Nathan Hale

The Life and Death of America's First Spy

By: M. William Phelps

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Few Americans know much more about Nathan Hale than his famous last words: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." But who was the real Nathan Hale?

M. William Phelps charts the life of this famed patriot and Connecticut's state hero, following Hale's rural childhood, his education at Yale, and his work as a schoolteacher. Even in his brief career, he distinguished himself by offering formal lessons to young women.

Like many young Americans, he soon became drawn into the colonies' war for independence, becoming a captain in Washington's army. When the general was in need of a spy, Hale willingly rose to the challenge, bravely sacrificing his life for the sake of American liberty.

Using Hale's own journals and letters as well as testimonies from his friends and contemporaries, Phelps depicts the Revolution as it was seen from the ground. From the confrontation in Boston to the battle for New York City, listeners experience what life was like for an ordinary soldier in the struggling Continental army.

In this impressive, well-researched biography, Phelps separates historical fact from long-standing myth to reveal the life of Nathan Hale, a young man who deserves to be remembered as an original American patriot.

©2008 M. William Phelps (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Nathan Hale

A reasonably well written book, but after listening to it I have to question how well researched it was. Quoting from the book:

"After Parliament made it's decision to amend the constitution, the first Continental Congress basically formed itself, with John Adams and brother Samuel leading the way."

The writer nevers says that essentially everything that was written about Nathan was done after his death, which is an important point when trying to understand someone's character and motivation.

I'm sure that the Founding Fathers, and particularly John and Samuel Adams, rolled over in their graves a little at the suggestion that the Continental Congress pretty much organized itself. Perhaps you could argue that certain acts almost made it an almost foregone conclusion that some significant response by the colonists would result, but I have never heard any historian make the mistake of making John and Samuel brothers!