Hero of Two Worlds
The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution
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4.6 • 91 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A #1 ABA INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BESTSELLER
From the bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes the "immensely compelling" (The New York Times) story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equality.
Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist.
As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830.
From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from, and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
Customer Reviews
Praise for “Hero of Two Worlds.”
I am in tears. Thank you, Mike Duncan, for sharing the life of a man who stands for me above all others. Your podcasts are my favorites because you bring history to life as the stories of men and women, the heroic, as well as the anti-heroic.
Great read for any history buff
Excellent book. Will drag a bit towards the end but only because the majority of the story is just so fascinating.
Solid history and a fun read
Mike Duncan brings the feel of his podcasts to a terrific biography of a fascinating historical figure.