A hero of American Independence, and the naively tragic patriarch of what would become the terror of the French Revolution, Lafayette is a man of liberty seeking character unmatched in the annuals of history.

What a story! This ultra rich French aristocrat comes to America at the age of 19 to help us win our independence. When he returns to France its nothing but chaos and brutal terror and murder with the guillotine. A national hero to prisoner and back again. What a life to live. Enjoy this book.

I don't know if I loved this man because of the book or if I loved the book because of the man. But I do believe that Unger did a fantastic job with the book.

In the preface of this book there was a very blunt comment basically stating that French still consider Lafayette a traitor and that if you read a French or an originally French account of Lafayette you are going to get this story of him. That just blew my mind, how could this great person this hero be a traitor. Well, ok I do see many things that Lafayette did not do well during the French revolution. But I also see that many would not want his story told, because the French in this time could not maintain peace, they could not stay out of violence.

This book isn't really long but I was greatly surprised at the detail that it went into. As for myself I really had only vague general knowledge of the French Revolution. It went into enough detail that I had good context as to what was going on, and what Lafayette's goals were.

I would completely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this hero.

I. CRIED. SO. HARD. AT THE END.

AND LAFAYETTE NEEDS A MUSICAL.

For anyone who likes biographies and/or Hamilton, 9/10 would recommend this book. My only issue was that the pacing at the very end seemed way off compared to the rest of the book.

Other than that? Truly amazing. Lafayette was an incredible person, and this book reflected him perfectly.

This biography dazzled me from beginning to end. The character that Unger paints of the Marquis de Lafeyette is one worthy of the utmost respect. He was selflessly dedicated to the cause of American liberty at his own expense and demonstrated a reckless bravery on the battlefield that earned him his commission of Major General at the age of 19. He was the darling of both America and France. His time in America was as wonderful a time as any person could hope to experience. That’s what made the second half of his life so difficult to process.

Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what kind of misinterpretation of liberty he had unleashed at home. The French populous bastardized his rights of man and mistook “liberty for license and the pursuit of happiness for plunder.” The dizzying turns of the French Revolution left few people alive in its wake. Lafayette was one of the lucky few who survived through it.

I didn’t know much about Lafeyette prior to reading this biography, but after reading it I have a newfound sense of gratitude to this amazing man. It’s no wonder Americans of his time referred to him as “our Marquis.”

LAFAYETTE by Unger is an amazingly interesting read, especially after a somewhat slow beginning. I often find that biographies are slow in the beginning as the author establishes the foundation but Lafayette quickly becomes almost a page turner, especially when he returns to France following the American Revolution. For one who did not know much about Lafayette, it was most informative , especially regarding his part in starting the French Revolution. His lack of discernment in the differing factors between the two countries was an impetus for unrest and discontent. He wanted the ideas of liberty, individual rights and constitutional government so badly for France, but failed to understand that France's background was so totally different from America's and their goals were not the same as America's. Up to the day of his death in his 70's he never betrayed his ideals or values.

This book on Lafayette and Chernow's book on Hamilton are extraordinary profiles of two man who made essential contributions to the founding of the US. Their accomplishments and the breathe of their activities / interests are unbelievable.

While Lafayette is undoubtedly an interesting figure who looms large over a tumultuous period of history in two countries, one must look elsewhere for an objective portrait of the man and his achievements. The author is entirely too enamoured of his subject to provide anything resembling an unbiased view - as he would have it, Lafayette was an unparalleled paragon of virtue, a heroic and courtly figure standing head any shoulders above any contemporary, deserving of endless praise, while any person who doesn't worship as unabashedly at the shrine of Lafayette as the author himself is described by heaping pejoratives on them.

A beautiful insight to the man and the times he lived in. I am inspired by his dedication to constitutional rule.

Great read, Lafayette is a true American hero. Incredible how this man embodied American patriotism when he was from France and a good percentage of Americans today take every opportunity to bash our great country.

If not for Lafayette there may not be a United States of America. Prior to reading this book all I really knew about the manwas what I learned in elementary school and that was not much. This book makes the reader understand why there is a monument to Lafayette outside the White House. Lafayette was one of the richest men in France where only the poor people paid taxes. However, he did not have the traditional aristocratic soul, he had a soul that saw the injustices of his society and wanted the world order to be different. The French entered the American Revolutionary war in retaliation for losing the 7 year war with Englad. Lafayette, born into a world on the brink of change, not content with the status quo, volunteered at 19 years old to go to war. He served in America until he was 24, adopting the country and George Washington. In addition to serving, he financed much of the war from his personal pocket. He brought his idealism for a representative government, and his optimism that things could change in France and Europe home with him. He was intimately involved in the French Revolution, not once but twice, becoming an enemy to monarchs across Europe and imprisoned for his participation. He lived a life of many ups and downs, from riches to rags, always consistent to his beliefs that democracy was the future. His family, French and adopted, were always by his side, his wife in particular. This book is a commitment to read but one well worth the time, effort and energy.

Unger delivers another packed biography in his assessment of Lafayette's role in two worlds. Focusing on his role in both of the major revolutions in the eighteenth century in the British colonies and the United States the author seeks to place Lafayette in the world. Lafayette is heralded as the great white knight who sprang from the old world to save the new world, only to not have a place in that new world. Overall this is a fascinating thesis on the changing values of liberalism particularly with regard to the French revolutions barbarity and extremism against symbols like Lafayette. The book focuses on a lot of details and uses a lot of historical documents. I do agree with other reviewers that there are some errors but overall they don't distract from his main thesis or points. What I found most bothersome and the reason for one star being taken off was that the biography was so pro Lafayette you would be led to believe that he single handedly won the revolution and started the French Revolution. Taken into context this book tells a great story and is useful for those looking for a quick narrative but its conclusions need to be taken in context of all the factors surrounding these complex events.