troops and artillery. Although some generals considered Lowe’s Balloon Corps useless, others appreciated the danger of their missions and the value of having spies aloft. The book’s final chapter traces Lowe’s life after the war. Sidebars carry information about topics such as “Lowe’s Portable Gas Generator” and “Confederate Spy Balloons.” Quoting extensively from official Civil War records as well as Lowe’s memoirs and reports, the text offers a detailed account of his contribution to the Union war effort. Many period photos, prints, and drawings illustrate the book in black and white. A time line, bibliography, and notes are appended along with lists of recommended books, Web sites, and places to visit. Jarrow provides a solid introduction to an intriguing aspect of Civil War history. Grades 7-10. --Carolyn Phelan "Engaging. . . . [Offers] readers rich insight into a little-known dimension of the Civil War. (timeline, source notes, bibliography, further reading and websites, index)" --Kirkus Reviews "A solid introduction to an intriguing aspect of Civil War history." --Booklist "Forgotten bits of history often make the most interesting stories, as is the case with this account. . . . Filled with rare photographs and drawings, and embellished with highlights of both famous and less well known people and events of the period, this book will tie in seamlessly with readings and discussions about the Civil War while also leading readers to new insights and paths of inquiry." --Library Media Connection Gail Jarrow is the author of Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor and The Printer's Trail: The Case of John Peter Zenger and the Fight for a Free Press, as well as other award-winning books for children and young adults. Her articles and stories have appeared in various children's magazines, including Highlights for Children, Cricket, Muse, Spider, Cobblestone, and Faces. Used Book in Good Condition