Brian Kilmeade

Brian Kilmeade’s George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved The American Revolution is a profoundly interesting book that adds to the history of the Culper Spy Ring.

The Culper Spy Ring is often credited with providing George Washington critical information on the British army and navy’s readiness , troop level, and potential movements of British forces out of occupied New York. The ring is also recognized as being critical in the identification of General Benedict Arnold’s treason and intention to turn over West Point, which led to the capture and hanging of British Spy Master John Ándre.

In spite of the misgivings some might have regarding Kilmeade’s employment by Fox News , I encourage you to put this aside and read this short and readable book on The Culper Spy Ring.… (more)

October 16, 1901, new President Theodore Roosevelt invited his friend and advisor about Black issues, Booker T. Washington to dine with him at The White House. That one decision, by a man who valued hard work by all people, caused a backlash by the South that affected every other decision made in his presidency because after all that was equivalent to inviting the black man to rape and pillage his daughters.

This book does a great job of giving Teddy's backstory and Booker's backstory by alternating chapters. When the two finally converge, the history moves forward from there. When Teddy makes a decision that affects 197 black men and bars them from their pension and their future ability to make a living, it is not sugarcoated, but noted in history.

Teddy and Booker T looks at the personalities of both individuals, the decisions they made, the influence of WEB DuBois on the next generation, and the state of the union in the early 1900's Jim Crow era of the deep south which makes any thinking person cringe.

Well worth the read.… (more)

Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt formed as much of a friendship as was possible between a southern Black man and a northern politician around the turn of the last century, and Brian Kilmeade uses this connection as the center of Teddy and Booker T. He explores both of their backgrounds, their meeting, and then follows their subsequent relationship through Roosevelt’s presidency until both of their deaths. This is not a particularly well-written book, but readers looking for a cursory examination of both men and their relationship will find a precise story with a lot of interesting notes and primary sources. (FYI — a terrible audiobook with inconsistent reading, tone, and recording volume. Publishers need look no further if they ever need an example of why it’s worthwhile to spend money on a professional reader instead of using the author.)… (more)