Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution

by Mike Duncan

From the bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes the thrilling story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equality

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A #1 ABA INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BESTSELLER
 
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.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, American History, Audiobook, France, Politics

512 pages, Hardcover

First published August 24, 2021

About the author

Mike Duncan is one of the most popular history podcasters in the world. His award-winning series, The History of Rome, narrated the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and remains a beloved landmark in the history of podcasting. His ongoing series, Revolutions, explores the great political revolutions driving the course of modern history.

Duncan is author of Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution, forthcoming Aug 24, 2021. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lafayette himself is an interesting figure, but I didn't like Mike Duncan's style much and that took away from my enjoyment of the book. It's a thorough biography, and if you don't mind a dry and occasionally opinionated narration by the author, this might be fine to learn more about the Marquis.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Duncan's other book, The Storm before the Storm
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway, so yay for me

For the non-Pod Heads out there, Mike Duncan is a titan in the history podcast field. First with his The History of Rome podcast, one of the first history podcasts produced and an immensely influential one and then with his current running but soon to end (tear) series on political Revolutions . Both are fantastic series and I highly recommend you, my dear reader, check them out.

It is from the latter series that Hero of Two Worlds draws inspiration in the figure of the Marquis de Lafayette, a pivotal figure in not one, not two, but three significant political revolutions. Duncan chronicles Lafayette's life from his privileged, but tragic, childhood in rural France to the international mourning that followed his passing in 1834 and everything in between.

While I think it is clear Duncan admires Lafayette, this work is by no means a hagiography. On multiple occasions Lafayette screws up or is cripplingly naïve and Duncan does not soften or argue away these shortcomings. For instance Lafayette, a great lover of liberty, comes to the Americas with stars and idealism in his eyes. He effectively becomes the surrogate son of George Washington and befriends many of the key figures of the American revolution. But as anyone with a modicum of understanding of the time can tell you (much to the chagrin of anti-history nationalists) the blessings of liberty fought for did not extend to the population of enslaved Africans. Lafayette never directly or strongly confronts his American friends about the gap between the Revolutionary rhetoric and the real world results. While he would fund and support several abolitionist causes, when push came to shove Lafayette did not extend his neck for the liberty of the enslaved like he did for other causes.

What is interesting about Duncan's approach to this story is how much Lafayette dips in and out of the wider historical narrative. He'll spend time in America when important things are happening but also head back to France, taking the book's focus away from the American Revolutionary War to follow Lafayette. Likewise much of the more popularly know portions of the French Revolution (reign of terror, Napoleon's rise and fall) are only briefly mentioned and given a cursory explanation because when these events were occurring Lafayette was rotting (possibly literally for a while) away in a Prussian of Austrian prison and completely cut off form the outside world.

And that is fine by me. If I wanted to learn about the American or French Revolutions there are scads of books and other resources (like the Revolutions podcast :-P) I can reference. This is a book about Lafayette and I appreciated understanding that even great, influential figures in history can be sidelined and insulated from major world events.

But what a life Lafayette lived when he was not in jail: hero of the American revolution, head of the National Guard during the French Revolution, opponent of Napoleon's corrupt and absolutist turn, revolutionary conspirator during the restoration of the Bourbons, and the bestower of a republican kiss that ushered in a new French King (though a kiss he would later regret). He collected influential and notable friends by the dozens and kept up a correspondence with many of them through till the end. He was a staunch proponent of liberty in spite of a hostile European atmosphere to such ideals.

Duncan does an excellent job guiding the reader through all these momentous events and noteworthy figures, providing an easy to follow narrative augmented by primary source quotations to drive home important points and themes. The book read smooth while painting a nuanced and accessible view of this influential and oft overlooked hero of two worlds.

What stands out most to me about the life of Lafayette is just how little his political views changed over the course of his life. Deepened and fleshed out from his idealistic youth, certainly, but his bedrock belief in liberal ideals (free press, equality under the law, freedom of worship, popular governments to name a few core tenants) remained with him his entire life. Within the context of the French revolution he rapidly changed from being viewed as a radical liberal to a reactionary counter-revolutionary old guard in a span of a few years ("Like Saturn, the revolution devours its children) even as his fundamental beliefs remained unchanged. I can think of no better way to end this review than to borrow a quote at the end of the book:

He [Lafayette] is a tower amid the waters, his foundation is upon a rock, he moves not with the ebb and flow of the stream. The storm may gather, the waters may rise and even dash above his head, or they may subside at his feet... still he stands unmoved. We know his sight and his bearings, and with the fullest confidence we point to where he stood six and fifty years ago. He stands there now. The winds have swept him, the waves have dashed around him, the snows of winter lighted upon him, but still he is there.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life! An orphan inheriting a fortune. A young headstrong adventurer finding fame in a new country. A glory seeker turned enlightenment idealist. A stalwart of liberty who stands up to kings and emperors. A man who experienced the heights of fortune and fame and the depths of pennilessness and prison. Duncan gives us an engaging flowing account of Lafayette’s remarkable life, portraying him as a man of principle and action through thick and thin. Especially fascinating to me was learning about Lafayette’s deep involvement in French politics from the reign of Louis XVI through the French Revolution, Napoleon, the Restoration monarchs, and the 1830 July Revolution. Having been only familiar with his exploits in America, seeing what Lafayette meant to France gave me a whole new understanding of him. My notes follow.

Lafayette was born into a provincial noble family in 1757 in Chavaniac where he was free to romp in the woods and exercise his imagination. At 10 his father was killed in the war. His mother took him to Paris to her far wealthier family where he attended a school exposing him to enlightenment ideas. At 12 his mother died and he inherited a huge fortune. At 14 his guardians sent him to live with a very well-connected family in Versailles and secretly had him engaged to 12-year-old Adrienne who he married two years later. Unlike most French noble marriages based on status and wealth, Adrienne really loved Lafayette and he would come to love her. At Versailles his school focused on court etiquette and fitting into high society. He would dance with Marie Antoinette and party in her circle but he didn’t quite fit in. He got a commission in the army based on his noble status, but soon found himself out when army reforms removed such appointees. Deeply disappointed and idealistic Lafayette looked overseas.

In 1777 Lafayette sailed to America to take part in the revolution. His connections, status and wealth got him a commission as a major general reporting directly to George Washington. Washington and others saw it as an honorary appointment not one that would command troops. Lafayette saw it differently and in the battle of Brandywine he distinguished himself in the thick of the action rallying troops despite taking a musket round in the leg. Washington was impressed. Lafayette continued to make important friendships including Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens, son of the president of the Congress. Washington gave him command of some units under Nathaniel Greene and Lafayette again distinguished himself driving back the British in New Jersey impressing Greene. Washington and Lafayette grew ever closer. In 1778 France signed an alliance with the Americans and entered the war.

In February 1779 Lafayette returned to France. He reestablished his relationship with Louis XVI having left over the king’s objections. He received a commission in the French army. In March 1880 he returned to America in his position as a major general in the American army. A French expeditionary force followed but arrived with few men and supplies. The impulsive and glory seeking Lafayette wrote the French commander, Rochambeau, a letter proposing risky ill-conceived actions. Rochambeau told the 22-year-old Lafayette what he needed to hear. “Allow an old father, my dear marquis, to reply to you as a cherished son… I’m going to tell you a big secret from my forty years of experience. There are no troops more easily beaten [than] when they have lost confidence in their commander, and they lose their confidence immediately when they are exposed to danger through private and personal ambition…. Of all the nearly 15,000 killed or wounded under my command…I need not reproach myself that a single one was killed for my own personal advantage.”

In the spring of 1781 Cornwallis was headed to Virginia and Lafayette was given command of 1000 troops to capture Benedict Arnold who had been terrorizing Virginia. When Lafayette arrived, Cornwallis began chasing Lafayette determined to capture him. Lafayette, now in command played his hand exceedingly carefully heeding Rochambeau’s advice in sharp contrast to his prior exuberance. He let Cornwallis get close, then moved his troops farther back into the wilderness while using snipers and small units to harass Cornwallis. Eventually Cornwallis was overextended and headed back. Meanwhile a large French fleet with 20,000 soldiers and sailors arrived. Washington and Rochambeau marched down from the north with 7,000 more trapping Cornwallis with his 7,000 men. Lafayette commanded troops taking over the last British positions before Cornwallis finally surrendered ending the war. Lafayette returned to France a hero in both America and France.

In France, Lafayette absorbed more enlightenment ideas and embraced humanitarianism. He saw slavey as wrong and championed religious tolerance in France where Protestantism was banned. He suggested to Washington that he free his slaves and make them tenants, an idea he brought up later with Washington in person. In 1786 Louis XVI was near bankruptcy. In order to secure approval for new taxes the king convened an Assembly of Notables in 1787. One of the them was Lafayette. The Assembly wanted to see the king’s books which was denied. Lafayette and likeminded friends pushed for religious and prison reform. Most prisoners were incarcerated for small offenses. Lafayette angered Louis and Marie and he became persona non grata. The king dissolved the Assembly.

By 1788 the king was bankrupt. He called up the Estates-General. The first estate was the clergy, the second the nobles and the third everyone else which was 95% of the population. But each estate got only one vote. Lafayette was elected to the Estates-General and worked with the handful of other elected liberal nobles. In 1789 the Estates-General met and soon became deadlocked. Finally, the first estate joined the third and Louis had to give in. He sanctioned the body as a single National Assembly. Meanwhile, on top of the financial crisis, the third estate was experiencing an existential one, where to get food to eat and fuel to heat their homes. Two bad harvests in a row caused by terrible weather conditions left people desperate. Now they were assembling in the streets and ready to take matters in their own hands. Lafayette protested the king’s troop deployments around Versailles and Paris. Louis was angered and Lafayette feared arrest. He still worked with Jefferson and others to fashion a declaration of rights to serve as a preamble to a proposed constitution. Most of his proposed articles did get included in the final Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen promulgated by the Assembly.

On July 14 the Bastille was stormed and on July 15 Louis XVI appeared before the Assembly agreeing to all their demands. Lafayette accepted the command of the new citizen’s militia, the National Guard. He adopted what became the national colors, red, white, and blue, to identify his troops. Lafayette walked a tightrope trying to reign in the chaos enveloping the city. Too soft and he would fail. Too hard and the crowd would turn on him. In October, women unable to get bread, marched on Versailles. Lafayette’s men wanted to go with them. Lafayette said no, but found he was no longer in control and in personal danger. He gave in and marched the men to Versailles. In Versailles after exhaustive negotiations, he calmed the troops and women and talked Louis and Marie into relocating to Paris where he felt he could better protect them. Over the next nine months Lafayette was able to maintain order and his troops loyalty. However, he was continually attacked in leaflets and speeches by radical elements like Marat and Danton. On the right Mirabeau warned the king and queen of Lafayette’s power. Still, In July 1789 Lafayette was at his height of popularity shining at a huge festival on the anniversary of storming the Bastille.

In 1791 Lafayette’s stock plummeted with the public. In June Louis and Marie tried to escape from their palace in Paris. They were caught and forced to return. The public became suspicious of Lafayette who was responsible for keeping watch on them. Then in July the Guard fired into a crowd of demonstrators killing some. The left held Lafayette responsible. In August the National Assembly decided to wrap things up and approved a constitution. Lafayette resigned as commander of the Guard and took his family back to Chavaniac. The radicals pushed for war believing foreign countries plotted against the new France. In December Louis appointed Lafayette commander of an army of untrained undisciplined volunteers. In August 1792 the mob in Paris killed the king’s guards and sent Louis and Marie to prison. Lafayette tried to rally his troops to march on Paris to restore order but they refused. Danton signed an arrest warrant for Lafayette. Knowing he would surely be executed, Lafayette escaped to Austrian Netherlands.

The Austrians and Prussians saw Lafayette as an enabler of the revolution. He was arrested and sent to prison. He would serve five years including a year of solitary. He appealed to friends including George Washington but the US would not intervene on an official basis. Gouverneur Morris, now US ambassador, personally loaned money to support Lafayette’s family. Washington also personally sent money. In Paris Robespierre was in control. In 1793 all Lafayette’s property was confiscated. Lafayette’s son, George Washington Lafayette, was in danger. Adrienne sent him to America to live with George Washington. Adrienne was arrested and transferred to prison facing execution. Thanks to interventions by new US ambassador James Monroe and Morris, Adrienne was saved. Many of her friends and half of her family were executed. A coup took out Robespierre and Adrienne was freed in 1795 after fourteen months in prison. Monroe sent her money to buy back their home in Chavaniac. She went to Austria to plead for her husband’s freedom to no avail. At her request she and their two daughters were allowed to join him in prison, where they spent the next two years. Napoleon in 1797 leading a revitalized French Army into Austria got them freed.

Not allowed to return to France, Lafayette wanted to move to the U.S., but the XYZ affair made the American public hostile to France. Washington and Hamilton advised him not to come. Napoleon led a new government in 1799 and an old friend of Lafayette’s convinced Napoleon to let him return. Lafayette had to commit to staying out of politics and out of Paris. In meetings with Napoleon, Lafayette true to his principles discussed liberty, freedom and democracy angering Napoleon. The two had a tense relationship but Lafayette kept a low enough profile to avoid arrest. Jefferson offered Lafayette the job as governor of the recently purchased Louisiana. But Lafayette wouldn’t leave his home and Adrienne had never been well since her time with Lafayette in prison. Nearing her death Adrienne asked, “So, I have been a pleasant companion to you?” Lafayette replied “Indeed you have.” She said “Then bless me” and Lafayette blessed her. Adrienne died in 1807 only 48 years old. She had been an incredibly strong and loyal partner.

In 1814 Napoleon was exiled to Elba and Louis XVIII reinstated the monarchy with little reform. Then in 1815 Napoleon returned. Lafayette reentered politics and was elected to the new Chamber of Representatives becoming one of its four Vice Presidents. Lafayette still demanded more democratic reforms which went nowhere. But Napoleon soon lost at Waterloo and was exiled far away. Louis XVIII returned and doubled down on his efforts to assert full control and avenge the death of his brother Louis XVI. Lafayette was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1818, but he and his liberal cohorts achieved little. Lafayette busied himself with involvement in unrealistic conspiracies to overthrow the government. Fortunately, he was never arrested, but he lost hope for change.

In 1824 President Monroe sent Lafayette a letter informing him of a congressional resolution inviting him to America. Lafayette relished the opportunity. Arriving in August in New York, he was put in a huge parade to city hall where he was feted as “The Nation’s Guest.” Next was Boston where he was similarly honored in what became a pattern across the country over the next year. He visited every state meeting with many thousands of old and new friends, including John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and veterans from the war. An abolitionist, Lafayette made some uncomfortable, especially in the south. Lafayette met with blacks and Indians, while trying not to offend his white hosts. At the end he made it to the 50th anniversary celebration of Bunker Hill in Boston. Then was off to Washington to the White House to meet with president John Quincy Adams. He headed back to France in September 1825 taking along a bag of dirt from Bunker Hill.

Louis XVIII died and his brother Charles X now reigned. Charles and Lafayette went to school together and had a good personal relationship, but Charles did not accept any challenge to his authority. Lafayette was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1827 as tensions with Charles escalated. In 1830 Charles disbanded the Chamber, curtailed freedom of the press, and restricted voters to the wealthy. In 1830 the streets of Paris erupted in the July Revolution. Lafayette took command of a reconstituted National Guard and helped lead the revolutionaries to victory ending Charles’ reign. Lafayette could have replaced Charles, but he said no. Lafayette and other leaders agreed to accept the duc d’Orleans, who became king Louis Philippe I. Despite promises from the king there was little reform and Lafayette soon found his command of the Guard limited. Lafayette resigned but stayed in the Chamber of Deputies where he continued to fight for liberal reforms. In 1834 he caught a bad cold and subsequently died of natural causes. He was 77 years old. Two hundred thousand came out to see his coffin paraded through the streets of Paris. He was buried next to Adrienne, dirt brought back from Bunker Hill poured on top of his grave.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lafayette had one of the more impactful and interesting lives of any person. As a teenager, he fought in the American Revolution. When he returned to France he was instrumental in the French Revolution. His life was full of contradictions. He was an abolitionist, but also a close friend of the slave owners George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He fought for liberty and equality, while remaining loyal to French nobility. He was devoted to his wife and children, while having successive mistresses.

This book is excellent and does his life justice. I knew more about his life in America from reading about the American Revolution, but I haven’t read much French history. Fortunately, this book goes into that in detail. Lafayette remained true to his principles, but didn’t break with the kings and wound up being mistrusted by both sides of the French Revolution. The story of the time he spent in prison (where he was voluntarily joined by his wife and daughters) was compelling. He bounced back and forth from opposing the French government, to being a part of it, to being excluded from it. On the other hand, in America he was, and is, revered and made a triumphal tour of all 24 states in 1825.

The audiobook is read by the author. He does a better job of narrating than most author’s do. I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, before any praises or quibbles or bickers or lauds: Wow wow wow what a life.

Prior to reading this, I had only known about Lafayette from the cameo appearances he made in books about the American Revolution. He was always something of a Melchizedek, a man seemingly without origin or end, appearing from nowhere and disappearing from the story just as suddenly. I had no idea what he did with the rest of his life. Well, now I know. And the answer is a lot.

I won't spoil it. If you aren't familiar with Lafayette, it's better to read this blind because it's one of those stories where you think, "There's no way this could be fiction because no one would make this up—it would seem too unbelievable."

I was also unfamiliar with Duncan. All I knew was that he was a podcaster. Unsurprisingly, he writes in a very conversational manner. He's casual without ever being schelppy. Just relaxed, informal, fun. He uses witticisms and puns and turns of phrase, each one tinctured with a touch of humor. It all really lets his personality shine through.

The structure he uses falls squarely into a category I call Then This Books—this happened, then this happened, and then this happened. It's a fine formula. It's orderly and the plot unfolds with an inherent logic. The danger it runs is that it lacks the elevation changes which allow us to see things from different perspectives along the way, giving the subject true dimension. I rather felt like a spectator on a conveyor belt being carried through time, observing Lafayette through the glass. There was always a distance. I never felt the pulse of his life—the blood-pumping thrill of victory or the soul-stealing grip of tragedy. It's clear he was driven and ambitious and principled, but why? He was worshipped as a god by some and despised as a devil by others. But why?

As a practical matter, I think this could have been achieved by including more excerpts from his writings and letters, more anecdotes, and more pauses in the storyline to offer some analysis of each moment rather than continually chugging along to the next scene.

Perhaps Detective Poirot says it best. In one of Agatha Christie's mysteries, he is asked if he knows the name of the man lying dead on the floor. "It is not important who he is but who he is," he replies.

This book relates who Lafayette was—where he came from, what he did, and the central role he played in forming the character of not one but two modern nations. It's a stunning story, told in entertaining fashion, and the scenes are spectacular. For that type of book, stop your search. This is it. But as a biography, in the sense of being a true character study—of exploring who he really was—it is found wanting.

Nonetheless, recommended read. This was a good'un.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Duncan could make the phone book an interesting read, so given a topic as fascinating as the Lancelot of the Revolutionary Set, it was impossible to put this down at times. Many many thanks to Hachette for the ARC!

I'm coming back to revise my review a bit; it was written in haste, and now that it seems people are actually seeing my review, I want to stress this one point: if your only opinion of Lafayette is based on anything related "Hamilton," please do yourself the favor of reading this. Lafayette was so much more than a costar in the American Revolution, and I actually feel kind of bad for referencing the play in my initial review. It doesn't pay him or his legacy proper tribute. This telling of his life story held my attention all the way through, and I'll be honest, I was crying as I read the last pages. Even if you're not a big history/biography reader (like me), this is absolutely worth your time.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owe thanks to Mike Duncan for not only clarifying the life of Gilbert du Motier, The Marquis de la Layfayette, but also improving my understanding of the French Revolution. The book is a good read throughout and in some places I couldn’t put it down.

Duncan shows you a teenager inspired by visions of battle and glory and the readings of Cicero. Lafayette is not just any teenager. Being among the wealthiest people in France he can hobnob with royalty, but among them and other aristocrats he is a country bumpkin. He doesn’t gossip and can’t dance very well. Duncan shows you how getting to the new world to fulfill his dreams was an ordeal in and of itself.

In the new world you see Lafayette meeting “low born” people who can do and accomplish great things. This shapes his thinking as he develops a political philosophy based on the ideals of human rights and democracy.

While his military career is littered with losses as well as some wins, he becomes symbolic of the debt the new nation owes to France and he is universally celebrated.

When Lafayette returns to France its own revolution is brewing. Here, Duncan has gave me the best play by play description I have read of the French Revolution’s events that begin with the 1787 Estates General. From his text you can envision the events.

(There is one exception and that is the 1789 march of thousands of women from Paris to Versailles in 1789 – I cannot envision how 1000s of women walked this distance. None of these women have names. Did they bring their kids? Did the stop and rest? Sing? Have leaders? Are there no descriptive records of this?)

Duncan explains the parliamentary moves and shows how the Third Estate grew its power and wielded it. You see steps taken (with Lafayette as instrumental) in getting a reluctant royal family to accept something like a constitutional monarchy. Duncan shows Louis XVI coached by Lafayette sporting symbols of the new government and Lafayette not seeing that Louis and his wife were never going to buy into the new way. You see how the royal family’s flight emboldened the anti-royal and anti-aristocratic Reign of Terror and triggered the demise of Lafayette’s influence in France.

As he flees and is captured you see a more human and the physically strong side of Lafeyette. By this time, Duncan has guided you to understand why those who might help him more were reluctant to use all their political levers. A few helped to make his captivity (somewhat) bearable and George Washington harbored his son at Mount Vernon. Duncan shows how his long suffering wife, Adrienne du Noaillies joined him while pulling outside strings. I did not know before how this imprisonment ended… couldn’t put this down til I knew… and was rewarded by surprise.

The return to France was negotiated with Lafayette agreeing to not become involved in politics (he remains a well connected threat to all the players). You see him navigate openings with the changing scene. If you are confused or just what to know how it happened with the subsequent reigns of the Bourbon’s (the two reigns of Napoleon, the two reigns of Louis XIII (and the missing Louis XII and the 100 day Napoleon gap) to Charles X- Count of Artois) this is the book for you.

There are no maps or pictures… but the internet is there if you want it. I only used the index to get some spellings. (i.e. I did not have to consult it to refresh my memory for reintroduction of minor, but, previously mentioned characters.)

I highly recommend this “two-fer”. You get a worthy biography and an engrossing account of the French Revolution.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://wp.me/p4dW55-1f7

Mike Duncan’s “Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution” is the most popular biography of Lafayette and a New York Times bestseller. Duncan is a popular history podcaster whose award-winning series “The History of Rome” ran from 2007 to 2013. His related book “The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic” was published in 2017.

The Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) is a familiar, but not well-known, historical figure to many Americans. Born into “second-class” nobility, Lafayette’s life was expected to be one of ease. But a strong drive to prove himself led the orphaned teen to America where he became a valuable member of George Washington’s Revolutionary War staff. Later, as an inspirational figure in France’s own revolution, he became known as the “Hero of Two Worlds.”

With a 436-page narrative that exudes an almost casual aura, readers will find Duncan’s biography uncommonly coherent and accessible. And despite the complexity of Lafayette’s times and travels, it is consistently comprehensible and engaging.

Anyone who has observed Lafayette through the lens of the Revolutionary War appreciates how consequential his early years in America were. But Lafayette’s life in France – during its decades of political upheaval and revolution – was no less significant. And Duncan adeptly treats readers to a bird’s-eye view of these two events from Lafayette��s perspective…if not quite through his own eyes.

This biography is organized into three sections of roughly equal length. The first covers Lafayette’s childhood and his participation in the American Revolution (when he was just in his early twenties). Next, the narrative follows Lafayette for a decade through the French Revolution and into Austria as a prisoner-of-state. The book’s final section reveals his role in post-revolutionary France, observing the peak of his popularity as well as his precipitous fall from grace.

There is much to enjoy in this biography of Lafayette and even readers unfamiliar with the French Revolution will appreciate most of this literary journey. The circumstances of Lafayette’s birth, social status and childhood are particularly well explained. And Duncan’s review of Lafayette’s actions from Brandywine to Yorktown are fascinating. But the chapter covering his triumphant return to American soil after four decades in Europe may be the most interesting.

But Duncan’s writing style occasionally feels too nonchalant and although the book’s length is entirely reasonable, Lafayette’s life was so eventful that the pace sometimes seems a bit rushed. And his intriguing relationships with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are not fully exposed. Finally, readers hoping this book will serve as a comprehensive primer on the American or French revolutions will find the view somewhat more limited.

Overall, however, Mike Duncan’s “Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution” is a wonderfully enjoyable excursion through the life of a remarkable and under-appreciated historical figure.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

[Dee Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible sale 17 hours 20 min. Narrated by Mike Duncan (C)
Part One
What an amazing life! This book gives an unbiased look at the life of the Marquis de Lafayette, who had far more influence on the American War for independence than I had ever thought. Just eighteen and one of the richest men in Paris, Lafayette caught the spirit of liberty coming from the colonies in America and decided that he would buy and outfit a ship and take a few like-minded friends to offer assistance to the army headed by Genernal Washington. Of course, the direct command from King Louis IV of France forbidding his trip and the disapproval of his new father-in-law and benefactor only pushed this young rebel harder. Lafayette left behind his worried young wife and daughter. Despite the language barrier and lack of military experience, Lafayette's ebullient spirit spoke for itself. He was ready to see action. He soon became friends with John Lawrence and Alexander Hamilton, who both spoke French and were similar in age. Although young Lafayette was involved more and more directly throughout the years of the war, it was his glowing, persistent letters to the King that influenced Louis to give financial aid and military assistance especially after the defeat of British army at Saratoga.

Part Two - The Real Story (Lafayette and his dedicated, loving wife and family in France)
Lafayette returned to Paris as a conquering hero and even gained the King's forgiveness. If that were all Lafayette did in his life, it would make for an adventure storybook ,but Lafayette brought home the fever of liberty and equality, France was going to feel his zeal through the rest of his 77 years of life. I wish I read this book years ago when I could still see to read.

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. This was perhaps the most enjoyable book I have read so far this year. This biography of General Lafayette reads like an incredible and riveting adventure novel. Excellent writing. The author vividly describes the images, issues, passions, and dramatic events of the age of revolution, and Lafayette's role in the center of it all. The action packed narrative transports the reader from the American War for Independence to the French Revolution and the tumultuous decades roiling Europe that followed. The author effectively conveys a sense of Lafayette as a man of focused, unwavering and honorable character, during his triumphs and throughout his long suffering lows. In the words of the last chapter, Lafayette's life "was the story of a lifelong commitment to the simple principles of liberty he picked up in America as a teenager, and still defended as an old man in France." The fact that he survived the guillotine and the years of political intrigue and violence that repeatedly swept France to live into his mid seventies is something of a miracle. I have finished this remarkable biography feeling informed, entertained, and inspired. Highest recommendation.

[James Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

i bonded more with the marquis de lafayette than i have with my family, 5/5

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero of Two Worlds is the felicitous marriage of a talented author and a fascinating life. Duncan does a great job of both telling Lafayette's amazing story and describing the overall historical period in sufficient detail to provide the necessary context. I have read many highly acclaimed novels that were far less interesting and not nearly as well written.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second biography on Lafayette, and definitely my favorite of the two I've read.

Structure/Formatting 4.5/5
I love a chronological history book, and the structure and flow of this worked very well for me. One thing I was sad about was the lack of photos! I love seeing what photos are chosen to be included in books (and which artist's depictions), but this gave me none of that.

Thoroughness of Research 4.5/5
I would have loved a new record set or new deep-dive into an old record set, but otherwise this was very well researched and used a lot of primary sources. I also have some new history books to check out to learn more about the period.

Storytelling 5/5
This was such a great, easy read. Even for the parts where I knew what was going to happen next, I needed to keep reading to find out.

Enjoyment 5/5
This was such a fun one. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about "America's favorite fighting Frenchman."

Prior Knowledge Needed 4/5
I am fairly well read on the American Revolution at this point, but my knowledge on the French Revolution is fairly minimal. This book did a fantastic job of breaking down the pieces of the war relevant to Lafayette in a way that, while I may still not understand the whole war, I understood his role in it. If you've seen Hamilton, you probably know enough of the American Revolution to understand the pieces mentioned in that section of the book. :-)

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nearly four months I spent reading this should not be taken as commentary on the quality of the book, but rather just how difficult I find it to read in print anymore. This was a pleasure to read and I strongly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the author's podcasting, the revolutionary war or french revolution, or dads. We can just say dads.

[Zaphirenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Duncan's books are the definition of history made fun. In this very interesting book, we follow the life and adventures of the marquis de Lafayette, one of the most emblematic personalities in the era of the major liberal revolutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Bonus points for listening to the author reading the book - just like Revolutions.

[Ozymandias · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many books about the Marquis de Lafayette. He has been a popular subject of American biographers almost since his death. The man was a national hero, a beloved icon of the Revolutionary generation. And best of all, he was one who didn’t have to be there – a foreigner who tied his flag to the American colonies solely to further the cause of liberty. But perhaps because people found him so appealing he’s always seemed a bit of an enigma to me. The natural desire to remove all a hero’s faults (think Washington and his mythic cherry tree) leaves nothing but an empty font of virtuous deeds. Whitewashing leaves one colorless. Which is why I was so excited when I heard Mike Duncan was writing a biography on the dear Marquis. And one written in Paris making full use of the archives there.

That last point is important because it emphasizes a key strength here that proved to be a failing in every biography I’ve seen: it focuses on Lafayette’s whole life and not just the few formative years he spent in America. The man had a long and fascinating career in his native France, but all we ever hear about is his time serving with Washington. I understand the reasons for it – Lafayette’s a clear hero in America, but really a bit player in France. And a controversial one at that who left enemies on all sides as he tried to chart a middle way. That plus the complexity and confusion of the French Revolution means it’s much simpler for a biographer to just focus on his period as an unambiguous hero. But Duncan has of course already unraveled the French Revolution as part of his Revolutions podcast. He understands the broader context and how Lafayette fit into it. And more importantly he understands just how important the revolution was to Lafayette’s life.

Duncan is exceptionally good at detailing motives and shifting opinions in a way that seems founded in fact and not pop psychology. He has a keen instinct for what Lafayette cared about and when he doesn’t have the evidence to know for sure he doesn’t just guess. Lafayette’s privileged upbringing is portrayed here much as he must have seen it: as a gilded cage trapping him in a setting where he would never fit in. He may have been rich, but that had come as a surprise to his minders who kept having to increase the privilege of his schooling to match. The country son of a soldier, he was suddenly thrust into the upper reaches with no real training. One can easily understand how someone with modest military ambitions would resent being pushed towards a life at court where his rustic manners and awkwardness would be endlessly mocked. You can also understand why he’d jump at the chance to join in a revolution overseas, even aside from all that liberty and justice.

Which brings up another point Duncan does very well – trace the evolution of Lafayette’s liberal ideals. The Young Marquis’s understanding of what liberty meant was naturally very simplistic at first. He had an ideal with no real practical sense of how to achieve it. When he said he was there to learn not to teach that was what he meant. But when it solidified over time it became the rock that would define his career. And I found it pretty astounding both how early in his life this occurred and how seriously he took it. His political ideals didn’t really change in fifty years, which suggests a pretty dogged determination as well as perhaps a certain lack of imagination. At a minimum the man was stunningly naïve in some things and tried to play the role of Washington without realizing that, in politics even more than war, compromise and coalitions are necessary.

But what really impressed me was the utter seriousness with which he took his convictions. Once Lafayette defined a principle he followed it through to the bitter end. Many of the Founding Fathers had moral objections to slavery, but when it came down to actual actions they quailed. Slavery was an evil but one they couldn’t purge without losing their wealth and power, and that they’d never do. Alone among the leading Revolutionary War generals Lafayette actually put into action a plan to bring an end to slavery. We might consider it a relatively modest one but it was practical – he bought a plantation complete with slaves with the express purpose of freeing them to show by example that freed blacks made better workers than enslaved ones. The tragic disrupting of this plan (technically a cruel commentator could point out they were freed only when he lost ownership and his first act on regaining them was to sell them) was hardly his fault and the fact that he tried at all is astounding. As was his effort to promote the cause of abolition wherever he could. Once the man discovered a principle he never let it go. It was never Lafayette’s brilliance or intellect that drove his success but his sheer dogged determination. Which was probably why he peaked so young.

Speaking of peaking young, his revolutionary career in France is explored in an immensely satisfying way. I’ve read quite a bit on the French Revolution and I know how hard it is to know what’s going on if you lack the background on it. But the book always explains exactly what it needs to and passes over all that is superfluous to Lafayette’s life. It always seemed odd to me that a man of his principles would be entirely absent during the key early moments of the revolution, but the compromises he found himself making to assume such a role in his homeland seem an early example of how he struggled to adapt Washingtonian virtue to a more fluid situation. There was an air of naivete about Lafayette that ultimately limited his rise.

While understanding the overall flow of the Revolution isn’t necessary, for those who are familiar with it there is a lot that is clarified by following an individual life amidst the storm. The Declaration of the Rights of Man for example has often been criticized for being an aspiration rather than a law, as the American Bill of Rights was. But Duncan explains this by locating it in time – Lafayette expected martyrdom at any moment. The king was sure to call in the army and forcibly close the National Assembly. Imprisonment was not unlikely. He wanted a clear statement of ideals so that future revolutionaries would know what they stood for when they tried to pick up the pieces. Seen in that light it’s not surprising the document lacked legal force. It’s closer to the Declaration of Independence in that sense. One thing I did miss though was Lafayette’s views on the whole active/passive citizen divide. I got the impression from this that (contrary to what I thought) he was not pleased with this, but it was never really stated definitively. Another interesting fact I didn’t know: Noailles, who stood up in the National Assembly to propose the complete abolishment of noble privilege, was Lafayette’s oldest friend and brother-in-law. No reason to mention that unless your book is about Lafayette.

It was good to see that the book dedicated as much time to Lafayette’s third and final act as the first two. This was the section I knew little about, for if most biographies rush through his time in the French Revolution they positively leap through everything after, and it proved to be far more interesting than I expected. Napoleon considered him a rival of sorts! The lone unrepentant and uncompromising revolutionary in France. Admittedly Napoleon saw this as something of a joke, but if a man is judged by his enemies Lafayette chose well. He even played an important role in Napoleon’s Hundred Days by forcing the emperor to resign a second time. Even the restoration of the Bourbons wasn’t enough to dampen his enthusiasm for revolution. He immediately got himself elected to the assembly and tried to push through a liberal agenda. But after years of waiting and plotting with carbonari groups he finally got to play the starring role in the Revolution of 1830. The result was not all that he could have hoped for. His naivete was on full display when he chose Louis-Philippe as the next King of France without securing his terms in writing. And then offering his resignation to apply pressure. To the end he believed selfless displays of virtue could sway men to display virtue of their own. Which… wasn’t exactly what usually happened. At the end of his life (which came not long after) he was unquestionably the elder statesman of the revolutionary movement – one of the few leaders to survive and possibly the only one to come through with ideals intact. He really deserves to be better remembered in France, particularly when everyone knows those snakes Robespierre and Danton.

So I liked this. Not sure what more there is to say. The understanding of who Lafayette was is first rate, as is the general understanding of the period he lived through. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as someone’s introduction to the period since there’s much you’ll miss out, but if you read it unprepared you won’t be at a loss either. And that’s tough to manage with a period as fastmoving and complicated as this one. The writing is generally excellent. I hadn’t planned to read this right away but I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up (be warned). The essential argument of the book, exemplified by the Hero of Two Worlds title, is that Lafayette’s career can’t be understood without looking at his career as a whole. I consider that proved quite effectively.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and interesting especially for someone who while quite interested in the period under consideration here never really read that much about the Marquis per se.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m quite astounded that I knew so little about this giant of the American Revolution prior to reading this well-told, well-researched, fascinating, and balanced of this tale of the heroic if flawed man.

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Duncan's Hero of Two Worlds recounts the eventful life of the Marquis de Lafayette, the soldier and revolutionary who provided an important link between the two greatest revolutions of the 18th Century: American and French. Historian-podcaster Duncan has covered this ground in great depth in his Revolutions series and distills much of his research into a fast-moving, highly-readable narrative biography. A minor French noble whose military career appeared stillborn, the 19 year old Lafayette alighted to the American colonies as they declared independence from England, playing a major role as an aide to George Washington, occasional field commander and unofficial emissary between the American patriots and French government. Lafayette adopted the Revolution's ideals as his own and attempted to reform the Bourbon monarchy into a constitutional monarchy; initially a leader in the French Revolution, his own fraught role as military and political commander led to his ouster, exile and arrest. Lafayette lived to old age, watching the United States evolve into a powerful (if decidedly imperfect) Republic and his homeland convulsed by war, restoration and revolution that never quite attained his goal. Duncan's book dramatizes Lafayette's adventures with flair and brio; his admiration for his subject tends to overshadow his accounts of Lafayette's failures and miscalculations, particularly the Champ de Mars Massacre, his double-dealing with Napoleon and his undoubtedly naive position as a "moderate" Revolutionary in the age of Danton and Robespierre. Still, it's hard not to come away from the book appreciating Lafayette's brash courage and honest idealism, an improbable hero worthy of the pulpiest adventure fiction. An engaging biography of a man both of and ahead of his time.

[J.L. Littke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been anxiously awaiting this book ever since I finished Duncan’s Revolutions podcast season on The French Revolution! While listening to that podcast I kept finding myself saying ‘I wish someone would write a really good book about Lafayette. Mike Duncan would do a great job!’ Only to find he was in Paris researching and doing just that!

Before this book I don’t remember much being said about Lafayette and his massive contributions to the American Revolution during my school years. Perhaps another reason to go back and listen to Duncan’s podcast season on the topic.

Lafayette was an incredible man and so was his journey. Seeing the humble beginnings of a boy who lost so much at such a young age to the full fledged man of honor defending the rights of many. To think he was a teenager when he eagerly signed up to travel across the world and fight in a war that had nothing to do with him, only to preserve and solidify the rights of everyone having freedom and Liberty is incredible.

Duncan did an astounding job of chronicling the larger than life accounts of The Marquis De Lafayette. His attention to detail and research poured into this novel has not gone unnoticed. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn more about not only American History but French and world History.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While on one of my 5 1/2 mile walks the other day the music from the Broadway show “Hamilton” reverberated in my ear buds. After having taught a course trying to discern the historical accuracy of the musical with numerous references to the Marquis de Lafayette I decided to digest Mike Duncan’s latest work, HERO OF TWO WORLDS: THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE IN THE AGES OF REVOLUTION. Since 2013 Duncan has recorded about 150 hours for his podcast Revolutions, a chronological blow by blow account of ten historical revolutions between the 17th and early 20th centuries and in his new book he expands upon three seasons of his podcast. In terms of historical depth and important insights I found Duncan’s work satisfying and at times insightful. If one compares Lafayette’s character in the musical to his actual life, apart from artistic license there is an acceptable degree of accuracy in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work if one delves into the lyrics surrounding the American Revolution. However, Lafayette’s life story is more than his key role in the American Revolution and his relationship with George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Laurens as he was a focal part in the Age of Revolution that encompassed the latter part of the 18th century and the first third of the 19th.

It is an understatement to say that Lafayette lived a remarkable life. In Duncan’s somewhat hagiographic approach to biography the hero of the American Revolution is presented in a mostly positive lens, sprinkled in with a few errors and foibles that Lafayette succumbed to. The key to understanding the time period in which Lafayette lived is to familiarize the reader with the socio-economic and political structure of pre-revolutionary France. Duncan avails himself of every opportunity to explain the three estate structure of the French political system highlighted by the fact that the first two estates which made up most of the wealth of the French kingdom could not be taxed. Instead of the nobles carrying their fair share of the tax burden, the monarchy relied upon taxing the third estate made up of laborer’s, peasants, educators, and the petit bourgeoisie to make up the budget shortfall as the monarchy edged toward bankruptcy. However, before Duncan turns to events in France he explores Lafayette’s early years that culminated in a major-generalship in the Continental Army under General Washington by age 24.

Duncan is very perceptive in his approach to Lafayette’s upbringing and educational training. He was left fatherless as his father was killed in battle in 1759. By 1770 his mother had passed, and Lafayette inherited a great deal of wealth as a member of the lower nobility. The key for the then teenager was his marriage into the de Noailles family where his father-in-law turned his education away from the countryside and book learning to a military career and the life of a privileged nobleman. Lafayette rejected this career plan and based on his diaries and his letters to his wife Adrienne which Duncan integrates throughout the narrative vowed to make a name for himself and pursue what he believed should become a just society.

Duncan argues that the summer of 1775 was the turning point for Lafayette as he seemed to latch on to the ideas of “liberty, equality, and the rights of man” probably developed while he was exposed to Freemasonry and his Masonic brethren. After learning about the Battles of Lexington and Concord across the Atlantic he secured a position on a list of French officers who were sent to the English colonies to assist the revolutionaries as a means of revenge for the Treaty of Paris of 1763 which resulted in defeat for France at the end of the Seven Years War by the British. Duncan does an admirable job explaining the French characters that were key to aiding the revolutionaries, men like the French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes and Pierre Beaumarchais, an arms trader and financier who helped finance and supply weapons and other materials that fueled French assistance.

Perhaps the most interesting relationship that Duncan develops is between Washington and Lafayette. At first the Colonial commander was not impressed with Lafayette seeing him as another privileged French general who strutted around and knew little about military tactics and commanding men. However, after the Battle of Brandywine in 1777 Lafayette proved himself in battle with his ability to improvise his command and his remarkable bravery which at times bordered on personal recklessness. Soon Washington would become a surrogate father for the newly minted French general and he a “son” to his commander.

Duncan reviews the most important aspects of the American Revolution, the political and military factions it spawned, and the most important characters involved. Written in a workman like manner there is little that is new here as the author rehashes Lafayette’s positive contributions, his own wealth, leadership, and connections with the French government to lobby support for greater French support which culminated in the British defeat.

Duncan does not neglect Lafayette’s weakness as a father and husband. While he off seeking glory and developing a heroic persona he left his wife and children, one of which dies while he was away in America. Duncan is correct by emphasizing his wife Adrienne’s love for her husband but also her sense of abandonment and loneliness.

Lafayette’s experience in America reinforced his views about the corruptibility of the nobility and their lack of social consciousness. As he evolved into a social reformer he overlooked the hypocrisy of his compatriots in America concerning slavery as he adopted abolitionism, worked for prison reform, religious freedom, freedom of speech and the press all in the name of the betterment of the masses. Later as the French Revolution reached its pinnacle he would prepare a list of reforms called the Declaration of Rights of Man which he offered the new National Assembly in1788 which would become the basis of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen a year later. Over a five year period after the Treaty of Paris with England in 1783, Lafayette transitioned from an adventurous soldier to a liberal benefactor of humanity, particularly starving peasants, oppressed Protestants, and enslaved Africans.

Duncan’s insights into Lafayette’s precarious position as the French Revolution approached are important as he delves into his attempts to follow a middle course. He remained loyal to Louis XVI as long as the king did not go back on promises to implement reforms particularly when the king was forced to leave Versailles for Paris once the revolution took hold. Lafayette was appointed the commanding general of the 30,000 man National Guard to protect the city from violence and any threats that might prevent the writing of a constitution. To many, particularly on the left, men like Jean-Paul Marat, Camille Desmoulins and George Danton he was a tool of the monarchy. However ultra-royalists saw him as working to undermine the nobility as he worked for a constitutional monarchy. As Lafayette tried to hold the center he seemed to offend everyone.

Eventually as the French Revolution turned increasingly violent with the Reign of Terror, Lafayette fled to Austria and was treated as a dangerous revolutionary and would be imprisoned for five years. Duncan carefully crafts Lafayette’s plight as a prisoner under the auspices of Francis I, the Habsburg Emperor. He would spend the last year in the Austrian prison at Olmutz enduring horrible conditions. Towards the end of his imprisonment, he would be joined by his wife Adrienne and three daughters who would suffer along with their husband and father. Finally, as the French rebuilt their military might to counter the English, Prussian, and Austrian armies they would free Lafayette when a young Napoleon Bonaparte liberated the prison. By 1814 he would reenter the political fray as the Bourbon restoration after the Congress of Vienna turned reactionary. He would be instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in 1830 that placed Louis-Phillipe on the throne, but the new monarch would only disappoint him.

Duncan does an admirable job reflecting on Lafayette’s career and the causes he was drawn to. Duncan is up front when discussing his subjects’ limitations seeing him as a man dominated by an overwhelming amount of energy, but he lacked the intelligence of many of his important contemporaries. It is clear that Lafayette’s lack of personal ambition was key as it limited his ability to engage in the cutthroat politics of France during his lifetime, and the hero worship that he was graced with never really matched concrete accomplishments once the gains of 1789 were made.

Overall, Duncan is a masterful historical storyteller who has made an important contribution to the literature that surrounds Lafayette’s life. He dissects all of the major aspects of his personal life and career, and one could only conclude that Lafayette lived a remarkable life that saw him engage in important aspects of two of the three most important revolutions in history (the Russian Revolution being the third) of what British historian, Eric Hobsbawm has labeled the “Age of Revolution.”

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marvelous "two-fer" (another GR's reviewers description of the book, and I loved it, so I stole it). With this book you get a comprehensive biography of Lafayette AND an excellent account of The French Revolution. I picked up the book because I had done some reading on the American Revolution earlier this year and wanted to know more about this man. I got every thing I needed to know about the man, and perhaps the best explanation of how and why the French revolted shortly after the Americans. Like the Americans. the French spent years fighting to gain basic freedoms and Lafayette was at the heart of all of it.

I learned so many things about this man's amazing long life. I had no idea he had spent 5 years in an Austrian prison. The last of of those years in solitary confinement. For him to survive this and then live into his late 70's, just amazing. Another thing that surprised me: George Washington sheltered Lafayette's son for 2 years to keep him out of harms way. Many books gloss over the facts of the friendships that Lafayette forged during his time in America. Not only Washington, but Hamilton, Monroe, Jefferson, these men and many more all were lifetime friends of Lafayette.

For a book like this the research has to be impeccable, and it is. Excerpts from letters between Washington and Lafayette and also those written to and from his family are found throughout.

Highly recommended

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - really well done biography of a man I only knew about through my studies of the American Revolution. The years of Lafayette in the French Revolution, in prison, and in the years following Napoleon were fascinating in themselves. He lived one incredible life in the middle of countless historic moments. Recommended.

[Sean O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely must read for anyone who wants to know about the American or French Revolutions. Lafayette factored in three of them. He was internationally famous from age 16 to 76.

Mike Duncan is a very good writer and even better audio book reader. Highly recommended.

[Kahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Mike Duncan’s podcasts (as, I imagine, are many of the people who will pick up this book), and it didn’t disappoint. Part of that is the subject matter - it’s hard to think of anyone who had more of a front row seat to witness this era of history than Lafayette. But Duncan has really found his groove as a historian here, in terms of being able to tell a story about someone who he clearly finds personally interesting and inspiring, while also knowing when to take a longer view of history and acknowledge Lafayette’s flaws. There are obviously many, but: dude, you really should have spent more time with your wife (though I’m very glad you came round on slavery relatively quickly).

I knew a reasonable amount about the American and French revolutions heading into this book, but Duncan includes a lot of details about Lafayette’s specific role that I wasn’t aware of, and knows when to ruminate in detail and when to skip over large swathes of someone’s life. I knew less about France in the 1820s-1830s, so there was plenty to learn there. The primary sources are well blended, rather than clunkily referenced, which always helps.

There were a few issues with audio quality that I expect may have been down to this being an ARC (including some excessively long silences between chapters that made me think my wireless earphones had suddenly died), but anyone who has listened to Duncan’s work will also know him as an excellent narrator - energetic and lively.

I’m not sure what Duncan has planned next, but I’ll be keeping an eye out.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great biography. Exactly the level of detail you’d want from something like this, and really well written.

[Willy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hero of Two Worlds is a stunning exploration of the Marquis De Lafayette, one of the most fundamental people in legend of the foundation of America and France’s tumultuous period of ruin and revolution in the late 18th Century.

Mike Duncan does an excellent job of chronicling his life, taking us from his first moments to his final with a mixture of primary source, secondary account and tertiary supposition. His writing style is easy, fun and, most importantly, easily digestible. This is particularly important in the complex mire of late 18th and early 19th century Europe.

Most importantly, the focus of this story is one of the most important, influential and unique men of his age. Lafayette is, at once, a fundamental and foundational hero in America, and also a fundamental figure in the history of France. His life spans Washington to Whitman. He saw Revolution, Napoleon and found a peace only in death.

I honestly loved this. A great history book about an amazing historical figure. I’d recommend this to anyone.

[Dan Sasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book about a legendary man.

As a young man in the 18th century, born into a life of nobility, wealth and privilege and living at the epicenter of absolute monarchy under Louis XV, the Marquis de Lafayette traveled across the Atlantic in search of military glory. He found a cause greater than himself worth fighting for that he fought for the rest of his life: liberty, justice and eventually the abolition of slavery. He ended up being the son George Washington never had and he is one of the heroes of the American revolution.

But this was only Lafayette in his 20s before he partook in the French Revolutions of 1789 and 1830. He gave up his wealth, titles, lands, privilege and freedom to move liberty forward in France.

Anyone remotely interested in the French or American revolutions or 18th/19th century Europe should read this book.

Coming off of watching the 2024 Trump v Biden presidential debates, it’s inspiring reading about someone like Lafayette that turned down multiple opportunities at absolute power and someone who gave up a lot to fight for liberty and justice.

[Nigel Herritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently researched, well paced, and written in the tone of his acclaimed podcasts, Duncan delivers an account of not only the historical heavyweight Lafayette, but one of a history of revolutions from both sides of the Atlantic. Would recommend to those familiar with Duncan's other work or podcasts.

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did this technically take me 5 months to read? yes. Is that actually because I read the first part over 3 months and then read the last two-thirds in the last week? yes. Did I still love this book? HELL YES.
To be fair, I was almost certainly always going to love this, because I love Mike Duncan and the way he tells stories, but I'm just very happy that it was in fact a book that lived up to my expectations.