Great Catholics were crucial to America's founding, but they were downgraded by most historians who never spoke their names. End of problem - thanks to an independent historian, Dan LeRoy, who gets right to the point. "The primary goal of this book: to gather together, in one place and for the first time, the significant contributions of Catholics to the American Revolution." The veteran writer-researcher does this in 12 chapters that flow like a screenplay and make his electrifying case: Catholics did something more remarkable than just support the patriot cause - they helped lead it.

LeRoy skillfully depicts the risks taken by each man, whom he calls a "group of Catholics who were among the greatest statesmen, thinkers, and military leaders of the day." He also answers two fundamental questions unaddressed by other historians: (1) What would the Revolution have been like without these Catholics? and (2) Why did they do it?

Here, at last, is a full chronicle of the Founding that does justice to the heroic "papists" whose lives were on the line, alongside the descendants of Puritans and other refugees. In some cases, George Washington himself knew them, admired them, advanced their careers, and ultimately thanked them - on behalf of a grateful nation.