Liberty - by Jordan Mechner (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Liberty! is a sweeping historical graphic novel by Jordan Mechner that dramatizes the true story of the covert French operation to aid the American Revolution, blending espionage, diplomacy, and revolutionary fervor.

1776. The American Revolution is on the brink of collapse before it can even get started. The colonies are outgunned, outmanned, and out of time. While Washington's ragged army faces the full might of the British Empire, a different kind of battle begins across the Atlantic. Silas Deane, a Connecticut merchant turned secret envoy, is dispatched by the Continental Congress on a mission that could decide the fate of the rebellion: secure weapons, gunpowder, and allies from the French. But Deane cannot succeed alone. He befriends the unlikely partner Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, a playwright, celebrity, political fixer, and a man whose charm is as dangerous as his ambition. Famous for writing The Barber of Seville, Beaumarchais turns his theatrical genius toward a far riskier production: a clandestine pipeline of French arms to the American rebels, hidden behind shell companies, forged manifests, and diplomatic sleight of hand.

Together, they navigate a treacherous world of spies, royal ministers, profiteers, and British agents determined to choke the Revolution before it can breathe.

Review Quotes

"A stunning new graphic novel commemorating America's Semiquincentennial is on the way for eager collectors and patriots alike!... Capture[s] the underrepresented and oftentimes thrilling nuances of what went into winning American Independence, focusing on the secret arms smugglers who helped make it happen." -- SCREENRANT

"A sweeping, historical graphic novel." -- COMIC BOOK CLUB LIVE

"Spies during the Revolutionary War? LFGO.... Jordan Mechner has spent decades chasing the same dream that inspired him to create Prince of Persia in 1989: telling cinematic adventure stories. .... Liberty is a new graphic novel from Jordan Mechner that might be a history buff dad's American Revolution dream gift. Liberty.... brings his research-meets-entertainment storyteller brain to the timely subject of America's fight for independence." -- POLYGON

"Whether readers know Jordan Mechner through Prince of Persia, The Last Express, or his recent graphic novel work, Liberty represents another ambitious chapter in a career defined by compelling stories about people confronting impossible odds." -- AiPT!

"The book looks beyond the familiar battlefield story of the Revolution to the spies, smugglers, secret agents and civilians who helped keep the rebellion alive when its future was anything but certain." -- MILITARY.COM

About the Author

Jordan Mechner is an American author, graphic novelist, game designer, and screenwriter, best known for creating the video game Prince of Persia. He developed the original 1989 game on an Apple II computer, rebooted the series for modern consoles with Ubisoft in 2003, and wrote the first screenplay for the 2010 Disney film adaptation, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Prince of Persia is considered an all-time classic, as well as the basis for a transmedia global franchise with over 25 million games sold to date.

Etienne Le Roux is a seasoned illustrator with a reputation for richly detailed, emotionally resonant artwork. He's contributed to numerous French bandes dessinées, including the war epic 14-18, where his ability to capture human vulnerability amid historical chaos earned critical praise. Le Roux's style blends realism with cinematic pacing, making him a natural fit for Liberty, where he brings 18th-century France and revolutionary America to life with dramatic flair and architectural precision