"In 1776 and 1777, while George Washington was fighting his first battles, a young revolutionary known only as John the Painter took the war to the enemy by committing acts of terror in England." "This is the first full-length biography of the brilliant but disturbed young Scot who attempted to burn down royal navy yards across England. His story offers chilling parallels to the present - and insights into why certain young men are driven to commit unspeakable crimes. Jessica Warner has written a book of history that reads like a picaresque novel, but always with a modern twist. Its hero travels to Paris and his mad scheme receives the blessing of the American envoy to France. King George III takes daily briefings from his ministers. The Bow Street Runners are sent out in pursuit. Newspapers print sensational stories. A bill to suspend habeas corpus is rushed through Parliament, and American privateers - the unlawful combatants of their day - are held without being charged." "In this tale of a young man who tried to bring down a superpower, Jessica Warner has crafted a book of popular history with something for every reader. Its cast of characters includes Thomas Jefferson, an addled king, a double agent, a jailhouse snitch, three landladies, and a young woman innocently tending her sheep."--BOOK JACKET.