Karen Daly Peltier
The second book in the Library Committee’s Read America 250 Program is George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.
The colonies were outmanned, outgunned, and outmaneuvered at almost every turn. Washington knew he could not win the war without acquiring information on the British forces and their strategy. The initial foray into gaining intelligence on the British forces was not a huge success. The only man who volunteered, Nathan Hale, proved an eager and passionate recruit; however, he had virtually no training, and no true appreciation of the dangers he would encounter. As a result, he was quickly captured and hanged.
The following attempts resulted in a group of operatives known as the Culper Spy Ring who were trained and advised by Major Benjamin Tallmadge, These people lived in constant danger of discovery. They included a merchant, a longshoreman, a coffeehouse owner, a tavern keeper, a bachelor and a “mysterious woman.”
Kilmeade and Yaeger present portraits of these patriots which emphasize the importance of espionage and the impact one person, or six, can make in any endeavor.
The date for the discussion of this book is set for April 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the La Vista Room of the Hacienda Club. Each person who attends a discussion will receive an entry for a chance to win the book The American Revolution: An Intimate History, by Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns. This book is the companion to the PBS Series, Ken Burns’ The American Revolution.
The Library Committee also has a Read America 250 Challenge that encourages people to read as many books as possible during 2026 that deal with any historical event or era in U.S. history. These books can be historical fiction, biographies, or relate to any event in American History. Pick up your Read America 250 Challenge sheet from the desk in the library. Some titles that may be of interest include (but obviously are not limited to): 1776 by David McCullough, The Traitor’s Wife by Alison Pataki, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, The Women by Kristin Hannah, A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan, Douglass and Lincoln by Paul and Stephen Kendrick.
All residents are encouraged to join in the Read America 250 Program and Challenge, and to participate in the discussion meetings.