Hero of Two Worlds
The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution
Ratings12
Average rating4.3
15
The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution
Ratings12
Average rating4.3
From the massively popular podcaster and New York Times bestselling author comes the story of the Marquis de Lafayette's lifelong quest to protect the principles of democracy, told through the lens of the three revolutions he participated in: the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Revolution of 1830. Few in history can match the breadth and depth of the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought as one with righteous revolutionaries on both sides of the Atlantic. As an idealistic and courageous teenager serving in the American Revolution, he used his considerable wealth and savvy to help the Americans defeat the British. Then he returned home, and was a principle player in the French Revolution. And in his final act, at seventy years old, he was instrumental in the dramatic overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty during the Revolution of 1830. All the while, he never wavered from the principles he had written into the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789: That men are born and remain free and equal, deserving of liberty, property, safety, freedom of speech, and the ability to resist oppression. Through this age of upheaval, Lafayette remained unshakably committed to the principles he had outlined. From the time that he was an enthusiastic 19-year-old to the time he was a world-weary 74-year-old, his resolve never wavered. As the saying goes, if we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Today, the values codified and practiced by Lafayette are increasingly taken for granted. His life is thus the story of where we came from-and what we stand to lose if we abandon the ideals for which he fought.
Reviews with the most likes.
Amazing read. Learned much I never knew about his life after participating in the American Revolution and his role in the political changes in France for the next 50 years.
Quite a good biography of a political and military figure that was larger than life. Well researched and well written.
Lafayette was fearless champion of liberty, but not stupidly so. He always tried to do what he thought was right, and though he sometimes blundered, he stuck to his principles all his life. Given that he made many enemies over the years, including the French Kings and Napoleon, and that he was active in multiple revolutionary movements, it is a wonder that he survived to die in old age – still much beloved in both America and France.
Mike Duncan did quite a good job of narrating his own book.
4.5 stars rounded up.
Mike Duncan's a great disseminator of the most interesting parts of a historical story and how to put those parts together in a compelling way. His voice is also great for listening to, so after listening to his Rome stuff and the Revolutions podcast, listening to the audiobook for everyone's favorite fighting Frenchman (LAFAYETTE! I'mTakingThisHorseByTheReignsMakinRedCoatsRedderWithBloodStains!....sorry) was a no-brainer.
I didn't know much about Lafayette before this book, despite taking an entire course on the French Revolution and getting a B in it. Why, you ask? Because my professor and the textbooks I read were BORING, and so I've spent YEARS thinking the French revolution was a complete snoozefest. Duncan proves me wrong here, making every element of Lafayette's life very compelling. He was a complex man, involved in many important events on two continents, and Duncan paints a vivid picture of the man himself and the situations he found himself continously involved in.
Small note, the Netgalley copy of the audiobook I received (thanks, Netgalley + publisher!) cut off in the middle of the final chapter, which was very frustrating. So I have no idea how this book ends. But, that's not the fault of the book obviously, so it doesn't affect my rating or review.
Really amazing account of Lafayette's life! Duncan does a great job providing concise yet sufficient context for Lafayette's life too. Pre-revolutionary France, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the Napoleonic Wars, the Bourbon Restoration, and the July Revolution are all explained along with Lafayette's part in each.
I really wish Duncan gave more judgment on his life, though. Where did Lafayette go wrong? Where did he go right? What were the flaws in his day-to-day character that might've prevented him from reaching his goals? Duncan offers some reminiscence from Lafayette's contemporaries at the very end of the book, but I found it far from sufficient. In any case, a really delightful read about a fascinating character!
