Improbable Patriot: The Secret History of Monsieur de Beaumarchais, the French Playwright Who Saved the American Revolution

Written by Harlow Giles Unger

Narrated by Paul Boehmer

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was an eighteenth-century French inventor, famed playwright, and upstart near-aristocrat in the court of King Louis XVI. In 1776, he conceived an audacious plan to send aid to the American rebels. What's more, he convinced the king to bankroll the project, and singlehandedly carried it out. By war's end, he had supplied Washington's army with most of its weapons and powder, though he was never paid or acknowledged by the United States.

To some, he was a dashing hero-a towering intellect who saved the American Revolution. To others, he was pure rogue-a double-dealing adventurer who stopped at nothing to advance his fame and fortune. In fact, he was both, and more: an advisor to kings, an arms dealer, and author of some of the most enduring works of the stage, including The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977370426

Reviews for Improbable Patriot

[castlelass · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Biography of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, the son of a clockmaker and a gifted inventor, playwright, spy, and supporter of the American Revolution. He led an interesting life and suffered more than his share of calamities, including death of his first wife, imprisonment, others taking credit for his creations, seizure of his assets, censorship, and exile. This book covers his full life – invention of the wristwatch, writing of The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, and involvement in both the American and French Revolutions. The bulk of this narrative non-fiction covers his life in France. Toward the end it covers his role as a champion of revolution. It is a sensitive and compassionate view of his life. Many viewed him as a target, much of which was due to the classism of the time. Even though he played such a key role in the American Revolution, at his own expense, the American Congress never reimbursed him or offered any significant recognition. It is too bad his contributions are not better known in America. It seems fitting that he is finally getting the credit he deserves.

[dmoorela · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting account of the French role in bankrolling the American Revolution. The chief contributor being the playwrite Monsieur de Beaumarchais. I had only a vague knowledge of Beaumarchais prior to reading this account. I knew of him as a playwrite who influenced French public attitudes during the revolutionary period. I found the book well conceived, fast paced and informative. In the end I was left feeling the US government treated Beaumarchais shabilly at best and certainly has not adequately honored his contribution to the revolutionaries war effort.

[cornerhouse_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an often-lively narration of a little-known (at least to the general public) aspect of the American Revolution: just how the military aid from France was financed and put into effect. However, this is a deeply flawed book. The flaws range from the merely annoying (the near word-for-word repetition of some depictions of events during the War) to the questionable (the close association of Beaumarchais with his most famous creation: Figaro) to the highly suspect (the insufficient evidence for the motivations behind the actions of Beaumarchais). Unger also deals in a fairly cursory fashion with one of the central problems of this entire episode in American history--that is, the controversy of how and whether the US government should pay for the arms and materiel. It would have been better if Unger had focused more on the connection of Beaumarchais to the Revolutionary War and its aftermath and devoted less space and energy to telling us, repeatedly and simplistically, that Beaumarchais was Figaro and Figaro was Beaumarchais.Despite it's many flaws--or perhaps because of them--it makes a decent point of entry for this aspect of the Revolutionary War. That is, you'll definitely want to know more about Beaumarchais and the circumstances surrounding his rich and varied life.

[billiecat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Before reading this book, all I knew of Beaumarchais was that he wrote the Figaro plays, which were later made into operas. Other than that, aside from the impression that he was a bit of a rogue, I knew nothing. After reading this book, while I know a lot more, I feel the "Beaumarchais" in this book is almost as fictional as his alter ego, Figaro. Unger does not present a very rounded picture of a man, making him seem quite the superman and his life like the plot of one of his plays. Partially, I suppose, this could be because his life WAS like one of his own plays, but Unger takes it a bit far, I think. For example, if all I knew of the battle of Saratoga was what Unger writes of it, I would think that it was Beaumarchais who beat the British. As it is, I believe General Horatio Gates had a little something to do with it.So this isn't a very deep book, but still an enjoyable one. I now know a little more about Beaumarchais that I did, and that is a good thing. And Unger has included an extensive bibliography and citations to sources (as well as a listing of Beaumarchais' own works), and I can, if I feel I need to dig deeper, do so. So I am grateful to Mr. Unger for the introduction to Monsieur Beaumarchais, and look forward to future encounters with him when the occaision arises.

[jolynnsbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An unlikely hero, political intrigue both foreign and domestic, love affairs, fortunes won and lost and won again. Sound like a swashbuckler from Alexander Dumas or Rafael Sabbatini? Well, throw in one of the world's most recognizable opera characters, and you have Improbable Patriot: The Secret History of Monsieur de Beaumarchais, the French Playwright Who Saved the American Revolution by Harlow Giles Unger. Best known to the world as the creator of The Barber of Seville (Figaro), Beaumarchais led what had to be one of the most exciting and influential lives of his time. A self-made Frenchman who clawed his way up through the court intrigue of Louis XVI's reign and masterminded an arms deal that saved the American patriots at their lowest moment. He then went on to oversee many more projects for the King , falling in and out of favor through the years, until finally having to maneuver his way through the perils of the French Revolution.A rollicking history book for those who enjoy adventure. I was reminded time and again of the Three Musketeers or the Scarlet Pimpernel. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. A wonderfully enjoyable read.

[libri_amor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mr Unger has created one most interesting and readable biographies of recent years. Though a very skilled writer, Mr. Unger had help from Monsieur de Beaumarchais. Even without his connection with the American revolution, the life of Beaumarchais would make for an extraordinary story. It is a common cliché that a life is stranger than fiction but the life of Beaumarchais is truly one that could not be believed if it were not true.Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was born in 1732 the son of a clock maker; a commoner in the aristocratic dominated France. Apprenticed to his father, after a brief period of raucous carousing, the young Beaumarchais quickly showed his mechanical genius by inventing a clockwork escapement mechanism. This escapement mechanism immediately allowed the first watch light enough to be worn on the wrist. It was this invention that first brought him to the attention of King Louis XV and the royal court.Once in the royal circle, Beaumarchais wasted no time in establishing his genius to the delight of many of the royal court. As a skilled musician and poet he was a delight to royal princesses. However, as commoner who entered the royal circle through superior skills and talent he was envied by many aristocrats by birth and of much lesser talent. Beaumarchais did become a protégé of the great financier, Joseph Pâris-Duverney and through this relationship was able to amass significant wealth and purchase a key sinecure. But as Beaumarchais' stature rose so did the power of his enemies and resentment of his commoner birth.In 1764 Beaumarchais gave his court enemies the opening they needed when he spent a year in Madrid establishing a Spanish company for his financial mentor. Upon his return to France Beaumarchais' life rapidly became very complicated. In his absence his home was in turmoil and he lost the interest and patronage of the royal princesses. In 1770 both Pâris-Duverney and Beaumarchais' wife die. Pâris-Duverney's relatives win a large financial suit against him. Also, events in America were heating up. It is now that Beaumarchais retaliates against the ruling class and authors his first literary triumph, Le Barbier de Seville -- "The Barber of Seville". Throughout the 1770's Beaumarchais' fortunes take a number of turns. His court enemies retaliate. He is arrested, thrown in jail for being "too insolent". While imprisoned Beaumarchais is unable to defend himself in an unjust law suit and is financially ruined. However, via the sharpness of his pen, he is able to exact revenge by exposing the corrupt judicial system. His cleverness and guile comes to the attention of King Louis XVI He successfully serves the new King and foreign minster, comte de Vergennes, as a spy to retrieve incriminating secret documents from a transsexual former French spy in London.While in London, Beaumarchais forms a friendship with the American, Arthur Lee and is enlisted to help our fight with France's long time enemy. With the help of Vergennes but as a private citizen, Beaumarchais established a Spanish company to secretly purchase arms and supplies from the French government and supply them to Washington's troops. Payment for the arms was to come by the returning ships bringing tobacco and other goods back for sale. Beaumarchais was awarded contracts for the arms from Silas Deane, Connecticut merchant and member of Congress. While in sound in principle, in practice it was a financial disaster. In the end Beaumarchais shipped more than $200 million (today's dollars) on credit including more then 80% of the Continental Army's entire gunpowder supply! Beaumarchais was to never see of these proceeds as Congress repeatedly dodged the obligation erroneously reasoning the materials as a "gift" from France!At the close of his arms venture, Beaumarchais again turned to literature and his assault on the aristocracy penning Le Mariage de Figaro --The Marriage of Figaro. Once again Beaumarchais is imprisoned, this time by the King. However, the King's move backfires and Beaumarchais' popularity results in a populous uproar that forces the King to retract his orders. The King also makes financial amends. Beaumarchais' literary triumphs have made him a popular hero which allows him to survive the multiple insanities that mark the French revolution of the 1790's.In summary, Mr. Unger has penned a book worthy of the extraordinary life of Monsieur de Beaumarchais. He has aptly honored a largely forgotten hero of our fight for independence and in the process rewards the reader.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais may be the most famous person I never heard of in American History class. Although he was a commoner, his skills and personality provided an entry into the Bourbon court of France. He was a skilled clockmaker, and he charmed members of the royal family with his new invention, the wristwatch. He was the playwright who created the character Figaro. Thanks to Mozart, Rossini, and Bugs Bunny, I think of Figaro as an operatic character. However, he was already famous before Mozart or Rossini set his stories to music.The ideals that inspired the American Revolution appealed to Beaumarchais. He followed the news from America, and he used his access to powerful members of the French government to promote recognition of and aid to the Americans as being in France's best interest. He devised a plan to provide military supplies to the revolutionists in exchange for American goods. Although the arms supplied by Beaumarchais allowed the colonists to continue the war with Great Britain, through a probably willful misunderstanding of the terms of the deal, the colonists did not fulfill their side of the bargain.Despite his financial loss from the arms trade and his disappointment with the American leaders, Beaumarchais remained committed to the ideals that inspired the revolution. He was generous with the wealth he accumulated. He lived well, but he also provided for the physical needs of his less fortunate neighbors. When the French Revolution broke out a decade later, Beaumarchais, a commoner comfortable in the royal court, survived the worst of the Terror largely because he was loved and respected for his creation of Figaro (who regularly out-witted nobility) and for his philanthropy.This engaging biography is a good introduction to a man who deserves to be remembered for his accomplishments and character. Highly recommended for readers with an interest in the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Enlightenment, and theater history.This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

[rosecityreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Improbable Patriot reads like an adventure novel. The story is that of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, an eighteenth-century French playwright, inventor, and bon vivant who convinced King Louis XVI to bankroll his plan to sell arms to America for its revolution with Britain. It is a terrific yarn, and Unger spins it well.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was a brilliant inventor, musician, composer, businessman, diplomat, and the man most responsible for supplying critical aid to the floundering Americans during their Revolution, thus ensuring its success. Beaumarchais was a prodigy who invented the wristwatch and wrote “The Barber of Seville” and “The Marriage of Figaro.” He was also a staunch advocate of the equality of man and worked tirelessly and at great expense to send the Americans munitions, gunpowder, clothing, tents, and other war matériel.The American Congress, however, refused to honor its commitment to reimburse him, and no monument or memorial in the United States exists to attest to the critical role he played. Unger seeks to redress this great injustice in a small but significant way by bringing his story to a contemporary American audience.Beaumarchais used three main arguments to convince the French government to help the American colonists: (1) revenge for its humiliating loss to Britain during the Seven Years’ War (known in America as The French and Indian War); (2) a chance to reclaim Canada; and (3) special trading privileges with the new colonies. But still the French were reluctant: they could not be seen by Britain in assisting the colonies since they were not ready to fight another war. Beaumarchais drafted a scheme to provision the Americans in such a way that the British could not prove the involvement of the French government. Furthermore, at the same time he would rid the French military of surplus or obsolete matériel (which would, however, still be valuable to the Americans) and enable them to restock with the money-in-kind to be paid by the Americans. Although the French Government would help, it insisted that Beaumarchais come up with a significant portion of the money, and also agree to incur all risk on his own. Unfortunately, as was mentioned above, the American Congress refused to pay. After the war, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and Alexander Hamilton all pleaded with Congress to square accounts with Beaumarchais and -- after he died-- with his estate, but Congress consistently refused. It wasn’t until 1835 that the U.S. Government, about to make a claim of its own against France, agreed to settle with the Beaumarchais heirs, and paid them about 35 percent of what the government owed.What exactly did Beaumarchais do? By the winter of 1776 the American Revolution was considered to be all but won by the British. Once numbering 30,000 men, Washington’s troops were reduced by desertions to some 5,200. They had no tents, and their feet were wrapped in rags, leaves, and twigs. They were out of ammunition. Congress refused to raise taxes to allocate funds for them. Beaumarchais borrowed money to procure everything they needed, including the ships and crews to get the goods to the Americans. On March 17, 1777, the first ship from France sailed into the harbor at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, carrying 12,000 muskets, 50 brass cannon, powder and ammunition, 1,000 tents, and clothes for 10,000 men. More ships followed. In all, Beaumarchais shipped more than $210 million in today’s dollars worth of supplies to them, including more than 80 percent of the Continental Army’s entire supply of gunpowder! The deal was that the ships were to return from America filled with tobacco, rice, flour and wood. But they always returned empty. Nevertheless, Beaumarchais kept sending supplies. It is not an exaggeration to say that the war could not have been won without him. Unger does not have much good to say about Congress, charging them with “incessant, often infantile backbiting that they euphemistically called congressional debate.” Some things never change…Evaluation: Beaumarchais is a fascinating character, and Unger paints a sympathetic portrait of him as he gets victimized time after time by those who are jealous, greedy, corrupt, selfish, or who can’t resist taking advantage of the kindness of others. Beaumarchais’s contribution to the victory of the Continental Army should be required knowledge by American citizens.

[davidveal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hurray! A new hero of the American Revolution arrives in the nick of time to save us from the shallow Francophobia that infected America’s hoi polloi when France, our oldest and most faithful ally, declined to join the United States in our costly and probably counter-productive adventure in Iraq. Harlow Giles Unger, as thorough a scholar of history as one finds in our Country today, begins the Improbable Patriot with a sweeping and brilliant overview of the North Atlantic world as it existed in the 18th century. Without surrendering accuracy, he spins a fascinating tale of people and events that leaves the reader almost breathless. Unger relates the incredible story of Beaumarchais’ life and exploits so vividly, Beaumarchais himself would probably approve. The Improbable Patriot is first of all the life story of an indomitable genius who charmed the socks off a generation of Europeans and played a significant role, albeit a little known one, in both the American and French Revolutions. One would hope that American school children still learn about the Marquis de La Fayette and the Baron Dekalb. The story of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais makes a triad of strong and colorful Frenchmen whose contributions to our nation’s independence were valuable beyond measure.This little book makes fast and exciting reading of an intriguing phase of American and French history. As a biography, it is mainly factual, but sufficiently descriptive and interpretive to lead the reader into some feeling for the character and personality of this remarkable genius, Beaumarchais. The book is profusely illustrated with nearly forty black and white drawings, paintings, or other photos. It has an adequate index and bibliography. Toward the end of the latter I was curious to find this entry: Unger, Harlow Giles. The French War Against America: How a Trusted Ally Betrayed Washington and the Founding Fathers. Now that is on my “must read” list.

[snash_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an astonishing ribald tale of a French character. His genius, cunning, and indefatigable energy and good will repeatedly bumped up against the French king and nobility. He lost everything many times but came back with perseverance. It's an excellent story well told. America owes much to him, at least as much as it owes Lafayette, but has never given him his due. Maybe this biography will help in some small way.

[histreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I six short hours Mr Unger was able to transport me to 18th century France and the tumultuous time, not only of revolutionary Europe and America, but of the seemingly hapless son of a clockmaker.Several weeks ago I was lamenting my lack of knowledge of the French Revolution, a day later "Improbable Patriot" hit the market. Recounting Monsieur de Beaumarchais' life provides the tone of pre-revolutionary France; debauchery of nobility and authoritarian rule of the monarchy set the stage for post-American Revolutionary sentiment on continental Europe. Ensuing violent changes of power in addition to bungling governance and undo market influence coupled with inflationary policies, the deadliest regime in Europe until the mid 20th century occurred during Beaumarchias' lifetime.A fiction writer would be hard pressed to draft a story as turbulent as the life of Beaumarchais, a commoner-come-nobility. Heartbreaking instance after instance, this honest man gains notoriety and wealth only to see it confiscated or never realized due to untimely deaths and no documentation. Several times, he advances monies to secure American or French goals of security, only to be thwarted by subterfuge or poor timing. Worse than losing monetary comfort, the playwright, at one point loses all civil rights and later in life has his citizenship revoked and is treated as an emigre (and faces death if he returns to France). Each time loses his wealth or links to France, he has them restored through perseverance. I find Mr Unger very enjoyable to read and always informative and well studied. My fears of struggling through "Improbable Patriot" due to the amount of French woven into the biography, Harlow Unger writes in a way approachable by the weakest of readers.