Governor and Libby Pataki call Allison “our second daughter, our third child.” Simon & Schuster calls her a first novelist.
“My historical book’s ‘The Traitor’s Wife.’ About Revolutionary War General Benedict Arnold, who betrayed America,” she says. “And the love triangle and salacious background of the lady in his life.”
Why should we care about Arnold now when we’re busy with Obama, Christie and de Blasio?
“The story’s New York history. Also salacious and sexy. This turncoat who betrayed America to the Brits was seduced by Marie Antoinette-ish belle of the ball socialite Peggy Shippen, half his age, and with a secret. He married her not knowing her previous lover was a spy. Chief of British espionage. She introduced him to Benedict Arnold.
“Growing up, my small hometown along the Hudson had lots of history about George Washington and Benedict Arnold, the big hero of Ticonderoga who was hanged by George Washington’s order. Alexander Hamilton comforted Peggy. Brought her flowers. The story interested me.
“I researched this everywhere. The New-York Historical Society, NY Public Library, biographies on Amazon, museums in Philadelphia, where she courted Arnold. The book took me two years, then another year for editing.”
Yalie grad, former TV newswriter Allison adds: “Washington called West Point the critical point in the Hudson. Falling to the British, he believed this key to the continent would have divided the north and south colonies. And when Arnold decided to commit treason he asked Washington to give him the position as Commander of West Point.”
OK. Beats any bio you might read on Calvin Coolidge.
Governor and Mrs. Pataki’s book launch party for Allison is Feb. 11.
More on books
With our difficulty going forward, we’re looking backward. Summer brings historical reads. G. Washington again in Da Capo’s “The Great Divide.” Plume’s “America’s Longest Siege” on the Civil War, and “The Founding Conservatives” on our Revolution. Penguin’s “When the United States Spoke French.” NAL reprises D-Day in “The Dead and Those About To Die.” Caliber remembers Dec. 7 with “Pacific Payback.”
May, Lynne Cheney’s James Madison bio. July, “Give Me a Fast Ship,” set in 1775. Also July, John Dean’s “The Nixon Defense.” There’s “Washington Journal” about Watergate, “Siegfried Sassoon” about WWI, “Operation Sea Lion” about a Nazi invasion, WWII’s “Kaiten,” WWI’s “Thunder at Twilight,” WWII’s “The Last Battle” and WWII’s “Explaining Hitler.”
What Henner knows
Marilu Henner, known for superphenom memory: “So what were you wearing July 27, 1997?” Her answer: “A pantsuit I had to throw out after some idiot dribbled ink on me.” . . . Jason Biggs on Christie’s presidential ambition: “He’ll cross that bridge when he closes it.” . . . Even in the blizzard Irving Fields, nearing age 99, plinked piano at West 58th’s Nino’s Tuscany. Customers love the restaurant and him . . . Michael Bolton on the Grammys: “I started at 16, got my first hit at 34 — my overnight sensation took 18 years.”
And on and on and on.
V-Day gifts
Valentine’s Day is coming. Hammacher Schlemmer suggests “The Best Automatic Cat Litter Box” — $400. You better have an expensive cat. Or something we all need, “The Biofeedback Respiratory Strength Trainer.” Whatthehell that is who knows, but yours for $99.95 it teaches how to “exhale forcefully.” “The Only Surfing Experience Core Trainer” — something you’ll never have two of — you can grab for $600. No need to thank me, I’m just trying to be helpful.
Husband’s funeral. Mourner, hugging the widow, whispers: “Sorry. I know how you feel. I just lost my dog.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.