A portrait of the 18th-century philosopher and political thinker whose work helped foment both the American and French Revolutions has just been signed by Rick Kot at Viking. Viking picked up the option of former editor—now agent/ author—Craig Nelson (whose last book, still in stores, was a WWII story, The First Heroes, about the first U.S. air raid on Tokyo). It was a six-figure deal signed with agent Stuart Krichevsky, with U.K. rights being handled by A.P. Watt in London and foreign rights through Andrew Nurnberg. Nelson will tell the dramatic story of a popular writer, once vastly influential, who eventually earned the enmity of the American, British and French people and died ignored and impoverished.