General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762.

Burgoyne is best known for his role in the American War of Independence. During the Saratoga campaign he surrendered his army of 5,000 men to the American troops on October 17, 1777. Appointed to command a force designated to capture Albany and end the rebellion, Burgoyne advanced from Canada but soon found himself surrounded and outnumbered. He fought two battles at Saratoga, but was forced to open negotiations with Horatio Gates. Although he agreed to a convention, on 17 October 1777, which would allow his troops to return home, this was subsequently revoked and his men were made prisoners. Burgoyne faced criticism when he returned to Britain, and never held another active command.

Burgoyne was also an accomplished playwright known for his works such as The Maid of the Oaks and The Heiress, but his plays never reached the fame of his military career. He served as a member of the House of Commons of Parliament for a number of years, sitting for the seats of Midhurst and Preston. He is often referred to as Gentleman Johnny.

Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727 – April 10, 1806) was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga–Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg–and was blamed for the defeat at the Battle of Camden. Gates has been described as "one of the Revolution's most controversial military figures" because of his role in the Conway Cabal, which attempted to discredit and replace George Washington; the battle at Saratoga; and Gates's actions after his defeat at Camden.

Jack Bishop is an American celebrity chef and food author whose specialty is Italian cuisine. He is the editorial director of America's Test Kitchen on PBS.

Jack is a self-taught chef. He lives in Sag Harbor, New York with his food-writer wife, Lauren Chattman and their two daughters. Jack is a decade-long member of his local community farm.

In 1988, Jack Bishop started working at Cook's Magazine and collaborated on the launch of Cook's Illustrated in 1993. During his tenure with Cook's, he established tasting conventions later used at America's Test Kitchen. Jack edited The Best Recipe (1999), co-directed Cook's Country magazine in 2005, and became a cast member of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country TV on Public Television. Jack also regularly appears on Today (NBC).