In this dazzling work of history; a Pulitzer Prize-winning author follows Benjamin Franklin to France for the crowning achievement of his career"In December of 1776 a small boat delivered an old man to France." So begins an enthralling narrative account of how Benjamin Franklin--seventy years old; without any diplomatic training; and possessed of the most rudimentary French--convinced France; an absolute monarchy; to underwrite America's experiment in democracy. When Franklin stepped onto French soil; he well understood he was embarking on the greatest gamble of his career. By virtue of fame; charisma; and ingenuity; Franklin outmaneuvered British spies; French informers; and hostile colleagues; engineered the Franco-American alliance of 1778; and helped to negotiate the peace of 1783. The eight-year French mission stands not only as Franklin's most vital service to his country but as the most revealing of the man.In A Great Improvisation; Stacy Schiff draws from new and little-known sources to illuminate the least-explored part of Franklin's life. Here is an unfamiliar; unforgettable chapter of the Revolution; a rousing tale of American infighting; and the treacherous backroom dealings at Versailles that would propel George Washington from near decimation at Valley Forge to victory at Yorktown. From these pages emerges a particularly human and yet fiercely determined Founding Father; as well as a profound sense of how fragile; improvisational; and international was our country's bid for independence.
#3257297 in Books Henry Holt n Co 1990-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 #File Name: 0805004424177 pages
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