Hero of Two Worlds

May 10, 2021
Podcaster Duncan (The Storm Before the Storm) casts the Marquis de Lafayette as a levelheaded reformer with a “restless yearning for glory and fame” in this comprehensive and accessible biography. Orphaned at a young age, Lafayette was only 19 when he crossed the Atlantic to volunteer in the American Revolution, where he was wounded in the Battle of Brandywine and commanded his friends Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens in the decisive Battle of Yorktown. After returning to France, Lafayette advocated for moderate reforms to “keep the flame of liberty burning just hot enough to melt the ancient chains of feudal despotism, without accidentally burning the whole kingdom down.” His support for a constitutional monarchy drew criticism from radicals and conservatives alike, and in 1792 Lafayette fled the country to escape execution, only to spend five years imprisoned in Austria and Prussia. Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1814, Lafayette was elected to the Chamber of Deputies and toured the U.S. as “a living legend—a pristine icon of the most glorious days of the Revolution.” During the July Revolution of 1830, he took command of the National Guard and endorsed Louis Philippe d’Orléans’s claim to the throne. Though short on analysis, Duncan marshals a wealth of information into a crisp and readable narrative. This sympathetic portrait illuminates the complexities of Lafayette and his revolutionary era. Agent: Rachel Vogel, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

July 1, 2021

Best-selling author (The Storm Before the Storm) and podcast host (The History of Rome) Duncan reintroduces a celebrated hero whose name may be common knowledge but whose life story is not. Using French and American archives, Duncan narrates the long career of the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) as he fell victim to changing times and political perceptions. This biography is especially powerful because it looks at the last third of Lafayette's career and moves beyond more well-publicized stories of the American and French Revolutions, to discuss activities in Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic European politics. Also of interest is Duncan's careful dissection of Lafayette's growing abolitionist sentiment, his role in debates over manumission after the American Revolution, and his fascination with "wild schemes" to set up French and American plantations to be staffed by newly freed Black tenants. His deep friendship with George Washington, love affairs, family ties, and late-in-life liaison with early feminist Fanny Wright are among the fascinating details that make this such an outstanding read. VERDICT A highly readable biography of a committed liberal activist caught up in the fickle political passions of revolutionary extremism, violence, and war. Like Duncan's previous work, this book is engaging and accessible.--Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 15, 2021
A new biography of the giant of both European and American history. The Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) did not fade away after the American Revolution. Instead, he loomed large on the world stage for decades after the war, and history podcaster Duncan does a fine job of filling out his subject's life. Among the richest men in France, Lafayette sailed to America in 1777 at age 19 to join the rebellion, seeking mostly adventure. Anxious to smite France's traditional enemy or simply find work, many Frenchmen did the same, but Lafayette didn't exaggerate his military experience and made no demands on George Washington, who was charmed. Lafayette became a trusted lieutenant who fought the British, lobbied French leaders to support the rebellion, and entered the pantheon of Revolutionary heroes. Duncan tells this story in the first third of the book. Only 24 when the British surrendered, Lafayette returned to France to participate in efforts to reform the crumbling French economy. As commander general of the National Guard, he was a leading figure early in the French Revolution. When the Terror began in 1792, he fled to Austrian territory to escape arrest but was treated as a dangerous revolutionary and imprisoned for five years. Although freed by Napoleon, Lafayette disapproved of the military leader's autocracy and retired from politics--until the monarchy's restoration in 1814, when he again became a voice for liberal ideals. He opposed the Bourbons' increasingly reactionary policies and supported the 1830 revolution that placed Louis-Philippe on the throne, but Lafayette found him a disappointment. Duncan displays impressive skill in keeping his Lafayette an admirable figure despite painful limitations. More energetic than intelligent, he was not ahead of his time. Popular histories extol his abolitionism, but this developed later; he had no objection to slavery while serving under Washington. His lack of personal ambition was unaccompanied by proficiency in France's cutthroat politics, so his influence never matched his popularity. An outstanding account of an almost impossibly eventful life.

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July 1, 2021
The Marquis de Lafayette is a supporting character in Pulitzer Prize-winner Ron Chernow's biographies of Washington and Hamilton, which inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, Hamilton. Now historian and popular history podcaster Duncan brings Lafayette to center stage in a carefully researched biography, showing the French nobleman's evolution from aristocrat to soldier for democracy and documenting his subject's bravery and occasional naivete. Lafayette aided Americans in the War of Independence, then tried to steer France from monarchy to a peaceful republic. Benjamin Franklin is usually given credit for France supporting America, while Lafayette seemingly beamed down to Washington's side. Duncan reveals that the actual events were more complex and more amazing. Diplomat Silas Deane recruited Lafayette, and spies, counter spies, and a royal decree almost kept him from reaching America. After American independence, Lafayette returned to France a hero, and he and his wife, Adrienne, became abolitionists. Duncan eloquently chronicles the couple's wild ride in revolutionary France, leading citizen militias, languishing in foreign prisons, and narrowly avoiding execution. Duncan offers solid historical research in a hip, humorous, and appealing voice.

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