Skulls and Keys

The Hidden History of Yale's Secret Societies

By: David Alan Richards

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

The mysterious, highly influential hidden world of Yale's secret societies is revealed in a definitive and scholarly history.

Secret societies have fundamentally shaped America's cultural and political landscapes. In ways that are expected but never explicit, the bonds made through the most elite of secret societies have won members Pulitzer Prizes, governorships, and even presidencies. At the apex of these institutions stands Yale University and its rumored 26 secret societies. Tracing a history that has intrigued and enthralled for centuries, luring the attention of such luminaries as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Skulls and Keys traces the history of Yale's societies as they set the foundation for America's future secret clubs and helped define the modern age of politics.

But there is a progressive side to Yale's secret societies that we rarely hear about, one that, in the cultural tumult of the 1960s, resulted in the election of people of color, women, and gay men, even in proportions beyond their percentages in the class. It's a side that is often overlooked in favor of sensational legends of blood oaths and toe-curling conspiracies. Dave Richards, an alum of Yale, sheds some light on the lesser known stories of Yale's secret societies. He takes us through the history from Phi Beta Kappa in the American Revolution (originally a social and drinking society) through Skull and Bones and its rivals in the 19th and 20th centuries. While there have been articles and books on some of those societies, there has never been a scholarly history of the system as a whole.

©2017 David Alan Richards (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Good historical story

Fascinating institutional history.A gem of a book for anyone who likes a good historical story.

Very thorough and well researched!

I have read a few books on this subject and this is by far the most thorough and well researched of them. I liked how the author was able to give a macro look at Yale and to some extent U.S. culture as a whole to create the context that drove the creation and expansion of these societies. This should be looked at as the seminal book on this subject, in my humble opinion…Job well done.


The narrator was also very engaging, and did not “get in the way” of me hearing the story, like some other audio book narrators!

Interesting but not as expected

I liked it but at times it seemed to drag-on making it hard to follow. It had more detailed history of particular members and exploits than I expected, It might be better in written form or if the content was condensed and made into a sort of timeline or textbook style. However I did enjoy the narration and book overall, Definitely not something that can be digested and fully appreciated while multitasking or otherwise without your full attention.

Great Historical Information

I enjoyed the detailed references of organizations I am now a member of, and the alignment of the actions of these societies in relation to others. Essentially, this text verified information currently known.