BROADCASTS.com

b'No British General of the Revolutionary War has been written about more than John Burgoyne. That\\u2019s because of his surrender of his army at Saratoga, New York in 1777, widely seen as the turning point in the Revolutionary War. He is considered a reckless lout, and there\\u2019s plenty in his life story to support this characterization. He gambled heavily and possibly had to flee England as a young man to escape his debtors. His father-in-law eventually paid Burgoyne\\u2019s debts and got him another commission in the army, just in time for the 7 Years War. There he served admirably and became a war hero. But 300 years after his birth, the many lives of Burgyone -- dashing cavalry colonel of the Seven Years War, satirical London playwright, reformer Member of Parliament, gambler in the clubs on St James\\u2019s Street \\u2013 have been forgotten.

Today\\u2019s guest is Norman Poser, author of From the Battlefield to the Stage: The Many Lives of General John Burgyone. We look not only at the Saratoga campaign, but also elements of Burgoyne\\u2019s eventful life that have never been adequately explored. He was a socialite, welcome in London\\u2019s fashionable drawing rooms, a high-stakes gambler in its elite clubs, and a playwright whose social comedies were successfully performed on the London stage. Moreover, as a member of Parliament for thirty years, Burgoyne supported the rule of law, fought the corruption of the East India Company \\u2013 he was a sworn enemy of Clive of India whom he denounced with all his might \\u2013 and advocated religious tolerance.'