Authors of The Secret History of Dreaming and Ethan Allen

Connecticut Public Radio | By Faith Middleton

Published September 20, 2012 at 3:35 PM EDT

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/mackattack/FMS%2020120920.mp3

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. Our guest, 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.

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