How the French Saved America

Author Tom Shachtman “makes a convincing case that, without France, the United States may never have gained independence” (Kirkus Reviews).

“At last a full and compelling accounting of the crucial role that France and the French played in the American Revolutionary War! Shachtman skillfully shatters the myth that Americans secured their independence from Great Britain alone and by themselves. . . . This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of every American history buff.” -Jeswald W. Salacuse, Distinguished Professor and former Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and author of Real Leaders Negotiate!

To the rebelling colonies, French assistance made the difference between looming defeat and eventual triumph. Even before the Declaration of Independence was issued, King Louis XVI and French foreign minister Vergennes were aiding the rebels. After the Declaration, that assistance broadened to include wages for our troops; guns, cannon, and ammunition; engineering expertise that enabled victories and prevented defeats; diplomatic recognition; safe havens for privateers; battlefield leadership by veteran officers; and the army and fleet that made possible the Franco-American victory at Yorktown.

Nearly ten percent of those who fought and died for the American cause were French. Those who fought and survived, in addition to the well-known Lafayette and Rochambeau, include François de Fleury, who won a Congressional Medal for valor, Louis Duportail, who founded the Army Corps of Engineers, and Admiral de Grasse, whose sea victory sealed the fate of Yorktown.

This illuminating narrative history vividly captures the outsize characters of our European brothers, their battlefield and diplomatic bonds and clashes with Americans, and the monumental role they played in America’s fight for independence and democracy.

“Intricately nuanced. . . . [Shachman’s] engrossing portraits of the various players on every side, from George Washington to Louis XVI, his ministers, and their English rivals, are rendered with insight and vividly brought to life.” -Charles Ruas, literary critic, translator of Foucault

“A terrific read, incredibly researched, vivid, persuasive, wonderful details and analysis-everything you want history to be.” —Constance Rosenblum, author of Gold Digger: The Outrageous Life and Times of Peggy Hopkins Joyce, and a former editor at the New York Times