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281st out of 642 books
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For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions
On April 18, 1775, a riot over the price of flour broke out in the French city of Dijon. That night, across the Atlantic, Paul Revere mounted the fastest horse he could find and kicked it into a gallop.So began what have been called the "sister revolutions" of France and America. In a single, thrilling narrative, this book tells the story of those revolutions and...more
Hardcover, 533 pages
Published
September 1st 2007
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2007)
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When character and circumstance crash together, what ends up happening is a bunch of history. I think Socrates said that. Or maybe Ovid. Whatever. Writing history is tough largely due to the burden of trying to gauge how thorough one needs to be in the examination of a given subject. My history geekery seems to sit in the 18th century, specifically the years preceeding the Seven Years' War and burning through to ~1805. This book focuses on arguably two of the more interesting characters of...more
My mother bought this book for me because at the time I was taking a class about the American Revolution and it was (and still is) on deep clearance at Amazon.com
The only reason I can think that it is on such a deep clearance is because people are sadly not interested in History. They are much more interested in current events, either political or entertainment-wise but that is rant for another day.
I enjoyed this book very much. It explores the relationship that existed b...more
The only reason I can think that it is on such a deep clearance is because people are sadly not interested in History. They are much more interested in current events, either political or entertainment-wise but that is rant for another day.
I enjoyed this book very much. It explores the relationship that existed b...more
A neat and interesting premise, if a little risky: casting the French and American Revolutions in light of two major figures who had a hand in each conflict. Beginning with the American Revolution, Gaines provides an overview of the philosophical background, an examination of the practical execution of the conflict, and the major role that France played in each. Casting the ideals of the American Revolution as directly derived from the French Enlightenment, the narrative goes on to relate the cr...more
I could have a few nitpicks about little things in this book, like the author's typical historian-establishment statement that the Founding Fathers really weren't religious, certainly not Christian, but overall this was very well done and a very enjoyable read. The author took the fascinating Washington-Lafayette relationship and used it to explore both men, their ideals and motivations, and the two revolutions they were intimately invoved in. He did a good job "going deeper" and exp...more
Mom
is currently reading it
Who knew that Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and his play, The Marriage of Figaro, led to anything but Mozart's opera? Well, I didn't. But apparently Beaumarchais was one of the principal funding forces behind the American Revolution and his play a principal intellectual force behind the French Revolution. Along the way there's a French transgendered diplomat "forced" to spend the rest of a life as a woman. Didn't know about her contribution, either. Both Washington and Laf...more
Brendan Howard
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of readable history and books on American history and the American and French Revolutions
Shelves:
history
A superlative history book for its rich characterizations, deep research, and novel-like pace and drama. It succeeds, also, in beautifully merging, comparing, and contrasting two different generals who were closer than many of us remember from history class.
French & American revolutions & intertwined
Everyone thinks they know the story of the American Revolution, and most people have seen Les Mis, so they think they know the story of the French Revolution too...but the stories are much deeper and much more interconnected than most people know. Gaines does a great job putting the two events together through George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. It's not a full biography of a both or a full accounting of either event, but just enough of everything to put the picture together.
A great work bringing together two heroes of their time, Washington and Lafayette. This very thorough comparison of the battle for freedom in America and in France in the late 1700's and thereafter, describes the trials and triumphs of these two great men, as well as their close working relationship turned friendship. A pleasurable read; I learned a lot the history books don't tell us!
A fascinating parallel account of the American and French revolutions, and both George Washington's and the Marquis de LaFayette's parallel quests for remembrance (or "glory"). I was *really* lucky in that I got this gem for free as an Advance Reader's Copy last year.
Jay
is currently reading it
I have had to pick up and put down this book so many times that it is frustrating. It is a very good book but due to a hectic schedule it has been hard for me to constantly read but I will finish it so I can move on to my next book.
An excellent discussion of Washington and Lafayette, the life of Lafayette, and (to a lesser extent) the role of continental Europeans in the American Revolution.
This is based upon the audio download from [www.audible.com]
Narrated by: Norman Dietz
Narrated by: Norman Dietz
hard to get through, more about France than Washington. Lacked a thesis and a voice
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James R. Gaines is an American journalist, author, and international publishing consultant who is best known as a magazine editor. He was the chief editor of Time, Life, and People magazines between 1987 and 1996 and subsequently the corporate editor of Time Inc.
Gaines is a graduate of the McBurney School in New York City and the University of Michigan. His career in magazine journalis...more
More about James R. Gaines...
Gaines is a graduate of the McBurney School in New York City and the University of Michigan. His career in magazine journalis...more
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