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Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution
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416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 15, 2013
An incredible tale of espionage, intrigue, hypocrisy, deception, and betrayal. Still, the characters never really seemed to come alive. You get to know facts, but they remain enigmatic and remote. With that aside, this is quite an interesting story. The story is so wacky that I actually had to fact-check some of this stuff to make sure it wasn’t some big joke. An insane story that is all the more insane because it actually happened.
To fight the British, America needed supplies. Incredibly, at the start of the revolution, America had no currency, not many weapons, and no way to make weapons. The French actually provided America with something like 90% of their gunpowder during the war and exercised all the fiscal restraint of a drunk businessman at a bar. And this massive spending contributed to the staggering debt that France acquired, which, of course, contributed to the French Revolution.
We also get to know Silas Deane, whose name pops up occasionally in books but who otherwise remains largely forgotten. The signers of the Declaration put their signatures on that document to "mutually pledge to each other [of] our Lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Silas Deane was not present because he was in France, expending his life, losing his fortune, and compromising his honor. And during his tenure in France, Deane’s wife died and he grew estranged from his son. Deane also proved to be cunning enough to outsmart Ben Franklin (arguably the most devious trickster in America not including Jefferson). In all, quite a juicy tale.
Deane traveled to France alone, knowing nobody there and unable to speak French. Despite these handicaps, he was expected to purchase arms gunpowder and uniforms for a 25,000-man army, all of it on credit, and do so without arousing British suspicion. And without any diplomatic experience and vague instructions, Deane was expected to negotiate treaties as the unofficial diplomat of the United States, a country that didn’t even really exist yet.
Along the way, an incredible cast of characters is introduced, including an ingenious British double agent named Edward Bancroft, an insane pyromaniac named James Aitken, the paranoid Arthur Lee, and the master spy Paul Wentworth. And Deane made numerous enemies during his mission, among them John Adams and Thomas Paine. Paine actually deliberately lied in order to discredit Deane’s contributions, which caused Paine’s removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In all, this is a good counterpoint to the heroic myth that the revolution was won through honor, courage, wisdom, and devotion. Virtuous men like Adams and Washington were capable of spiteful, questionable, and even petty acts, and hypocrites like Jefferson were capable of statesmanship. And, of course, Deane and Beaumarchais, and d’Eon were capable of all these.
To fight the British, America needed supplies. Incredibly, at the start of the revolution, America had no currency, not many weapons, and no way to make weapons. The French actually provided America with something like 90% of their gunpowder during the war and exercised all the fiscal restraint of a drunk businessman at a bar. And this massive spending contributed to the staggering debt that France acquired, which, of course, contributed to the French Revolution.
We also get to know Silas Deane, whose name pops up occasionally in books but who otherwise remains largely forgotten. The signers of the Declaration put their signatures on that document to "mutually pledge to each other [of] our Lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Silas Deane was not present because he was in France, expending his life, losing his fortune, and compromising his honor. And during his tenure in France, Deane’s wife died and he grew estranged from his son. Deane also proved to be cunning enough to outsmart Ben Franklin (arguably the most devious trickster in America not including Jefferson). In all, quite a juicy tale.
Deane traveled to France alone, knowing nobody there and unable to speak French. Despite these handicaps, he was expected to purchase arms gunpowder and uniforms for a 25,000-man army, all of it on credit, and do so without arousing British suspicion. And without any diplomatic experience and vague instructions, Deane was expected to negotiate treaties as the unofficial diplomat of the United States, a country that didn’t even really exist yet.
Along the way, an incredible cast of characters is introduced, including an ingenious British double agent named Edward Bancroft, an insane pyromaniac named James Aitken, the paranoid Arthur Lee, and the master spy Paul Wentworth. And Deane made numerous enemies during his mission, among them John Adams and Thomas Paine. Paine actually deliberately lied in order to discredit Deane’s contributions, which caused Paine’s removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In all, this is a good counterpoint to the heroic myth that the revolution was won through honor, courage, wisdom, and devotion. Virtuous men like Adams and Washington were capable of spiteful, questionable, and even petty acts, and hypocrites like Jefferson were capable of statesmanship. And, of course, Deane and Beaumarchais, and d’Eon were capable of all these.
February 21, 2015
Hmmmm... On one hand, the book offers wonderful biography of figures usually overlooked by history. It's very much worth reading for the sake of their stories. However, the book doesn't deliver on what the subtitle promises. The spy, although pivotal in the life of the playwright's political career and arguably the best story of the three, is never allied with the other two in any way. In fact (unless I missed something) the spy never even met the merchant or expressed any interest in the American Revolution. My guess: this book started as a study of the other two and then this side character stole the show, leaving the author to invent a rationale for enlarging the spy role. There really is nothing wrong with that - in fact I think it is far better than neglecting a compelling story. But it does make you feel a little cheated and the conclusion feel a little contrived.
July 10, 2017
This was an enjoyable book which brought to light one of the seedier, more morally questionable (and yet deeply significant) subplots of the American Revolution. This is not the story of Washington leading a daring escape across the Delaware; or Adams debating with the Continental Congress; or Jefferson penning the Declaration of Independence. "Unlikely Allies" is a story of backdoor deals, light treason, conspiracy, money laundering, spycraft, deception, and intrigue. There's even a dose of transgenderism (I think?? The Chevalier was nothing if not enigmatic) to make the final story all the more exotic and improbable.
"Unlikely Allies" is a story about three people whose names are largely lost to history: Silas Deane, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, and the Chevalier d'Eon. Deane was a prosperous Connecticut merchant and original Continental Congress member...who was sent to France to plead on behalf of the American Colonies long before Benjamin Franklin famously traveled there for the same purpose. Beaumarchais was an accomplished artist & playwright who created a shell company designed to deal supplies, arms, & ammunition to the desperate colonials...all supposedly without the knowledge of the French king. And the Chevalier d'Eon was a French spy (and cross-dresser extraordinaire) living in London and sitting on loads of incriminating evidence that would ruin the French throne. These three colorful, opinionated, fatally prideful characters each had a crucial part to play in cementing the alliegance between France and the American colonies. Without their exhaustive, tireless behind-the-scenes machinations, the alliance may never have been formed. The colonists, bereft of supplies and desperate, may have succumbed to the British army. In short, the history of America may have been very different without the contributions of these three men/women and their efforts.
Since so much of their work was done on the down-low or "behind the scenes," author Joel Richard Paul is occasionally forced to estimate or deduct their motivations or methods. Overall, though, this is a well-researched story, with decades of time for new evidence to be released that adds more color to the historical tale (in one instance, a friend of Deane's was revealed as a British double agent more than a century after the fact!). This is a complicated story, with a lot of supporting characters; as a result, I sometimes had trouble keeping all the names and places straight. Luckily, the book is not overly long, so it never became an impossible task. Even knowing the overall outcome of the situation, I was impressed with the amount of tension Mr. Paul was able to wring out of the situation. At times, I wondered if their plot would ever bear fruit, or if it would all be wasted by the vagaries of fate, or the politics of men often ignorant of the urgent situation.
The book is not flawless; the author often found it necessary to back up in time to explain someone's backstory, and thus the overall time frame of the book was occasionally difficult to follow. Mr. Paul was often somewhat repetitive as well; I found him reiterating points he'd already made in previous chapters, and I felt it was unnecessary. Despite these minor issues, "Unlikely Allies" is still a great read for those interested in American history, and in lesser-known tales from the Revolutionary War era.
"Unlikely Allies" is a story about three people whose names are largely lost to history: Silas Deane, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, and the Chevalier d'Eon. Deane was a prosperous Connecticut merchant and original Continental Congress member...who was sent to France to plead on behalf of the American Colonies long before Benjamin Franklin famously traveled there for the same purpose. Beaumarchais was an accomplished artist & playwright who created a shell company designed to deal supplies, arms, & ammunition to the desperate colonials...all supposedly without the knowledge of the French king. And the Chevalier d'Eon was a French spy (and cross-dresser extraordinaire) living in London and sitting on loads of incriminating evidence that would ruin the French throne. These three colorful, opinionated, fatally prideful characters each had a crucial part to play in cementing the alliegance between France and the American colonies. Without their exhaustive, tireless behind-the-scenes machinations, the alliance may never have been formed. The colonists, bereft of supplies and desperate, may have succumbed to the British army. In short, the history of America may have been very different without the contributions of these three men/women and their efforts.
Since so much of their work was done on the down-low or "behind the scenes," author Joel Richard Paul is occasionally forced to estimate or deduct their motivations or methods. Overall, though, this is a well-researched story, with decades of time for new evidence to be released that adds more color to the historical tale (in one instance, a friend of Deane's was revealed as a British double agent more than a century after the fact!). This is a complicated story, with a lot of supporting characters; as a result, I sometimes had trouble keeping all the names and places straight. Luckily, the book is not overly long, so it never became an impossible task. Even knowing the overall outcome of the situation, I was impressed with the amount of tension Mr. Paul was able to wring out of the situation. At times, I wondered if their plot would ever bear fruit, or if it would all be wasted by the vagaries of fate, or the politics of men often ignorant of the urgent situation.
The book is not flawless; the author often found it necessary to back up in time to explain someone's backstory, and thus the overall time frame of the book was occasionally difficult to follow. Mr. Paul was often somewhat repetitive as well; I found him reiterating points he'd already made in previous chapters, and I felt it was unnecessary. Despite these minor issues, "Unlikely Allies" is still a great read for those interested in American history, and in lesser-known tales from the Revolutionary War era.
October 18, 2012
I loved every minute of reading this book. Paul notes that "human frailty is part of our heritage" and virtuous men were capable of despicable behavior while hypocrites could do good. History, he points out, is often as not the child of chance and good behavior the result of noble and ignoble impulses, service to the greater common good and service to self.
The three protagonists of this fascinating story were eminently human, emotionally febrile, variable in their virtue and fascinating by all measures. This is ultimately mostly tragedy for our heroes and there is a lot of Job in the telling. There is also a bit of Month Python and maybe some proto-John Le Carre. Serious and silly, triumphant and poignant, fatuous and earnest, decorous and ribald with insights into gender-betting and writing with invisible inks there is something for everyone.
I laughed, sighed, groaned, exclaimed and whooped out loud throughout this book. I'm usually a pretty quiet reader.
Good history strips away the waxy patina that has built up time and reveals the real grain of the many stories that comprise the many truths. It evokes empathy and wonder, curiosity and admiration, and ultimately a sense of our connection to our collective past. This book is sublime in achieving this.
Last point, for those with no or very sketchy backgrounds in thr history of this period, this may be a more challenging read. So learn a big more about our fathers and 18th century Europe and this will be a great adventure in reading.
The three protagonists of this fascinating story were eminently human, emotionally febrile, variable in their virtue and fascinating by all measures. This is ultimately mostly tragedy for our heroes and there is a lot of Job in the telling. There is also a bit of Month Python and maybe some proto-John Le Carre. Serious and silly, triumphant and poignant, fatuous and earnest, decorous and ribald with insights into gender-betting and writing with invisible inks there is something for everyone.
I laughed, sighed, groaned, exclaimed and whooped out loud throughout this book. I'm usually a pretty quiet reader.
Good history strips away the waxy patina that has built up time and reveals the real grain of the many stories that comprise the many truths. It evokes empathy and wonder, curiosity and admiration, and ultimately a sense of our connection to our collective past. This book is sublime in achieving this.
Last point, for those with no or very sketchy backgrounds in thr history of this period, this may be a more challenging read. So learn a big more about our fathers and 18th century Europe and this will be a great adventure in reading.
February 12, 2011
"It is left to history to correct the popular judgment. Reading history teaches us to doubt, to question, and, if we're lucky, to discover new heroes." Thus read the last two sentences of Paul's book. It shows that greed and vengeance nearly derailed the American Revolution. The Founding Fathers were factious and class driven. However, that is only part of the story. Self interest drove others to help the American colonies and their actions, both before and during the Revolution provided assistance at the most opportune times in spite of portions of the Lee family of Virgina who were more concerned with debasing those of lower breeding that were assisting the Colonies as diplomats. Having recognized for a long time that our Founding Fathers were hypocrites, this work adds more facts and characters to that list. Perhaps in time "history will correct the popular judgment" of more recent political figures and events. That is, if all the evidence hasn't been shredded or erased from computer memories.
January 15, 2010
I really enjoyed this book and would have given it a higher rating (in reality I think it deserves a 3.5 :) if Dr. Paul's personal bias hadn't shown up so much. While the bias towards Deane was a bit thick at times, I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in the American Revolution. I think eveyone should read this book if only for the parts about Beaumarchis and D'Eon. It was a quick read, which I appreciated, and I think overall it was well-researched and cohesive. The parts about D'Eon being a catalyst for the Revolution aren't extremely convincing, but her/his/it's personal story is fascinating. I enjoyed this book I'd have to say :).
August 26, 2010
This book was a wonderful way to learn some unorthodox and hidden American history. I am now a big Silas Deane fan whereas before I knew nothing about him. It makes me think about how we teach history in our schools with such a limited perspective. I look forward to reading more unbiased stories and hearing what was happening in the rest of the world as the US was created.
It also reminds me that there are endless untold and not yet investigated stories in the world. It is an exciting impetus to teach basic research skills using primary sources.
It also reminds me that there are endless untold and not yet investigated stories in the world. It is an exciting impetus to teach basic research skills using primary sources.
February 8, 2013
Fabulous book! This is American History you've probably never heard of before. A must read for history buffs!!!!
June 1, 2017
It is difficult to know what to make of this book. There are clearly some aspects of this book I was already familiar with given my fondness for reading about spycraft and its role in history [1] as well as my familiarity with the writings of Beaumarchais [2]. For the most part this familiarity made the story easier to appreciate in some aspects. I had a rather unpleasant feeling, though, as I worked through this book, and it gave me a rather sour view of the author and his own morality as a popular historian. This is not a book with a great deal of scholarly depth, and it is clearly aimed at a mass market. That makes the author's taste in salacious rumor and gossip, especially of a sexual nature, rather off-putting and offensive. A book of this nature would be considered libelous, with justice, in most countries of the world, and seems to indicate a particular worldview that is directly antithetical to the cultivation of or appreciation of or even the recognition of virtue in political affairs. It is one thing to bring the corruption of the Founding Fathers to light, but it is another thing entirely to confuse the darkest of innuendo with the ugly truths of our existence, and this book comes from a point of view that the worst things that can be said about people are the truths that need to be written about and the view that needs to be promoted, which is simply a place I am not willing to go.
In terms of its structure, this book takes a chronological look by character at the various people in what is written almost deliberately to be a decadent and even pornographic late ancien regime farce of the kind that Beaumarchais and the Chevalier d'Eon would have enjoyed, and that features a good deal of sexual identity confusion that meets our own age's sordid taste for transvestism. Among the heroes of this book, in fact almost the only one who comes off relatively well, is the longsuffering Silas Deane, who may have died of poison as a result of his penchant for truthtelling. In a "based on a true story" popular history like this one it would make sense that the most honest of the characters involved would meet a bad fate as a result of that honesty. I won't spoil too much of the story for those who are unaware of the history, but this book is written from the point of view that America's founding required a great deal of spycraft and subterfuge, much of it undertaken by larger than life people, and that this corruption should be celebrated in a Machiavellian sort of fashion that achieving good ends often requires bad or even reprehensible means.
Yet this particular point, which the author makes in a variety of ways, is undercut by his showing the British to be even better at spycraft than the novice Americans. Yet the British, for all of their spycraft and awareness of what the Americans and French were doing, were still unable to overcome the rebellious colonists for all of the timidity of the French monarch and all of the divisions among the colonists themselves over political matters. Ultimately, the various cloak and dagger espionage that the author writes about as being so vitally important appears to be a wash, with no decisive advantage to either side, and with only decency as a casualty. Likewise, the author's demonstration of the corruption in American society through land speculation only demonstrates that the New World was not as free of the Old World and its ways as it wished, and that the hunger for land and money has been a characteristic problem for the United States and its relations with neighbors. Perhaps ironically, this book's focus on the corruption involved in espionage and spycraft itself delegitimizes the contemporary mania for such efforts among America's government, where the use of such techniques has brought our alliances with other nations and our own moral fitness to be an example for the world in question. Sometimes the information gained through spying on others is simply not worth the moral cost of the acquisition of information to ourselves.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
In terms of its structure, this book takes a chronological look by character at the various people in what is written almost deliberately to be a decadent and even pornographic late ancien regime farce of the kind that Beaumarchais and the Chevalier d'Eon would have enjoyed, and that features a good deal of sexual identity confusion that meets our own age's sordid taste for transvestism. Among the heroes of this book, in fact almost the only one who comes off relatively well, is the longsuffering Silas Deane, who may have died of poison as a result of his penchant for truthtelling. In a "based on a true story" popular history like this one it would make sense that the most honest of the characters involved would meet a bad fate as a result of that honesty. I won't spoil too much of the story for those who are unaware of the history, but this book is written from the point of view that America's founding required a great deal of spycraft and subterfuge, much of it undertaken by larger than life people, and that this corruption should be celebrated in a Machiavellian sort of fashion that achieving good ends often requires bad or even reprehensible means.
Yet this particular point, which the author makes in a variety of ways, is undercut by his showing the British to be even better at spycraft than the novice Americans. Yet the British, for all of their spycraft and awareness of what the Americans and French were doing, were still unable to overcome the rebellious colonists for all of the timidity of the French monarch and all of the divisions among the colonists themselves over political matters. Ultimately, the various cloak and dagger espionage that the author writes about as being so vitally important appears to be a wash, with no decisive advantage to either side, and with only decency as a casualty. Likewise, the author's demonstration of the corruption in American society through land speculation only demonstrates that the New World was not as free of the Old World and its ways as it wished, and that the hunger for land and money has been a characteristic problem for the United States and its relations with neighbors. Perhaps ironically, this book's focus on the corruption involved in espionage and spycraft itself delegitimizes the contemporary mania for such efforts among America's government, where the use of such techniques has brought our alliances with other nations and our own moral fitness to be an example for the world in question. Sometimes the information gained through spying on others is simply not worth the moral cost of the acquisition of information to ourselves.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
December 19, 2023
A funny thing happened when by happy accident I started reading Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution and also Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution at the same time as both books are set in the same time period.
The first book is about how the efforts of Beaumarchais and Silas Deane to send munitions, uniforms and other supplies to support the American revolution. The second book is how Robert Morris tried to send tobacco ships to France in order to pay for them. Both books thus focus on different sides of the Atlantic and spend a lot of time with their subjects wondering why they haven't heard anything from the other and just what was going on. After a while I felt that if I could just get the two books to talk to one another all would be well!
This book recounts very intriguing stories from the European side of the Revolution that are not much told elsewhere, so that's great. It has a very positive view of envoy Silas Deane, which is not the case in every book.
The only complaint I would have may not bother everyone, but it's this: the author knows the facts of certain things, but does not disclose them when it would be normal to state them, instead keeping matters in doubt, presumably because the characters are likewise in doubt, and only revealing them much later. I didn't much care for the cat-and-mouse game, but maybe some readers will enjoy this. (For this reason I won't reveal here what those secrets are).
The first book is about how the efforts of Beaumarchais and Silas Deane to send munitions, uniforms and other supplies to support the American revolution. The second book is how Robert Morris tried to send tobacco ships to France in order to pay for them. Both books thus focus on different sides of the Atlantic and spend a lot of time with their subjects wondering why they haven't heard anything from the other and just what was going on. After a while I felt that if I could just get the two books to talk to one another all would be well!
This book recounts very intriguing stories from the European side of the Revolution that are not much told elsewhere, so that's great. It has a very positive view of envoy Silas Deane, which is not the case in every book.
The only complaint I would have may not bother everyone, but it's this: the author knows the facts of certain things, but does not disclose them when it would be normal to state them, instead keeping matters in doubt, presumably because the characters are likewise in doubt, and only revealing them much later. I didn't much care for the cat-and-mouse game, but maybe some readers will enjoy this. (For this reason I won't reveal here what those secrets are).
November 10, 2020
A very interesting look into a very important, but often overlooked aspect of the American Revolution--the relationship with France. More than that, however, I think its a super valuable look into politics and how we remember history. I feel like as Americans, we remember the American revolution and by extension the founding fathers through rose colored glasses, where they put aside their differences for the sake American and democracy yadda yadda yadda but... they real messy. Anyone saying we should go back to the good old days when politicians got along should read this, and they will realize that politicians have never really gotten along, so the chances of us starting now is low.
The other thing that I think is so important to take from this book is the impact that one person can have on an endeavor. Of course if you look at Deane or Beaumarchis you can see the value a single person can have, but also if you look at Lee, who regularly stood in the way of American interests, you can see how much of a detriment a single person can have, especially on a precarious position. This could almost be a book on how a single individual with inferiority issues almost single-handily doomed the American Revolution. Luckily for the patriots, he didn't succeed, but it just shows that it is important who you have represent you.
If you have any interest in the American Revolution, I would recommend this book!
The other thing that I think is so important to take from this book is the impact that one person can have on an endeavor. Of course if you look at Deane or Beaumarchis you can see the value a single person can have, but also if you look at Lee, who regularly stood in the way of American interests, you can see how much of a detriment a single person can have, especially on a precarious position. This could almost be a book on how a single individual with inferiority issues almost single-handily doomed the American Revolution. Luckily for the patriots, he didn't succeed, but it just shows that it is important who you have represent you.
If you have any interest in the American Revolution, I would recommend this book!
June 25, 2019
In his book Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution, author Joel Richard Paul presents us with the stories of three widely different characters who each contributed to the eventual success of the American Revolution. At times the outcome of the revolt against the king was in serious doubt do to various factions among those we refer to as our Founding Fathers seeing things in different ways and not always agreeing on one solution or strategy going forward. Whether through altruism, budding patriotism, self interest, or opportunism and personal gain, each of these individuals made great contributions to help stabilize an often faltering colonial army. Without their efforts and often behind the scenes activities the ultimate outcome of the Revolution may have been delayed or even different. For those who have already read other books about the time period around the American Revolution, this will add some interesting "rest of the story" material. Taken by itself without that background it may be at times confusing within historical context but would still be an interesting read.
July 2, 2021
Great read about some of the secret ongoings behind the American Revolution. Being familiar with the French entities of playwright Beaumarchais and the spy-diplomat Chevalier D'Eon (and whose appreciation this read only deepened), learning about American Silas Deane's role was a great, long overdue discovery.
This page-turning account of events, with Benjamin Franklin also figuring prominently, had so many mishaps that it's both shocking and amazing that anything worked out at all. As usual, timing played its own part, because just a few weeks difference in the arrival of much-needed French arms (thanks to Beaumarchais' role) would've likely eliminated the crucial Saratoga victory.
This page-turning account of events, with Benjamin Franklin also figuring prominently, had so many mishaps that it's both shocking and amazing that anything worked out at all. As usual, timing played its own part, because just a few weeks difference in the arrival of much-needed French arms (thanks to Beaumarchais' role) would've likely eliminated the crucial Saratoga victory.
September 5, 2021
While I don't think the "spy" in the title really counts as an ally of the other two, this is a fascinating history of an aspect of the American Revolution that few people know about. I grew up knowing Silas Deane only as the name of a nearby highway, and never knew (or even wondered) who it was named for. Considering the controversy surrounding his actions, I'm curious how the highway builders came to name it for him. (I had hoped there might be something in the epilogue telling how his reputation had been salvaged later on, enough to get a highway named for him, but there's nothing about it.)
May 23, 2020
Although I generally like historical novels, and especially ones with intrigue & unusual characters, I gave up on this book about 1/3 of the way into it. I found it too detailed, too much time taken up with repetitive careful pronunciations of long names and too disjointed in places. Perhaps the best way to say the reason I stopped listening is that there was too little time spent on sketching the forest and there was too much attention to details of the trees.
June 28, 2017
Interesting story from the American revolution. Even the author seems to have stumbled into it and it is certainly characters and actions that I was unaware of. It is also interesting to find how different diplomacy and war was when the frequency of communications between continents was measured in months or years instead of minutes.
June 9, 2019
I don’t know if it was the subject matter or the writing but I was so bored with this book! And I’m not sure if my Boredom caused me to glaze over because I have no clue how the “spy” saved the America Revolution like the cover claims. Meh don’t recommend at all.
January 24, 2023
An interesting tale on two lesser known but pivotal figures of the American Revolution, Silas Dean & Pierre Beaumarchais.
Fellow Connecticutian Dean secured financing to Arnold to allow him to get seize the Guns at Ticonderoga and place them on Dorchester Heights, Dean was then sent as first emissary to France to secure supplies and eventually an alliance, his French intermediary in obtaining Arms was Beaumarchis. The transvestite is really an unnecessary sideshow to the story, ostensibly as that’s how Beaumarchais was in a position to be trusted by the King, this part of the book should have been scrapped, but the rest is a well told tale on an under appreciated part of history.
Fellow Connecticutian Dean secured financing to Arnold to allow him to get seize the Guns at Ticonderoga and place them on Dorchester Heights, Dean was then sent as first emissary to France to secure supplies and eventually an alliance, his French intermediary in obtaining Arms was Beaumarchis. The transvestite is really an unnecessary sideshow to the story, ostensibly as that’s how Beaumarchais was in a position to be trusted by the King, this part of the book should have been scrapped, but the rest is a well told tale on an under appreciated part of history.
April 19, 2025
Paul is dickriding Silas Deane pretty hard here but there's a lot of great research and his writing is captivating and poetic. loses half a star because the spy isn't really integrated in the plot. in reality it should be a 4.5 but since this isn't Letterboxd it gets a 4
June 26, 2017
Well, I see politicians have always been, well.....politicians. :(
November 21, 2019
Easy to read and follow. Fascinating very blemished characters that amazingly greatly influenced the outcome of the American Revolution.
February 8, 2020
Fascinating look at little known history.
February 25, 2020
This book was a great read, but I think it was a bit sidetracked from the war that the characters played a role in.
October 10, 2022
An interesting story, but poorly written, edited, and performed by audio narrator
July 8, 2023
Kind of a dry read at times but very informative. Unlikely Allies provided a perspective on the American Revolution that I had never before heard.
June 8, 2025
It was an interesting read for the most part but I found it hard to follow and didn’t love the style of writing
January 3, 2024
This is the story of three men: American merchant Silas Deane, French playwright Beaumarchais (whose plays included the Barber of Seville and the Marriage of Figaro), and the cross-dressing French spy the Chevalier d'Eon.
This is mostly the story of Silas Deane, who Paul regularly defends against all criticism. Deane was sent by the Continental Congress as a secret envoy to France to gain critical aid for the ragtag American army. Deane - aided by Beaumarchais - was successful, but his critics accused him of corruption and he died broke in exile. Beaumarchais was a colorful figure who used his wiles to move up the social ladder and advocated for France to support the American Revolution. He was also exiled from his home country for a period during the French Revolution, and similarly died heavily in debt.
The most interesting of all three personages - but the one who had no direct involvement with France's support of the American colonies against Britain - was the Chevalier d'Eon. Soldier, spy, and blackmailer, the Chevalier d'Eon's gender identity was the topic of debate, wagers, and even a lawsuit. The Chevalier d'Eon presented mainly as a man, occasionally as a woman, and later claimed to have been born a woman but raised as a man by her father. The Chevalier d'Eon never allied with Deane OR Beaumarchais to support the Americans. The Chevalier's only connection is that Beaumarchais successfully managed a scandal involving the Chevalier and incriminating letters that gained him favor with the French king. The lack of any real connection explains why the Chevalier disappears from the book for large chunks of it. But I can't be mad about the Chevalier's inclusion, because they are the most fascinating person in the book. The Chevalier, by the way, ALSO died in poverty. You may be sensing a theme.
This was overall a well-told history about three lesser-known figures during the American Revolution (more famous ones like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, etc. make guest appearances as well). There is clearly a strong Silas Deane bias in the book (Paul even strongly contends that he died by poison, with only supposition and circumstantial evidence to support this), but since I have no dog in the fight of Deane v. his detractors, it didn't bother me.
This is mostly the story of Silas Deane, who Paul regularly defends against all criticism. Deane was sent by the Continental Congress as a secret envoy to France to gain critical aid for the ragtag American army. Deane - aided by Beaumarchais - was successful, but his critics accused him of corruption and he died broke in exile. Beaumarchais was a colorful figure who used his wiles to move up the social ladder and advocated for France to support the American Revolution. He was also exiled from his home country for a period during the French Revolution, and similarly died heavily in debt.
The most interesting of all three personages - but the one who had no direct involvement with France's support of the American colonies against Britain - was the Chevalier d'Eon. Soldier, spy, and blackmailer, the Chevalier d'Eon's gender identity was the topic of debate, wagers, and even a lawsuit. The Chevalier d'Eon presented mainly as a man, occasionally as a woman, and later claimed to have been born a woman but raised as a man by her father. The Chevalier d'Eon never allied with Deane OR Beaumarchais to support the Americans. The Chevalier's only connection is that Beaumarchais successfully managed a scandal involving the Chevalier and incriminating letters that gained him favor with the French king. The lack of any real connection explains why the Chevalier disappears from the book for large chunks of it. But I can't be mad about the Chevalier's inclusion, because they are the most fascinating person in the book. The Chevalier, by the way, ALSO died in poverty. You may be sensing a theme.
This was overall a well-told history about three lesser-known figures during the American Revolution (more famous ones like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, etc. make guest appearances as well). There is clearly a strong Silas Deane bias in the book (Paul even strongly contends that he died by poison, with only supposition and circumstantial evidence to support this), but since I have no dog in the fight of Deane v. his detractors, it didn't bother me.
May 23, 2014
I read this book to conduct research on Silas Deane, the first envoy from the United States to France. There are few books about Deane out there even though his tale is filled with intrigue, jealousy, cunning, and patriotism.
Joel Richard Paul's book tells the story of Silas Deane, Beaumarchais, and the Chavalier D'Eon. His title, Unlikely Allies, comes from the fact that these 3 men all played pivotal roles in forwarding the Continental Army much needed supplies and coaxing King Louis XVI to enter the American War for Independence on behalf of the Americans--an extremely bold move for the most entrenched monarchy in Europe.
This books is written in an accessible and engaging manner. The author masterfully set-up his story so that not once, but twice, I found myself shocked by how something turned out.
An excellent read if you are looking to learn about 18th-century diplomacy and the American Revolution.
Before the war, Silas Deane lived in Wethersfield, CT, where he gave up his legal practice to conduct business as an Atlantic trader. Deane's keen mind and success as a merchant allowed him the money and notoriety he needed to enter colonial politics as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. Until he attended the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Deane had never left Connecticut.
Beaumarchais started his life as a watchmaker by the name of Caron. He revolutionized the watch industry with his movement. His invention brought him the notice of King Louis XV. A gifted man, Caron authored a couple of successful plays, married well and renamed himself Beaumarchais after his estate. Beaumarchais taught music to King Louis XV's daughters and used his closeness to the King to help his patron, a wealthy merchant who took Beaumarchais under his wing and taught him the business of wartime supply during the Seven Years' War.
The Chavalier D'Eon served King Louis XV as part of "The Secret," a secret spy network that Louis used to keep track of his friends and enemies at home and abroad. D'Eon boasted an androgynous appearance, which Louis XV asked him to take advantage of to help him court favorable diplomatic relations with Empress Elizabeth of Russia. For years, D'Eon dressed as a woman and played the role of Elizabeth's French tutor during his covert mission to help the young Empress skirt the regulations and politics of her domineering and anti-French ministers.
The stories of these 3 men intertwined by coincidence, but each coincidence played in the favor of the young and rebellious United States. King Louis XVI did not want to go to war with Great Britain. He wanted to honor the Treaty of Paris 1763. Yet, Beaumarchais convinced the young king and his foreign minister Vergennes first to send arms and war materiel to the Americans covertly and second to enter the war on their behalf. Beaumarchais accomplished these feats because he had the ears of both Vergennes and King Louis XVI, a privilege that he earned when he helped them silence D'Eon, who had become a disgruntled royal servant of Louis XV; D'Eon threatened to sell his secret letters from Louis XV's to the English. Those letters spoke of a plan for France to invade England in contravention to the Treaty of Paris 1763.
Silas Deane met Beaumarchais not long after his arrival in France in 1776. The gregarious Deane made fast friends with the outgoing Beaumarchais. The two worked well together as they coordinated the acquisition, transportation, and credit needed to purchase supplies for the Continental Army. Yet their success and access did them in. Jealous onlookers such as Arthur Lee of Virginia and double-agents such as Deane's friend Edward Bancroft worked against them.
Yet somehow Deane and Beaumarchais persevered. The weapons and supplies they worked so hard to get to the United States allowed the Continental Army to achieve a stunning victory at Saratoga in October 1777. The American victory at Saratoga inspired Vergennes and King Louis XVI and it prompted the King to agree to ally with the United States and to declare war on Great Britain in 1778.
Joel Richard Paul's book tells the story of Silas Deane, Beaumarchais, and the Chavalier D'Eon. His title, Unlikely Allies, comes from the fact that these 3 men all played pivotal roles in forwarding the Continental Army much needed supplies and coaxing King Louis XVI to enter the American War for Independence on behalf of the Americans--an extremely bold move for the most entrenched monarchy in Europe.
This books is written in an accessible and engaging manner. The author masterfully set-up his story so that not once, but twice, I found myself shocked by how something turned out.
An excellent read if you are looking to learn about 18th-century diplomacy and the American Revolution.
Before the war, Silas Deane lived in Wethersfield, CT, where he gave up his legal practice to conduct business as an Atlantic trader. Deane's keen mind and success as a merchant allowed him the money and notoriety he needed to enter colonial politics as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. Until he attended the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Deane had never left Connecticut.
Beaumarchais started his life as a watchmaker by the name of Caron. He revolutionized the watch industry with his movement. His invention brought him the notice of King Louis XV. A gifted man, Caron authored a couple of successful plays, married well and renamed himself Beaumarchais after his estate. Beaumarchais taught music to King Louis XV's daughters and used his closeness to the King to help his patron, a wealthy merchant who took Beaumarchais under his wing and taught him the business of wartime supply during the Seven Years' War.
The Chavalier D'Eon served King Louis XV as part of "The Secret," a secret spy network that Louis used to keep track of his friends and enemies at home and abroad. D'Eon boasted an androgynous appearance, which Louis XV asked him to take advantage of to help him court favorable diplomatic relations with Empress Elizabeth of Russia. For years, D'Eon dressed as a woman and played the role of Elizabeth's French tutor during his covert mission to help the young Empress skirt the regulations and politics of her domineering and anti-French ministers.
The stories of these 3 men intertwined by coincidence, but each coincidence played in the favor of the young and rebellious United States. King Louis XVI did not want to go to war with Great Britain. He wanted to honor the Treaty of Paris 1763. Yet, Beaumarchais convinced the young king and his foreign minister Vergennes first to send arms and war materiel to the Americans covertly and second to enter the war on their behalf. Beaumarchais accomplished these feats because he had the ears of both Vergennes and King Louis XVI, a privilege that he earned when he helped them silence D'Eon, who had become a disgruntled royal servant of Louis XV; D'Eon threatened to sell his secret letters from Louis XV's to the English. Those letters spoke of a plan for France to invade England in contravention to the Treaty of Paris 1763.
Silas Deane met Beaumarchais not long after his arrival in France in 1776. The gregarious Deane made fast friends with the outgoing Beaumarchais. The two worked well together as they coordinated the acquisition, transportation, and credit needed to purchase supplies for the Continental Army. Yet their success and access did them in. Jealous onlookers such as Arthur Lee of Virginia and double-agents such as Deane's friend Edward Bancroft worked against them.
Yet somehow Deane and Beaumarchais persevered. The weapons and supplies they worked so hard to get to the United States allowed the Continental Army to achieve a stunning victory at Saratoga in October 1777. The American victory at Saratoga inspired Vergennes and King Louis XVI and it prompted the King to agree to ally with the United States and to declare war on Great Britain in 1778.
July 22, 2025
fantastic piece of under the radar history that had world changing implications. would make a fabulous movie/mini-series.
April 6, 2011
This book was hard for me to rate. Paul does a good job of shedding light on the actions of people that were responsible behind the scenes of getting French aid to America during the American Revolution and brokering a French-American alliance. In that strain he does a good job. Paul also paints the picture of the "humanness" of politicians in the Revolutionary Age showing them to be petty, self centered, vindictive, and short-sighted. He argues that we should be careful not to place the founding fathers on a pedestal of perfection, but need to acknowledge they had shortcomings in many ways. They were human. Paul's job in this is also very solid, he paints of picture of behind the scenes intrigue that hard to believe at points. The complexities of politics at that time were quite nasty. His refutation of Silas Deane as a traitor and subversive, but rather someone who laid the groundwork for the Frano-American alliance is historically significant. That being said, I did have some quibbles with the book. Paul, particularly early in his work uses a number of subjective phrases using "May have" and "Perhaps" that really take away from the strength of the argument and lead the reader to suspect that the author may be stretching to try to convey his argument. Furthermore, Paul's obsession with putting a current value next to nearly every citation of monetary expense in his book is both obnoxious and unnecessary. Finally, Paul's treatment of Franklin's efforts and importance is left wanting. He paints a picture of Franklin as merely a amoral flirt who uses his popularity to harass married women. While no doubt the subject of Paul's work, Silas Deane, played a crucial role in laying the foundation for the Franco-American alliance and, indeed, was cited by the French as doing a fundamentally important and significant job, that does not necessarily diminish or refute those actions and impact that Franklin himself has on the situation as well. Overall despite it's flaws, Unlikely Allies is a worthy read, shedding new light on the Revolution and those who shaped our country, and reminding us that history is never nearly as transparent or straight-forward as we might expect.
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