Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution - Joel Richard Paul
In Person
Who really won the Revolutionary War?
In 1775, Ben Franklin sent a Connecticut shopkeeper, Silas Deane, on a secret mission to persuade Louis XVI to arm the Americans against the British. Deane had no experience abroad, spoke no French, and knew nothing about diplomacy, but Franklin chose him because Deane was such an improbable secret agent, the British would never suspect him.
This is the bizarre true story of how Deane succeeded with the help of two other men – a French comic playwright and a gender-bending spy – to smuggle all of the arms, ammunition, and supplies out of France, through the British lines, to George Washington’s beleaguered army. It’s a wild tale of espionage, political intrigue, seduction, and murder.
The Washington Post named Paul’s book, Unlikely Allies, one of the best books of the year and compared it to a Monty Python movie. It’s available for purchase online or at your local bookseller. Book signing with the author to follow.
This event is FREE and open to the public - No advance registration required.
In partnership with the Franco-American Centre