George Washington's Secret Six

Author: Brian Kilmeade
Genre: History
Publisher: Sentinel HC, 2013
Pages: 256
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: When General George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied—thanks in large part to a little-known, top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring.

Washington realized that he couldn’t beat the British with military might, so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York. So carefully guarded were the members’ identities that one spy’s name was not uncovered until the twentieth century, and one remains unknown today. But by now, historians have discovered enough information about the ring’s activities to piece together evidence that these six individuals turned the tide of the war.

Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have painted compelling portraits of George Washington’s secret six:

• Robert Townsend, the reserved Quaker merchant and reporter who headed the Culper Ring, keeping his identity secret even from Washington;
• Austin Roe, the tavern keeper who risked his employment and his life in order to protect the mission;
• Caleb Brewster, the brash young longshoreman who loved baiting the British and agreed to ferry messages between Connecticut and New York;
• Abraham Woodhull, the curmudgeonly (and surprisingly nervous) Long Island bachelor with business and family excuses for traveling to Manhattan;
• James Rivington, the owner of a posh coffeehouse and print shop where high-ranking British officers gossiped about secret operations;
• Agent 355, a woman whose identity remains unknown but who seems to have used her wit and charm to coax officers to share vital secrets.

In George Washington’s Secret Six, Townsend and his fellow spies finally receive their due, taking their place among the pantheon of heroes of the American Revolution.

Review: I absolutely loved this book from the first sentence on the first page. The author did a fantastic job of staying on task, but I would have loved to have more information about Washington's winter at Valley Forge, Benedict Arnold, the Revolutionary War in general, simply because I love this stuff.

My husband and I visited New York City over Valentine's Day weekend and we had lunch at Fraunces Tavern, where Washington gave his farewell address to his troops on December 4, 1783. Until my husband pointed out the tavern I had no idea such a place even existed and he had to explain the significance. Then, by chance this book arrives at the library. Fact is stranger than fiction. Last month I had never heard of Fraunces Tavern and now I've not only toured the building, but had lunch there, and read a book that mentions this establishment.