George Washington's Secret Six

The Spy Ring That Saved America

By: Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger

Narrated by: Brian Kilmeade

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

From the cohost of Fox & Friends, the true story of the anonymous spies who helped win the Revolutionary War.

Among the pantheon of heroes of the American Revolution, six names are missing. First and foremost, Robert Townsend, an unassuming and respected businessman from Long Island, who spearheaded the spy ring that covertly brought down the British…before they, or anyone else, could discover their names.

Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger finally give Townsend and his fellow spies their proper due, telling the fascinating story of how they passed information to George Washington that turned the tide of the war. Using a network of citizen operatives that included a longshoreman, bartender, newspaper editor, housewife, tailor, and femme fatale, and employing a series of complex codes, the so-called Culper Spy Ring used sophisticated tactics to subvert the British.

Based on previously unpublished research, George Washington's Secret Six is a gripping history of these amazing, anonymous Patriots who risked their lives for our freedom.

©2013 Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"James Bond is a rank amateur compared to the heroic efforts of the Culper Ring. Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger’s work demonstrates why the story of the secret six should be anything but a secret in American history." (Harvey Mackay, author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive)

"A rollicking read by Kilmeade and Yaeger, acknowledging a long overdue debt to six American heroes." (Karl Rove)

"We would not have won the Revolution and secured our freedom, were it not for the leadership of George Washington and the courage of the spies he set in motion. George Washington’s Secret Six is a gripping and informative read." (Congressman Pete King, chairman of the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee, House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security)

Good story, boring reader

Great story but Brian is not a great reader. He places inflections and emphasis in odd places, and doesn't seem to know how to pause for dramatic effect. This is one a professional reader would have done better.

Good history lesson, but felt rushed

The story is compelling. The delivery, in both writing and performance, felt rushed. The story would have been well served to incorporate more background information of the war occurring around the spy ring for better context. And a slower pace by the speaker would have allowed the listener more time to digest the events being discussed. I will chalk up the fact that there aren't more details about the ring and it's members to the lack of historical record and not the author. The story, while compelling, leaves you wanting more.

Very informative

This was a well created and write. Piece and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found many parts to be very informative

Fox's Sports Guy Delivers

I have always enjoyed Kilmeade in the morning on Fox. With this I see a different side to him. This is an excellent look at Washington's spies. Well done! His narration is good, and read quickly. Which made the book even more enjoyable.

Excellent reading.

I can't believe I have never heard of the Culper ring before now. This book should be mandatory reading in all high schools. Well done Brian Kilmead. Turn doesn't do this justice.

Fun to hear a part of history that is rarely told!

I couldn't wait to listen to it and find out what was happening. Help me to appreciate even more, all those who sacrificed for our freedom.

An outstanding read

I love the writing of this book. It's natural and easy to follow. The timeline and ideas are written so that you are contestantly engaged. In addition I think there's a great deal of authenticity to the people portrayed in this work. Without inserting their own emotions, but instead stating their observations and the collective opinions of historians, I found myself unable to put it down.

The narrator also does very well. He is evidently passionate about this book. Way times it felt as though he was recounting his own experience in the culper ring. But that also meant his speed was naturally quicker and volume seemed to fluctuate. Still, I would rather have this passionate performance over a monotone lecture.

excellent book!

well, what a story! The true story of how dedicated and undercover men and women saved our nation. it is well worth reading.

Good Book

very good book well-written. seem to cover all the details. by the time I finished it I felt well-versed on spying during the revolutionary war. would recommend for those who are interested in the Revolutionary war

Fantastic Story, Horrible Narration

The stories Kilmeade writes are quite good, informative, and moderately entertaining. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why someone who is a professional television journalist is such an abysmal narrator. His mid-sentence hesitations, whether purposeful or not, are highly annoying. He doesn’t seem to understand word emphasis, inflection, pitch, or any other tool of the skilled narrator. Further, his rate of speech is absolutely auctioneer-level. He sounds like a carnival barker at some points.

I much prefer audiobooks to print, but Kilmeade’s works are best kept in the domain of silent paper.