4.5. An incredible man (family really) that embodied a life of sacrifice for the greater good. I loved it. Broke my heart in places. Must read if you’re going through the Founding Fathers

First part was amazing. Second half had some slow spots but overall an amazing book about a remarkable man who spent his entire life working to spread democracy and liberty.

Stunningly clear history. Wow. Both the American Revolution and French Revolution(s) make complete chronological sense told as background for the life of one of the world's most principled, honorable and gallant men and his wife who was every bit his equal on every level. Maybe best for in-between people. Meaning, it might not for experts or for people who hate history, but for the rest of us, it's incredible.

Very good book. Never knew how much Lafayette contributed to our American Revolution.

I have to say, I am so happy that I was gifted this biography. I went into it knowing nothing more about Lafayette than what little was written into the musical “Hamilton.” There were very few bland bits that get really detailed in terms of battles fought and political strategies employed. However, most of it was wonderfully written and incredibly fascinating. It is a very thorough look at his life that has made him my new favorite founding father. Lafayette deserves way more historical attention than I feel he has received (at least in my experience in the US public school system).

One of America’s founding fathers, the Marquis De Lafayette remains unknown to most Americans. A twenty year old aristocrat of French nobility volunteered his services to the American Revolution motivated by his deep rooted hatred for the British Empire and his admiration for the American General George Washington of the Continental Army. He disobeys the French Monarchy, flees France, spends his own private funds supporting the American cause, experiences rejection and ridicule from his American servicemen yet wins the respect of Washington for his sheer courage and dedication almost forming a father-son bond. Lafayette continues to serve without pay, surviving being wounded, Valley Forge and many battles eventually leading to the victory at Yorktown. His service to the United States continues Post war years leading the the French Revolution.

Fascinating. This was an incredible man with an amazing story
about whom we learn very little in American history.

What a fascinating man, one of the great heroes of mankind. If you’re interested in history, you should read this book. Lafayette is one of the most important figures in the history of our modern world.

Incredible read about an incredible man. If most people live 1/100th of the life Lafayette lived they would live what would be considered a fulfilling life. From Triumph to Tragedy Unger captures both lives of Lafayette. While I was familiar with his story in America this was the first real in depth read I have had on the French Revolution and will now seek more info on the era.

Walt Disney Animation Studios released 'Tangled' in 2010. A wonderful repackaging of the Rapunzel fairy tale, there is an iconic scene wherein the roguish Flynn Ryder declares "You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!"

The life of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette captures the spirit of that quote. Indeed (and by deeds) the last great knight - Lafayette was his chosen moniker throughout his life - lived a tremendous life without compare in the modern era.

An early captaincy of the Musketeers was awarded to him by 15. I always thought this was for his prowess as a warrior.

It was because, as a tall youth, he was decided to appear "most striking" when approaching the King on horseback to receive (null) orders for the day's agenda.

But Lafayette leaned into that cosmetic captaincy, and became the leader of men which the title had bequeathed him. By the measure of his life, he perhaps had the greatest most influence on the political landscape of Europe as Divine Right (Monarchy) began to fall out of favor as the sheer number of 'have nots' became a force to be reckoned with.

Knowing from grade school that Lafayette was instrumental to the American Revolutionary War, and being reminded by 'Hamilton' the degree to which his aide was instrumental to his "Dear General" George Washington, I was unprepared for the personal investment Lafayette made again, again, and again. Ranging the gamut from single-handedly (and quite by accident) foiling a French Royalist Plot to free the American Colonies from Britain only to claim them for herself, to outfitting his troops with boots and uniforms from his own purse, to the razor thin moments which turned a continental route into a victory: Lafayette was perhaps the luckiest warrior to have ever taken the field of battle.

His luck did not convey to his political endeavors. Lafayette ruled all France, at two separate times of his life, for a grand total of about one week. Time and time again he refused 'token leadership' from Constitutional Monarchs dismissive of the bicameral legislature, while also refusing genuine governorship of American territory and states at fear of infuriating the very same French rulers who caused him such consternation. Lafayette would be an integral figure in three revolutions during his lifetime, but none would share the success of his American compatriots.

Harlow Giles Unger offers a phenomenal interpretation of primary sources in his biography. He displays a symmetrical life (the 21 chapters are divided into two parts: 'The Best of Times' and 'The Worst of Times' reflecting his American and European efforts at pursuing personal liberties for citizens and installing a representative, democratic Republic). The most poignant quotes Unger shares, critiquing Lafayette's actions in France, are what will remain with me the longest.

"[Lafayette taught the French] the theory of revolution, not their theory of government- their cutting, not their sewing." - England's Lord Acton.

"The cutting - whether colonial war or regicide, whether declaration of independence or tennis court oath - is the easy part. The art is in the sewing." - historian Susan Dunn
___

Link to Flynn Ryder scene; spoiler for 'Tangled'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULGax...

Wow! Just finished a great read of the amazing life of the Marquis de Lafayette. At 19 the French aristocrat boy funded the ship that took him to America to participate in our Revolution. He became fast friends with Washington, and distinguished himself as a soldier and military leader. It is highly unlikely we would have prevailed against the British without the aid of France, secured in large measure to Lafayette's influence. He is a true Revolutionary War hero whose story deserves to be better known than it is. What's more amazing, though, is the life he led after the war back in France. While trying to spread the principles of liberty to his homeland, the character of the French Revolution took on a horrific and barbaric identity that thwarted his efforts, and ended up getting him thrown into the despicable conditions of a foreign dungeon, with the leaders of America unable to help. Here is where the remarkable character of his wife, Adrienne, enriches the story. Theirs was an arranged marriage, when he was 16 and she 14, not consummated until two years later. He left for America just after the birth of his firstborn, and you would think that this marriage would never last. Yet it blossomed to a remarkable degree. The sacrificial love that Adrienne showed by voluntarily moving in with him as a fellow prisoner at Olmütz is hard to fathom. She turns out to be a heroic figure in her own right, single-handedly working to restore their family fortune that was taken from them during the French Revolution. All in all this is a great book and a great read. There is political intrigue, secret plots and missions, engaging history, and the tale of a life of great personal integrity and steadfast principle. I loved it!

Hero of two revolutions and an often forgotten member of America’s founding generation, the life story of the Marquis de Lafayette is certainly one worth telling.

This book expertly lays out its subject’s exploits, beginning with his noble heritage in his home country of France. Born into a family lineage already well-respected for its furnishing of knights (his father died during the Battle of Minden, fought in 1759 during the Seven Years’ War), Lafayette voluntarily went to America as a nineteen-year-old major general at the outbreak of the thirteen colonies’ rebellion against Great Britain.

The circumstances under which he traveled to America would alone make for a harrowing tale. Since England was at peace with France for a change at the outbreak of the American Revolution, the fact that Lafayette and several fellow Frenchmen sought passage to help General George Washington’s efforts angered the governments of both European nations. He and his men were initially even turned away during a meeting of the Continental Congress; the delegates were turned off by past brushes with French troops’ haughtiness and expectations of being vaulted over Americans in command positions.

When coupled with the punishment he was bound to face from the French government, sailing back to France after being of no service would have been catastrophic.

So he was soon employed with the army, earning acclaim for bravery when wounded during fighting at the Battle of Brandywine. Although he butted heads with Generals John Sullivan and Charles Lee, Lafayette got along well for the most part with his fellow American commanders. He endured the winter at Valley Forge with his men, a trial that went a long way toward expelling any doubts troops might have harbored about his dedication to the cause of independence.

His service throughout the war--including earning the nickname Conqueror of Cornwallis thanks to his presence at the concluding Battle of Yorktown in 1781--was spurred by his support of America’s fight for liberty. Unger makes frequent references to Lafayette’s letters (many warm ones which were exchanged with general then president Washington, the man for whom he named his son George Washington Lafayette) where he states his fervent belief in the cause of democracy the colonies were ostensibly fighting for.

The second half of the book deals with the onset of the French Revolution and the manner in which it brought about Lafayette’s imprisonment and fall from grace in France. His efforts to meet the initial stages of unrest during a time of famine demonstrated an admirable selflessness and underscored how he, a man of noble birth, felt there was validity to complaints about the Ancien Régime. In an effort to break up the ferme générale’s power over the peasantry during a time of famine, Lafayette passed up a prime profit-making opportunity to provide sustenance to the hurting poor.

Lafayette is shown to be a conservative revolutionary, maintaining a friendship with King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette while subsequently serving as a Second Estate representative to the National Assembly. In effect, he sought to recreate the American Revolution in his home country across the Atlantic; this would be a French version whereby constitutional government would exist alongside monarchy.

But unlike the successful version taking root in the 1790s in the former colonies, Lafayette’s attempts to see democracy take root in France were frequently stymied. His frustrations with the extremes the revolution would go to were evident, as was his disgust with the barbaric tactics of marauding Parisian mobs.

The French Revolution’s worst years saw him imprisoned--largely at Olmütz in Austria from 1794-1797 following confinement in Prussian prisons--after being captured by the Austrian government while attempting to flee France. Having earned the enmity of the French mob for allegedly not pushing the revolution far enough, he was viewed with almost equal distaste by monarchs in the nations bordering France as a democratizing agent of destabilization. The years he spent behind bars were particularly frustrating due to America's unwillingness to help out; adherence to neutrality was prized over freeing a man to whom they owed much gratefulness.

The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte as military dictator left Lafayette dispirited about the ultimate course the revolution took. Following on the heels of Maximilien Robespierre's bloodthirsty Terror, Lafayette was left to wonder if France would have been better off never revolting in the first place.

Napoleon and Lafayette had little in common and never seemed to bond; Lafayette actually found himself relieved when the Bourbon dynasty was reinstalled on the throne following Napoleon's banishment to St. Helena. He continued to work hard for democracy in France, taking part in the 1830 July Revolution against King Charles X.

Lafayette remained popular in the United States, frequently referring to himself as an American citizen. He made a triumphal tour of America in 1824, feted in one major city after another and meeting with outgoing president President James Monroe (as well as the incoming John Quincy Adams and General Andrew Jackson, who had just lost a highly contested election to the former). His role as the Conqueror of Cornwallis and as an invaluable part of the American Revolution’s successful conclusion made him wildly popular in America throughout his lifetime.

The book does solid work humanizing Lafayette’s family. His wife, Marie de Adrienne, is shown to be a compassionate spouse who even shares his confinement in Austrian prison. Their children do not play a major role in the story line, but his dedication to them in extremely trying circumstances is evident. His humanitarian concern for ending slavery made for some awkward exchanges with Virginians George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but even these two men acknowledged the rightness of this abolitionist cause, at least in the long term, to their French comrade.

Harlow Giles Unger is an awesome historian, and Lafayette is an exceptionally strong book. Often overlooked in both America and France when it comes to the assistance provided to their revolutions, this book does a tremendous service by detailing just how much Lafayette actually did to make them happen.

Underlying much of the book is a melancholy over France's disastrous course largely offset by joy over how well America's own revolt against arbitrary power seemed to be turning out. The tension between these two parallel courses is laid out well by Unger, and those who read this work will have a strong understanding of the bond between these two countries represented by the Marquis de Lafayette, Conqueror of Cornwallis and Hero of Two Worlds.

-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado