"Don't Fire Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes" - book talk on Israel Putnam with author Michael Shay

The Museum of Connecticut History at the Connecticut State Library invites the public to attend a book talk about Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at noon. Author Michael Shay will speak about General Putnam and his contributions to both Connecticut and the nation during the American Revolution.

General Israel Putnam was a prosperous farmer, tavern keeper, and politician from Brooklyn, Connecticut. After serving with great valor in the French and Indian War, “Old Put” volunteered to serve the Patriot cause at the age of 57. His role in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 is legendary, as are the words often attributed to him: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”  

In his 2023 book, Whites of Their Eyes: The Life of Revolutionary War Hero Israel Putnam from Rogers’ Rangers to Bunker Hill, Shay recounts the life and times of Israel Putnam, the larger-than-life general, gregarious tavern keeper and farmer, and Connecticut folk hero whose exploits make him one of the most interesting officers in American military history.

Michael Shay is a retired Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court with a lifelong interest in American History. He is the author of eight works of biography and military history, including, in addition to his biography on Israel Putnam, The Yankee Division in the First World War: In the Highest Tradition.

Michael Shay’s book talk on the life of Israel Putnam will take place on Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 12-1:00 p.m. in the Museum of Connecticut History at the Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. Admission is free and open to the public. Registration is requested: https://forms.office.com/g/fX6CxP9xN1. The event will also be livestreamed on the CT State Library’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@CTStateLibrary. For more information, please contact the Museum of Connecticut History at [email protected] or (860) 757-6535. Directions and parking information are available at https://portal.ct.gov/csl/about/hours-and-locations.

This presentation is part of a Connecticut 250 series planned by the Connecticut State Library’s Semiquincentennial Committee. In addition to advising on the Museum of Connecticut History’s upcoming Connecticut’s Revolution exhibit (opening in 2026), the Committee has curated a selection of Revolutionary War resources from the Connecticut State Library's vast collection, available here: https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/america250.