Description: "A biography of Andrâe Michaux, the most famous scientific explorer of North America before Lewis and Clark, who was conscripted by the revolutionary French government as a secret agent to organize American frontiersmen to attack Spanish-controlled New Orleans, seize control of Louisiana, and establish an independent republic in the American West. New evidence also implicates Thomas Jefferson in the plot. Patrick Spero sheds new light on politics, diplomacy, scientific exploration, and the air of uncertainty and opportunity in the early republic"--
Review Quotes: (T)he reading experience is an enjoyable one for those who appreciate a gripping and energetic early American frontier story, told with verve and style and featuring abundant well and lesser-known historical actors. The Scientist Turned Spy may not be the last word on the American exploits André Michaux and his circle, but it certainly whets one's appetite for more.--American Historical Review