NATHAN HALE The Life and Death of America's First Spy

Nathan Hale passed into legend as "America's first official spy." Phelps looks into the real life behind that legend, including that famous quote—“I only regret that I have but one life . . .”—which Hale probably never uttered. Early on, Hale's life was ordinary—he studied at Yale, pursued the ladies, and taught school—and even Phil Gigante's bold, urgent reading doesn't do much to change that. However, as Hale gets involved in the American Revolution and eventually becomes a spy, the book—and Gigante's reading—gain steam, becoming exciting and compelling. Phelps weaves descriptions of the era and the Hale family's anxiety over the revolutionary's fate into his account as he reveals how an ordinary life became an extraordinary legend. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]