Last Refuge of Scoundrels: A Revolutionary Novel - Hardcover

Lussier, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446523429 ISBN 13: 9780446523424

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2001

Synopsis

Early critical acclaim from Pulitzer Prize-winning scholars and best-selling authors Studs Terkel, Jonathan Kozol, Robert Coles, Howard Zinn, John Ferling and Winston Groom: "Last Refuge of Scoundrels" is the bottom-up story of the American Revolution brought to life vividly, compellingly, suggestively. It's a story that gives America its past in a manner worthy of comparison to Tolstoy's effort to understand and render history and does so in a manner that's rich, rambunctious, exploding with vitality and bubbling with wild humor. A delightfully irreverent look at the Revolution, it tells the story of John Lawrence a naive young merchant's son who finds love and his life's purpose in Deborah Simpson, a spy working in collusion with George Washington to lead An unsung army of ordinary Americans against the self-interested Founding Fathers as much as the bumbling Brits. "Last Refuge of Scoundrels" weaves meticulous research and fantastical fable into a poetic tale that's at once a rollicking romp, a haunting love story and a revisionist historical epic.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

The founding fathers of our country are lambasted in this strikingly raunchy account of the Revolutionary War. It seems America's revolution, led by such bumbling, incompetent idiots as John Hancock and Samuel Adams, would never have been possible without the brilliance of a street whore and her star-crossed lover. George Washington lies on his deathbed, terrified of having "lost himself" and being remembered not as George, but as the General. During his last few breaths, he is given a chance to redeem his spirit by recollecting the Revolution as it really was, through the eyes of an "angel," his former aide-de-camp, John Lawrence. John's recollections start in 1765, when this 14-year-old spoiled merchant's son ditches his tutors and roams the streets of Boston, eventually meeting one of John Hancock's whores, 16-year-old Deborah Simpson. The savvy Deborah sees through the hypocrisies of the founding fathers but believes in the truth of the cause. John spends the rest of his life following in Deborah's wake as she ignites the fires of revolution, fighting alongside men, spying for both sides and strategically planning everything from munitions storage to ambush attacks. John and Deborah are present at such historical scenes as the Boston Massacre, the battles at Lexington and Concord, and the Valley Forge horror. They both die unrecognized for their contributions. History, according to Lussier's debut novel, has done us a grand injustice by painting our independence from England as a war of ethics, led by morally upstanding citizens fed up with taxation without representation. Whether his intent is revisionist history or comic satire, Lussier, who formerly wrote for TV and now writes and produces movies for Warner Bros. Studios, certainly takes irreverence to new extremes. History scholars will take umbrage with Lussier's iconoclastic portraits, but general readers tired of present-day politics may find the novel an escapist fantasy.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a series of farcical events that are both truly funny and sufficiently founded in history..." -- Daily News, 2/23/01

"...an entertaining...blend of fact and fiction...writing is colorful...Lussier draws some unforgettable scenes..." -- USA Today, 2/22/01

"...rings with truth and great moments of sadness...heart and soul" -- Charleston Post and Courier, March 11, 2001

"...roars in as a brisk gale of reality...Lussier's version of history matches what we know about human nature." -- The Denver Post, April 8, 2001

"You'll never look at the founding fathers the same way again...brings the birth of our nation to life -- vividly." -- Glamour, February, 2001

"blends Tom Jones with Candide...effervescent bromide for the standard, self-congratulatory historical tome" -- Seattle Times, April 16, 2001

A delightful new slant on the American Revolution...a wonderful tale told with passion, humor and insight. Distinguish yourself by buying it now! -- WINSTON GROOM, author FORREST GUMP

A rich, rambunctious book, exploding with vitality [and] bubbling with wild humor. A dazzling novel... I loved it! -- JONATHAN KOZOL, author AMAZING GRACE

Delightfully irreverent! I can't remember when I've so enjoyed a historical novel...full of surprises, funny and bawdy, written with wonderful style. -- HOWARD ZINN, author A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

Marvelous...Lussier so movingly grasps the promise of American-grown democracy that his version stands for its own truth. -- New York Daily News, Sherryl Connelly, February 25, 2001

About this edition

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0446523429
• ISBN 13: 9780446523424
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320