About the Author

Ann Blackman is the author of Seasons of Her Life- A Biography of Madeleine Korbel Albright and co-author of The Spy Next Door, about the traitorous FBI agent Robert Hanssen. In her long career as a news reporter with Time magazine and the Associated Press, Blackman covered American politics, social policy, and the powerful personalities that make up Washington society. She is married to Michael Putzel. They have two grown children and live in the nation's capital.

Reviews

“Tales of Civil War spies are often full of embellished and romanticized derring-do. Not so with Ann Blackman’s thoroughly researched biography of Rose O’Neale Greenhow, whose remarkable life needs no embellishment. The story of Rebel Rose, told here with great skill and lucidity, illustrates yet again that truth is stranger than fiction.”
–James McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

“This is a fascinating tale of intrigue and suspense. Blackman has discovered some truly remarkable, never-before-published papers that reveal how deeply involved Rose Greenhow was in the Confederate cause.”
–Cokie Roberts, National Public Radio commentator, author of Founding Mothers

“The first comprehensive story of a remarkable woman whose passion for the Southern cause was equal to that of any soldier who fought for southern independence. Well worth reading.”
–Jim Lighthizer, President, Civil War Preservation Trust

“For anyone wondering what role women played in shaping the course of history of the United States, Ann Blackman has an answer: Rose Greenhow. The story of Wild Rose has everything: power, intrigue, passion, and a clever, determined woman at the center. This is a great read.”
–Judy Woodruff, CNN anchor, Judy Woodruff’s Inside Politics

“Sexy, audacious, determined–Rose O’Neale Greenhow finally gets her due as a power player in American history. Relive the Civil War through the exploits of this Southern patriot, who dazzled Washington and Europe long before women were supposed to behave so boldly.”
–Lynn Sherr, ABC News correspondent, 20/20

“Ann Blackman has brought all the skills she honed as a Washington journalist to tell the story of a fascinating woman of the nineteenth century. Here is the Confederate spy–a courtier, a savvy Southerner, a rebel in her own right–shown with all her strengths and flaws.”
–Ellen Goodman, syndicated Boston Globe columnist