    | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2015 This engrossing biography of Scottish-born Pinkerton recounts his immigration to America in 1842 as a wanted man to his transformation into America’s first private eye with the founding of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Less a biography and more a brief overview of Pinkerton’s major cases, both his triumphs (preventing the Baltimore Plotters from assassinating President Lincoln) and defeats (his inability to catch Jesse James). Plenty of interesting tidbits should resonate with today’s readers. Pinkerton believed in choosing the best people for the job regardless of their gender, hiring the first woman detective and continuing to hire women throughout his career, despite the disapproval of male employees. Pinkerton’s family ran the agency for more than 100 years, until it went public in 1967 and was sold to a series of companies in the 1980s. But the legacy lives on as the related undercover operations going on today. This appealing book reads like a novel and, despite not having an index, contains both photos and source notes for further reading. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2015 Gr 5–8—This serviceable biography sheds light on Allan Pinkerton, America's most famous detective. Readers learn how Pinkerton, a wanted man, fled a life of poverty as a labor dissenter in Scotland for America, where he became a cooper in Illinois. He used his keen observation skills to uncover several counterfeiters and was promptly deputized. This small start in law enforcement grew into employment with the fledgling (and very corrupt) Chicago Police Department. Unable to stomach the corruption, the principled man left after a few years to open Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. The agency's motto: "We never sleep." The agency pioneered many techniques commonly used today, such as working undercover and shadowing suspects. Pinkerton also employed male and female detectives, a practice that was highly unusual at the time. He and his detectives served their country during the Civil War as spies for the Union, occasionally corresponding with Abraham Lincoln himself. After a personal disagreement regarding Union leadership, Pinkerton returned to private detective work. The detailed descriptions of his pursuit of famous outlaws, including Jesse James and Frank Younger, are quite interesting. The overall writing is effective, though not riveting. The photographs and documents are clear, and the bibliography is highly detailed. VERDICT A welcome but not essential addition.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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