Both a rousing adventure story and a testament to the spirit of democracy, Ethan Allen is the landmark biography of a man whose temper and philosophy helped define a nation. William Sterne Randall gives us the first comprehensive portrait of Ethan Allen in decades, masterfully evoking the upward struggle from childhood poverty to commandment of the largest American military force on the eve of the Revolution. The result is an explosive biography of the frontier Founding Father, one whose influential writings and bold actions inspired a generation of followers including Paine, Jefferson, and Madison. [An] engrossing treatment from an accomplished biographer.-Philadelphia Enquirer Exhaustively researched and insightful.-Wall Street Journal Graceful, authoritative . . . a gripping story of guts and élan. . . . This balanced biography is equally adept in relating Allen's heroics, as in revealing his 'intrigues as a frontier politician.' -Dallas-Morning News