Short Synopsis
Unlikely Allies, a bold reinterpretation of the struggle for independence, is the gripping true story of how three men used espionage, betrayal, and sexual deception to help win the American Revolution.

Full Synopsis
Unlikely Allies is the story of three remarkable historical figures. Silas Deane was a Connecticut merchant and delegate to the Continental Congress as the American colonies struggled to break with England. Caron de Beaumarchais was a successful playwright who wrote The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. And the flamboyant and mysterious Chevalier d'Eon—officer, diplomat, and sometime spy—was the talk of London and Paris. Is the Chevalier a man or a woman?

When Deane is sent to France to convince the French government to support the revolutionary cause, he enlists the help of Beaumarchais. Together, they successfully smuggle weapons, ammunition, and supplies to New England just in time for the crucial Battle of Saratoga, which turned the tide of the American Revolution. And the catalyst for Louis XVI's support of the Americans against England was the Chevalier d'Eon, whose decision to declare herself a woman helped to lead to the Franco-American alliance. These three people spin a fascinating web of political intrigue and international politics that stretches across oceans as they ricochet from Versailles to Georgian London to the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. Each man has his own reasons for wanting to see America triumph over the British, and each contends daily with the certainty that no one is what they seem. The line between friends and enemies is blurred, spies lurk in every corner, and the only way to survive is to trust no one.

An edge-of-your-seat story full of fascinating characters and lavish with period detail and sense of place, Unlikely Allies is Revolutionary history in all of its juicy, lurid glory.

"[A] keen, intriguing assessment of how personal politics might play out on the international stage." ---Kirkus

"Paul's fast-paced, engaging narrative fills a gap in the historiography of the American Revolution." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"Paul's 18th century is highly detailed…reveal[ing] just how close the wealthiest colonists came to replacing one oppressive aristocracy with another." ---Publishers Weekly

"Morey's voice and Paul's words prove to be the ideal combination for an entertaining and informative history." ---Publishers Weekly Audio Review

"An engaging and entertaining account of three of the most colorful characters involved in the American Revolution." ---Gordon Wood, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner The Radicalism of the American Revolution

"An amazing story compellingly told.... Thanks to Joel Paul's sympathetic portrayal, Silas Deane emerges as an unsung hero of the American Revolution." ---Robert Gross, author of the Bancroft Prize winner The Minutemen and Their World

"A rollicking romp as well as a serious history, it reminds us of the role of duplicity, hypocrisy and corruption...in safeguarding the American Revolution." ---William Taubman, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner Khrushchev: The Man and His Era

"A nonfiction account, [that] reads like a Monty Python movie." ---Washington Post

"Unlikely Allies possesses the menacing atmospherics of an Allen Furst novel." ---Chicago Tribune

Library Journal Review

AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

AudioFile Bestseller