The Lion and the Fox

“The complex Confederate conspiracy to fabricate a navy in secret, and the equally energetic Union efforts to stymie it, form the backdrop for Alexander Rose’s entertaining and deeply researched account of the espionage battle that took place among the Liverpool docks, with a rich cast of spies, crooks, bent businessmen and drunken sailors…Rose relates the tale with gusto.”  — New York Times “With the contest of wits and bribes between Confederate special agent James Bulloch and American consul Thomas Dudley, Alex­ander Rose has proven that true history is indeed stranger than fiction. This account of Confederate machinations in Liverpool to get Rebel warships built in British shipyards is peopled by a color­ful array of special agents, detectives, spies, dockyard toughs, and a Southern mole in the British Foreign Office.” — James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of War on the Waters: The Union and Confederate Navies, 1861–1865   “Intrigue lovers and Civil War buffs are in for a treat! The Lion and the Fox guides its readers through the shadow war between Confederate and Union agents in England—one trying to procure ships for the Rebel Navy, the other determined to thwart his rival. It is a little-known corner of history but one that is a pleasure to explore in this author’s skilled hands.” — Nicholas Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingway’s Secret Adventures, 1935–1961 “Historian Rose delivers an entertaining chronicle of the battle of wits between a Confederate spy and a Union agent in England during the early years of the Civil War. . . . Rose’s indelible character sketches and firm grasp of the industrial and political milieu of 19th-century Britain enrich the contest of wills between Bulloch and Dudley. This spy-versus-spy tale delights.” — Publishers Weekly “A very interesting and informative story that follows the machination, maneuverings, and politics that influenced what went on behind the scenes…For those wishing to be engaged and even better informed on this Civil War maritime give-and-take, look no further than this well-written and researched volume.” — New York Journal of Books “Historian Rose (Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring) masterfully delivers an exciting tale of plots and schemes among the shipyards, docks, and government offices of Liverpool and London.” — Library Journal