ABOUT HIDDEN INK PRESS
Hidden Ink Press publishes meticulously researched historical narratives about Revolutionary War espionage.
We focus on the Culper Spy Ring, George Washington's most successful intelligence operation and America's first organized spy network.
Every story is grounded in primary sources: letters, military records, and contemporary accounts. Our goal: bring these hidden heroes to light through character-driven narratives that honor both historical accuracy and compelling storytelling.
WHY THE CULPER RING?
Most people know Nathan Hale, the patriot spy who was caught and executed by the British in 1776..
Few know about the network that succeeded where Hale failed.
From 1778 to 1783, the Culper Ring operated behind enemy lines in British-occupied New York, gathering intelligence that Washington called "invaluable."
They used invisible ink, dead drops, and coded messages.
They exposed Benedict Arnold's treason.
They stayed undetected for the entire war.
And their identities remained secret for 150 years after the war ended.
This is their story.
WHO'S BEHIND THIS
Hidden Ink Press started with a TV show.
I discovered the Culper Spy Ring through AMC's "Turn: Washington's Spies" and immediately wanted to know: What was the real story?
That question led me to archives, biographies, military records, and primary sources.
The documented history was more compelling than any dramatization, and almost no one knew it.
The American Revolution changed the world. A generation of young colonists, many barely in their twenties, defeated the British Empire and invented an entirely new system of governance.
Yet the Culper Spy Ring, which operated behind enemy lines for five years, gathering intelligence that shaped major strategic victories, remains largely unknown outside academic circles.
That's the gap Hidden Ink Press exists to fill.
Every story is grounded in rigorous research: primary sources, scholarly analysis, contemporary accounts, and military records. Where historical evidence is incomplete, and it often is, I acknowledge uncertainty rather than invent convenient facts.
My goal is to bring the Culper Ring to life through meticulously researched, character-driven narratives that honor both historical accuracy and compelling storytelling.
Because espionage stories are always compelling, but real ones, grounded in documented history, are even better.
PS. By day, I work in the tech industry. By night, I'm deep in Revolutionary War archives, tracing spy routes across 18th-century Long Island
Pat Allen
Founder & Publisher
info@hiddeninkpress.com
WHAT'S COMING
2026: Prequel Stories
Character-driven narratives exploring the origins of key Culper Ring members before they became spies:
→ Nathan Hale: The spy who failed (January 2026)
→ Benjamin Tallmadge: The spymaster (February 2026)
→ Abraham Woodhull: The reluctant farmer (March 2026)
→ Caleb Brewster: The courier (April 2026)
→ Robert Townsend: The silent observer (May 2026)
Five documented stories. Five real people. One legendary spy network.
2027-2028: The Complete History
A comprehensive narrative history of the Culper Ring's operations, from formation in 1778 to the end of the war in 1783. The definitive account of America's first successful spy network.
Beyond: TBD
Let the stories guide where we go next.