“Sunday Afternoon Talks” 2023 at Stratford Library

Historian Eric Chandler Returns on January 8^th

The Stratford Library continues “Sunday Afternoon Talks”, its series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers, on Sunday, January 8, 2023 with historian Eric Chandler and his presentation,  “Cloak and Dagger - The Revolution’s Secret War”. The talk will be presented live in the Library’s Lovell Room.  It is free and open to the public.

Spying may be the world’s second oldest profession, even recounted in the Old Testament. By the time of the Revolution, England already had a long tradition of the Great Game, its tentacles spread through the British Iles and deep within the European Continent. But on this side of the Atlantic with 13 separate and competing colonies? Enter George Washington - first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen….and America’s first spymaster. As the new Commander-in-Chief, George Washington would have to make it up as he went along, through trial and error and sometimes with disastrous results. “Cloak and Dagger - The Revolution’s Secret War” explores who spied for love and who for greed.  Chandler will explain the who, the how, and the successes and failures of America’s first foray into intelligence gathering and the part it played in the ultimate success of the American War for Independence.

Eric Chandler is retired from a 30+ year career as an underwriter for a leading land title insurance company. He has been involved in American Revolutionary War Living History since 1974 and has portrayed infantry, light infantry, whale-boat raider and mounted and dismounted dragoons. He is currently serving his third term as a member of the Norwalk Historical Commission and sits on the Norwalk Historical Society Board of Directors.

The “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, is held from 2-3:30 pm in the Stratford Library Lovell Room, 2203 Main Street in Stratford, CT.  For further information visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org or call the Library at: 203.385-4162