Skulls and Keys: The Hidden History of Yale’s Secret Societies

More is decidedly less in this granular look at Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and lesser-known Yale secret societies. Richards (Rudyard Kipling: A Bibliography), a Yale alumnus and Bonesman, has the right credentials, but instead of broadly contextualizing the shifting fortunes of the societies, he overwhelms readers with myriad trivialities about the groups he’s studied (the typical menu of a Skull and Key supper in the 1840s, the types of stone used to construct that society’s building) and lists of their powerful and famous alumni. The groups’ 18th-century antecedents and 19th-century origins are well detailed, but, bafflingly, the main text ends in 1991, when women were finally admitted to the ranks of the most prestigious groups. Richards treats the last decade-plus summarily in a brief epilogue, ending without expanding on the point that “living this life is clearly seen as desirable in the Yale College of today.” Despite the book’s length, Richards has an even longer version available online. More exhausting than exhaustive, this volume will disappoint those who slog through to the end. Agent: John Silbersack, Trident Media. (Sept.)