What do you think?
Rate this book
For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions
They began as courtiers in a hierarchy of privilege, but history remembers them as patriot-citizens in a commonwealth of equals. 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 shows just how deeply intertwined they actually were. Their leaders, George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, were often seen as father and son, but their relationship, while close, was every bit as complex as the long, fraught history of the French-American alliance. Vain, tough, ambitious, they strove to shape their characters and records into the form they wanted history to remember. James R. Gaines provides fascinating insights into these personal transformations and is equally brilliant at showing the extraordinary effect of the two "freedom fighters" on subsequent history. 8 pages of color and 8 pages of black-and-white illustrations; 2 maps
533 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
43 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
James R. Gaines
20 books18 followersJames 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 journalism started at the Saturday Review, followed by Newsweek and People, where he was named managing editor in 1987. He was both managing editor and publisher of Life, the first time that one person held both the chief editorial and publishing jobs at a Time-Life magazine. His reinvention of Life as a weekly news magazine for the first Persian Gulf War won widespread acclaim and led to his appointment to the editorship of Time, making him the first person ever to run three Time-Life magazines. All three won important journalistic awards during his tenure and undertook important extensions: a television show and books program at People, network specials and custom publishing at Life, and at Time a classroom edition called Time for Kids and Time Online. In his first assignment as a publishing consultant, he founded a brand extension in the men’s luxury category for American Express Publishing titled Travel & Leisure/Golf. Based in Paris, he has since advised publishers in Europe and the Middle East as well as the United States. He has four children, three of which reside with him in Paris.
Gaines is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Historical Association, the Society of Eighteenth Century Historians, the Overseas Press Club, and the International Federation of the Periodical Press.
Gaines is a graduate of the McBurney School in New York City and the University of Michigan. His career in magazine journalism started at the Saturday Review, followed by Newsweek and People, where he was named managing editor in 1987. He was both managing editor and publisher of Life, the first time that one person held both the chief editorial and publishing jobs at a Time-Life magazine. His reinvention of Life as a weekly news magazine for the first Persian Gulf War won widespread acclaim and led to his appointment to the editorship of Time, making him the first person ever to run three Time-Life magazines. All three won important journalistic awards during his tenure and undertook important extensions: a television show and books program at People, network specials and custom publishing at Life, and at Time a classroom edition called Time for Kids and Time Online. In his first assignment as a publishing consultant, he founded a brand extension in the men’s luxury category for American Express Publishing titled Travel & Leisure/Golf. Based in Paris, he has since advised publishers in Europe and the Middle East as well as the United States. He has four children, three of which reside with him in Paris.
Gaines is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Historical Association, the Society of Eighteenth Century Historians, the Overseas Press Club, and the International Federation of the Periodical Press.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 7, 2013
A remarkable work. An examination of the American and French Revolutions focusing on the lives of Washington and Lafayette; their personal and political relationship, their influence on one another, and how that in turn influenced each country's history. Very well written; the personalities and the times come alive explaining how the culture and past of each nation influenced the path that revolution took.
November 11, 2018
It's not the best book about Lafayette that I've encountered (that honor belongs to Adopted Son), but it was thorough and interesting.
July 30, 2017
A readable, insightful and interesting history of Washington and Lafayette’s friendship and their impact on, an attempted leadership of, the American and French Revolutions. Gaines tells the story as both a dual biography and a sort of dual history, a style that may be bit puzzling at times but one that he is mostly able to work with and is always engaging. The narrative is smooth, clear, well-paced and interesting, as well as humorous in parts.
Washington comes off as stiff, distant, and not always easy to understand, as well as concerned with the welfare of his country and willing to make great sacrifices for it (and a bit quirky and blundering as well). Lafayette comes off as an impulsive adventurer with visions of glory, willing to disobey direct orders and even consider quitting whenever things are not to his liking or there is no action to be had. While more of an adventurer than an ardent believer in any sort of lofty cause, Lafayette did have a certain degree of ideological commitment, Gaines argues. While Gaines does acknowledge the friendship and respect between the two, he does not argue that it was any kind of surrogate father-son relationship.
Although the narrative structure is a bit cumbersome, there is little analysis, many parts of the narrative deal with topics like the political infighting within the Continental Army or seemingly pointless trivia, and Gaines’ rendition of the revolutions often feature very little of either Lafayette or Washington.
A nuanced, cohesive, and absorbing volume overall.
Washington comes off as stiff, distant, and not always easy to understand, as well as concerned with the welfare of his country and willing to make great sacrifices for it (and a bit quirky and blundering as well). Lafayette comes off as an impulsive adventurer with visions of glory, willing to disobey direct orders and even consider quitting whenever things are not to his liking or there is no action to be had. While more of an adventurer than an ardent believer in any sort of lofty cause, Lafayette did have a certain degree of ideological commitment, Gaines argues. While Gaines does acknowledge the friendship and respect between the two, he does not argue that it was any kind of surrogate father-son relationship.
Although the narrative structure is a bit cumbersome, there is little analysis, many parts of the narrative deal with topics like the political infighting within the Continental Army or seemingly pointless trivia, and Gaines’ rendition of the revolutions often feature very little of either Lafayette or Washington.
A nuanced, cohesive, and absorbing volume overall.
Read
October 4, 2009I liked Adopted Son better.
July 12, 2020
A must read if you are a student of the American Revolution and the early years of America's independence.
Published in 2007 by W.W. Norton and Company.
First a bit of traditional blogging. I was going through some old receipts because I had plenty of time on my hands thanks to the Coronavirus lockdowns. This pile of receipts was 12 years old. It included some golden oldies like a Blockbuster receipt. I also found a receipt for this book. I had gotten a great deal on it - and it sat in my To-Be-Read pile for 12 years.
I had no idea it was in that pile for that long. If you had asked me before I found the receipt, I would guess it had been 4 or 5 years at most. At that moment, this book moved to the top of my To-Be-Read pile. I should have read it long before now - it was an excellent read.
Originally, I picked up this book because I simply didn't know much about Lafayette. I've read plenty of biographies of Washington and histories of the American Revolution. Lafayette always comes into the story somewhere in the middle. There's always a build up, with the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere and Patrick Henry and so on and then this kid from France comes over. He and Washington bond, Lafayette makes a good showing and he helps bring the French military in to help fight the English. And, at some point Lafayette goes away and doesn't come back until 1824.
I knew Lafayette was involved with the French Revolution, but my interest in the French Revolution is not strong (to me, it's a story that starts out well and then, all of a sudden, mobs are carrying heads and body parts around screaming for more blood and ends with a dictator that attacks every country in Europe, parts of Africa and even Haiti). So, I simply lost track of him. I asked someone who was a French Revolution buff what happened to Lafayette and the short answer was: "It didn't go well for him" with no elaboration.
So, this book looked like it would answer that question. It is a double biography of Washington and Lafayette as well as a double history of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. It is certainly not the definitive biography of either man or the definitive history of either revolution. But, it is immensely readable. I enjoyed it.
Turns out that I learned a lot about Lafayette. For example, his first name is Gilbert. Yeah, that seems trivial, but I've never heard him referred to as anything but Lafayette or the Marquis de Lafayette (almost like "Marquis" was his first name).
Lafayette was in love with the concept of the American Revolution from the
moment he heard of it. This teenager was so excited by the prospect of assisting in the war that he came here against the orders of the King's advisors - they had ordered all of the potential volunteers to stay in France. But, Lafayette and a few others crossed the border to Spain. Lafayette bought his own ship, sailed to South Carolina and eventually became an American hero - a Founding Father of sorts with more than 400 towns named after him. In my own state (Indiana) we have two cities and one county named after him.
Lafayette returned to France and was caught up in the French Revolution. The phrase "caught up" makes it sound like he was passive. Hardly. He co-wrote the most famous document of the French Revolution - the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. He created the modern French flag by combining the flag of Paris with the flag of the King of France. He helped save Louis XVI's life at one point and ended up languishing in a foreign prison for five years because of his role in the Revolution. He was offered the chance to be dictator at one point, and like his friend and hero George Washington, he turned it down. Bonaparte would not turn it down when he was offered that chance. But, Lafayette had a hand in Bonaparte's political demise in 1815 (after Waterloo). The luster of his name helped to carry the day.
Speaking of Bonaparte, Lafayette knew him personally. He knew so many big names in his life - George Washington, Victor Hugo, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Victor Hugo, Louis XVI, Andrew Jackson, Alexis de Toqueville, James Monroe, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and more.
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5. A must read if you are a student of the American Revolution and the early years of America's independence. Gaines has made this very approachable and writes in a lively manner.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2020...
This link leads to the 50+ reviews I have written for books about the American Revolution.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/sear...
Published in 2007 by W.W. Norton and Company.
First a bit of traditional blogging. I was going through some old receipts because I had plenty of time on my hands thanks to the Coronavirus lockdowns. This pile of receipts was 12 years old. It included some golden oldies like a Blockbuster receipt. I also found a receipt for this book. I had gotten a great deal on it - and it sat in my To-Be-Read pile for 12 years.
I had no idea it was in that pile for that long. If you had asked me before I found the receipt, I would guess it had been 4 or 5 years at most. At that moment, this book moved to the top of my To-Be-Read pile. I should have read it long before now - it was an excellent read.
Originally, I picked up this book because I simply didn't know much about Lafayette. I've read plenty of biographies of Washington and histories of the American Revolution. Lafayette always comes into the story somewhere in the middle. There's always a build up, with the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere and Patrick Henry and so on and then this kid from France comes over. He and Washington bond, Lafayette makes a good showing and he helps bring the French military in to help fight the English. And, at some point Lafayette goes away and doesn't come back until 1824.
I knew Lafayette was involved with the French Revolution, but my interest in the French Revolution is not strong (to me, it's a story that starts out well and then, all of a sudden, mobs are carrying heads and body parts around screaming for more blood and ends with a dictator that attacks every country in Europe, parts of Africa and even Haiti). So, I simply lost track of him. I asked someone who was a French Revolution buff what happened to Lafayette and the short answer was: "It didn't go well for him" with no elaboration.
So, this book looked like it would answer that question. It is a double biography of Washington and Lafayette as well as a double history of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. It is certainly not the definitive biography of either man or the definitive history of either revolution. But, it is immensely readable. I enjoyed it.
Turns out that I learned a lot about Lafayette. For example, his first name is Gilbert. Yeah, that seems trivial, but I've never heard him referred to as anything but Lafayette or the Marquis de Lafayette (almost like "Marquis" was his first name).
Lafayette was in love with the concept of the American Revolution from the
moment he heard of it. This teenager was so excited by the prospect of assisting in the war that he came here against the orders of the King's advisors - they had ordered all of the potential volunteers to stay in France. But, Lafayette and a few others crossed the border to Spain. Lafayette bought his own ship, sailed to South Carolina and eventually became an American hero - a Founding Father of sorts with more than 400 towns named after him. In my own state (Indiana) we have two cities and one county named after him.
Lafayette returned to France and was caught up in the French Revolution. The phrase "caught up" makes it sound like he was passive. Hardly. He co-wrote the most famous document of the French Revolution - the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. He created the modern French flag by combining the flag of Paris with the flag of the King of France. He helped save Louis XVI's life at one point and ended up languishing in a foreign prison for five years because of his role in the Revolution. He was offered the chance to be dictator at one point, and like his friend and hero George Washington, he turned it down. Bonaparte would not turn it down when he was offered that chance. But, Lafayette had a hand in Bonaparte's political demise in 1815 (after Waterloo). The luster of his name helped to carry the day.
Speaking of Bonaparte, Lafayette knew him personally. He knew so many big names in his life - George Washington, Victor Hugo, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Victor Hugo, Louis XVI, Andrew Jackson, Alexis de Toqueville, James Monroe, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and more.
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5. A must read if you are a student of the American Revolution and the early years of America's independence. Gaines has made this very approachable and writes in a lively manner.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2020...
This link leads to the 50+ reviews I have written for books about the American Revolution.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/sear...
March 25, 2011
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 crucial role that France played on the battlefield. The latter aspect is truly revelatory, briskly handled history. It is here that Gaines is most human, sympathetically recalling the horrors of Valley Forge and the massive odds against which America's first army fought.
The former is rather less immediate; the ideological DNA of these sister revolutions is largely obvious, but not analyzed thoroughly here. This is perhaps because, by limiting his scope to the characters and philosophies of two individual characters, Gaines is forced to examine the broader philosophies at play only in general terms.
Gaines then recounts the French Revolution, in detail enough, but not substantively enough. Having pinned his history to two figures, he is forced to retire one (Washington) somewhat awkwardly to the sidelines. The book sacrifices ambition for cohesiveness, too often reading like two undeveloped narratives rather than one complete narrative. Gains himself is a decent writer, but too convinced of the import of his thesis to spend much time developing it beyond the most rudimentary level. Wasted potential.
The former is rather less immediate; the ideological DNA of these sister revolutions is largely obvious, but not analyzed thoroughly here. This is perhaps because, by limiting his scope to the characters and philosophies of two individual characters, Gaines is forced to examine the broader philosophies at play only in general terms.
Gaines then recounts the French Revolution, in detail enough, but not substantively enough. Having pinned his history to two figures, he is forced to retire one (Washington) somewhat awkwardly to the sidelines. The book sacrifices ambition for cohesiveness, too often reading like two undeveloped narratives rather than one complete narrative. Gains himself is a decent writer, but too convinced of the import of his thesis to spend much time developing it beyond the most rudimentary level. Wasted potential.
April 18, 2024
I have had the privilege of reading several Washington books, and if I cut out sections of out each book and pasted them into one book I'd have this book. I am absolutely opposed to historical books using, on several occasions in this book, "he might have said" or "was supposed to have written" or "possibly made the decision to." Sure, surface a rumor then flesh it out, using primary sources. If you cannot, then it is pointless to include it because it established nothing about a character or an event. I think more research went into a cross-dressing French commander than Washington. Anything to sell an idea to an agent or publisher, right?
I will finish here with a point to the title of this book, specifically to Their Revolutions. The French did not have a revolution since the sovereignty had already been established with the people as a representative assembly. The king had given up his absolute to this form of people's representation. The people were afraid that the Louis and the boys would take back what they had abandoned. That spiraled out of control, into utter chaos, resulting in what else? A monarchy.
On the other hand, the English that lived in the new colony of the Americas took up arms, at first, to defend their rights as Englishmen and were not seeking abstraction. The Declaration of Independence was not a legal document, but rather a letter of dissolution, being "necessary" to separate because of England's actions against its own people.
I will finish here with a point to the title of this book, specifically to Their Revolutions. The French did not have a revolution since the sovereignty had already been established with the people as a representative assembly. The king had given up his absolute to this form of people's representation. The people were afraid that the Louis and the boys would take back what they had abandoned. That spiraled out of control, into utter chaos, resulting in what else? A monarchy.
On the other hand, the English that lived in the new colony of the Americas took up arms, at first, to defend their rights as Englishmen and were not seeking abstraction. The Declaration of Independence was not a legal document, but rather a letter of dissolution, being "necessary" to separate because of England's actions against its own people.
September 22, 2021
What’s better than a biography of George Washington and a biography of the Marquis de Lafayette? How about both in one volume?
The author’s admirable objective of telling the public lives of these two great men is only half of his goal. The other approach is to compare and contrast the two, illustrating how they were similar and how they were quite different.
Lafayette is a name that all American school children learn but what else do they teach about the man? Not much. Washington is such an icon that everyone thinks they know him but, again, I’m not sure we really do. Both were extraordinarily complex characters whose personalities and motivations are full of contradictions and mysteries.
The more I read about George Washington the more I respect and admire him. If we can believe what he frequently said he did not believe himself qualified for the responsibilities he was trusted with and wanted nothing more than to retire to the life of a “gentleman farmer” in his beloved Mount Vernon. It has become my belief that these feelings were honest but there was something stronger driving him; the belief that his country needed a man with his unique strengths and nobody else would be able to do the job as well. His personal modesty barely masked his overriding desire for glory and achieving perfection.
The author’s admirable objective of telling the public lives of these two great men is only half of his goal. The other approach is to compare and contrast the two, illustrating how they were similar and how they were quite different.
Lafayette is a name that all American school children learn but what else do they teach about the man? Not much. Washington is such an icon that everyone thinks they know him but, again, I’m not sure we really do. Both were extraordinarily complex characters whose personalities and motivations are full of contradictions and mysteries.
The more I read about George Washington the more I respect and admire him. If we can believe what he frequently said he did not believe himself qualified for the responsibilities he was trusted with and wanted nothing more than to retire to the life of a “gentleman farmer” in his beloved Mount Vernon. It has become my belief that these feelings were honest but there was something stronger driving him; the belief that his country needed a man with his unique strengths and nobody else would be able to do the job as well. His personal modesty barely masked his overriding desire for glory and achieving perfection.
November 6, 2022
The relationship between Washington and Lafayette was a long shot to say the least. For one thing, Lafayette grew up in the court of one of the longest running monarchies in existence. Washington grew up gentry, but gentry of the colonies which was anything but respected.
Add into this, foreign officers were pouring in to win pride and glory during the revolution and mainly annoyed the hell out of everyone. At least some of them did have warfighting experience. Lafayette was 19 years old and had none. The simple fact that he was amazingly rich is the only reason he wasn’t immediately sent packing.
The final piece of the puzzle is George Washington took a very long time to warm up to people and often didn’t at all with most. He was notoriously closed off and always erred on the side of professionalism.
And yet, during the most stressful time of George Washington’s life, he grew to feel like the Marquis was the son he never had. If you want to know why and how, go read the book. It will take you every step of the way.
Add into this, foreign officers were pouring in to win pride and glory during the revolution and mainly annoyed the hell out of everyone. At least some of them did have warfighting experience. Lafayette was 19 years old and had none. The simple fact that he was amazingly rich is the only reason he wasn’t immediately sent packing.
The final piece of the puzzle is George Washington took a very long time to warm up to people and often didn’t at all with most. He was notoriously closed off and always erred on the side of professionalism.
And yet, during the most stressful time of George Washington’s life, he grew to feel like the Marquis was the son he never had. If you want to know why and how, go read the book. It will take you every step of the way.
October 12, 2018
Gaines provides such a balanced look at Lafayette that it is refreshing and fantastic. He presents the good with the bad when it comes to his character. I loved it so much.
He attempts to do the same with Washington, but as I have not read nearly as many books on Wash as I have in Lafayette, I cannot say how well he succeeds.
I love the idea of matching up the timeline of events between the French and American histories. It was a really great take on history and it put things in perspective. It was fantastic.
The only criticism is that it did not go as far in depth as I would have liked, but I also feel that it wasn’t meant to. It most likely would have been dragged down by all of the details that were not essential to further the examination of the two timelines.
I truly loved this book. It had everything from sassy commentary to unique takes. I highly recommend it!
He attempts to do the same with Washington, but as I have not read nearly as many books on Wash as I have in Lafayette, I cannot say how well he succeeds.
I love the idea of matching up the timeline of events between the French and American histories. It was a really great take on history and it put things in perspective. It was fantastic.
The only criticism is that it did not go as far in depth as I would have liked, but I also feel that it wasn’t meant to. It most likely would have been dragged down by all of the details that were not essential to further the examination of the two timelines.
I truly loved this book. It had everything from sassy commentary to unique takes. I highly recommend it!
January 17, 2023
The parallel lives of Washington and Lafayette weave through the American and French revolutions.
Lafayette tends to dominate the narrative by virtue of his longevity and greater activity compared with Washington.
Their relationship and, in particular, Layfette's, roles in the American and French revolutions make for an engaging story, one that touches on much of the early years and development of the United States.
I recommend this as an enthralling tale of two lives and two revolutions.
Lafayette tends to dominate the narrative by virtue of his longevity and greater activity compared with Washington.
Their relationship and, in particular, Layfette's, roles in the American and French revolutions make for an engaging story, one that touches on much of the early years and development of the United States.
I recommend this as an enthralling tale of two lives and two revolutions.
June 4, 2023
I’ve read 5-6 biographies of Lafayette now so have some of the basics down. The addition of going deeper into his relations with Washington and telling the stories together was huge for my understanding of the men and the early revolutionary time periods. I would highly recommend this book if only for that reason. It also helps to show the switch from Americans predominant relation with France in 1781 to England only 50 years later. So much happened in such a short time period until both histories are put together it is hard to appreciate that.
June 12, 2017
James Gaines details the extraordinary bond between Washington and LaFayette in For Liberty and Glory. LaFayette's life spanned two revolutions and a great return tour to post-revolutionary America in 1824. A man dedicated to liberty and the rights of man.
December 21, 2017
An Enlightening Read
An excellent read. The parts about revolutionary France were a bit hard to folllow given my lack of background knowledge in this area. However, it is fascinating to learn about this and Lafayette's role in it
An excellent read. The parts about revolutionary France were a bit hard to folllow given my lack of background knowledge in this area. However, it is fascinating to learn about this and Lafayette's role in it
November 5, 2017
Playaway
February 20, 2013
“Washington, Lafayette, and others like them foreswore religious faith not from reading or thinking deeply about the matter (asked why the Constitution did not invoke God, Hamilton supposedly said, “We forgot”)…(15-16) “Washington’s exact words were not recorded, but from what Conway wrote later it is clear that Washington minced no words: He said he found it remarkable that Congress would promote someone who spoke so little at war councils before operations and criticized so often afterwards…” (90) “Johann Ewald, captain of a company of German jaegers, was among those who tipped his hat to his ill-fed, barefoot enemies. “With what soldiers in the world could one do what was done by these men…Deny the best disciplined soldiers of Europe what is due them and they will run away in droves….But from this one can perceive what an enthusiasm – which these poor fellows call ‘Liberty’ – can do”” (162) “Especially after dark, the Palais – Royal was a kind of pedigree-free zone: Was that a great lady passing by, or a well-dressed courtesan? (Sometimes, of course, the difference was technical.) That somber fellow across the way, was he a parlementarian or a pimp? Everything was for sale at the Palais – Royal, from lemonade to sex to subsidized diatribes by literary lowlife. Police rarely invaded property of the king’s relatives, so everything forbidden was safe here, censored truths and scurrilous libelles alike.” (182) “Two centuries later, there were still people (at the far margin) who contended that the Illuminati ran both the French and American revolutions. The evidence suggests at least they would have if they could have. Just about the time when the Society of Universal Harmony was breaking up, however, the Illuminati were banned in Bavaria, and the group appears to have died out completely by 1789.” (211) “Both France and the United States faced their inevitable reckoning with fiscal exhaustion in the summer of 1786. On August 20, Louis’s controller-general Calonne brought him the news that the royal treasury was as good as bankrupt, which was the American Revolution’s ultimate gift to France. Just as finance minister Turgot had warned in 1785, the 1.3 billion livres cost of that war (not counting interest on the new debt required to cover it) had delivered the final blow to the French financial system.” (215) “Indeed, many assumed that the Articles and the Continental Congress itself were simply wartime necessities that would expire with the peace. The people of Maryland called their state “the nation” as late as 1787, and in common usage, as it had been until very recently for George Washington, a man’s “country” was still his state.” (217) “On the subject of taxes it read in part: “People will doubtless pay more – but who? Only those who were not paying enough; they will pay what they owe according to a just proportion, and nobody will be overburdened. Privileges will be sacrificed!...yes, justice demands it and need requires it. Would it be better to put more burdens on the non-privileged, the people?” (240) “The convention’s two most powerful delegates, Washington and Franklin, both had important reservations about the final draft, and both implored the convention to vote for it anyway. “I confess that I do not entirely approve this Constitution at present,” as Franklin put it, “but sire, I am not sure I shall never approve it: For, having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged…to change opinions even on important subjects….” (247) “Once elected, a president would never relinquish the office, Jefferson said, but would play foul, fix elections, whatever it took to keep himself in power. “Reflect on all the instances…of elective monarchies, and say if they do not give foundation for my fears.” (249) “All that was necessary to make America “a great and happy people,” he (Washington) said, were “harmony, honesty, industry and frugality…the four great and essential pillars of public felicity.” (271) “Perhaps the most notable fact of the speech was how many times Washington made references to the deity – not the religious God of worship, of course, but the Deist’s non-denominational…” (286) “Two weeks before the fall of the Bastille, he wrote to Jay: “This great crisis now being over, I shall not have matter interesting enough to trouble you with….” (313) “The revolution in France, he (Edmund Burke) concluded, would end in “madness, discord, vice, confusion, and unavailing sorrow.”” (333) “The man who had stated a decade earlier that his (Washington) “first wish” was that war could be “banished from the earth,” now exhorted his country never to “unsheathe the sword except in self-defense.” (418)
July 26, 2022
Washington and Lafayette’s relationship is one of the more interesting out of this time. While I generally enjoyed this read, I found some parts to drag. Additionally, I felt that some of the conclusions the author draws were surface-level assumptions, that did not account for historic context or take into account the relationships and responsibilities these figures had outside of each other.
January 7, 2010
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 between George Washington and the young French General, the Marquis de Lafayette. While comparing these two men it also branches out to compare their respective countries and the revolutions that took place in them. The author makes much of the fact that the two men were very concerned with "liberty and glory". They both had strong ideas about freedom that they wished to uphold. (Lafayette was in fact an abolitionist) but also cared deeply about their personal reputation and the glory to be gained by their deeds.
Both men were instrumental in the Revolutions of their countries, Lafayette being "the hero of two worlds" played a signifigant part in both the American and French Revolution. Gainer explores how the ideals Lafayette fought for in America were transplanted with him back to Paris but were not as close of a fit. He also explores Washington's personal feelings on not only the AMerican Revolution but in the role demanded of him as the first president.
I liked very much learning about Lafayette. I had heard very little about him in school past the AMerican Revolution. I was totally unaware that he wrote the draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Men and Citizens! I feel like that is a huge gap in my history education that has now been rectified! I did feel that the book was more heavily involved with Lafayette than with Washington. Adrienne, Lafayette's wife, is mentioned several times whereas Martha Washington is only mentioned in passing. Although Washington did die first, the book ends with a epilouge that is almost entirely centered on Lafayette's portrayal in history and Washington seems sadly left out.
On the whole however I found this book very interesting for someone who enjoys history. There is a lot of information about the formation of the American Government and the French Revolution besides the stories of these two men. For the price that Amazon is selling it at, its definetly worth picking up.
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 between George Washington and the young French General, the Marquis de Lafayette. While comparing these two men it also branches out to compare their respective countries and the revolutions that took place in them. The author makes much of the fact that the two men were very concerned with "liberty and glory". They both had strong ideas about freedom that they wished to uphold. (Lafayette was in fact an abolitionist) but also cared deeply about their personal reputation and the glory to be gained by their deeds.
Both men were instrumental in the Revolutions of their countries, Lafayette being "the hero of two worlds" played a signifigant part in both the American and French Revolution. Gainer explores how the ideals Lafayette fought for in America were transplanted with him back to Paris but were not as close of a fit. He also explores Washington's personal feelings on not only the AMerican Revolution but in the role demanded of him as the first president.
I liked very much learning about Lafayette. I had heard very little about him in school past the AMerican Revolution. I was totally unaware that he wrote the draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Men and Citizens! I feel like that is a huge gap in my history education that has now been rectified! I did feel that the book was more heavily involved with Lafayette than with Washington. Adrienne, Lafayette's wife, is mentioned several times whereas Martha Washington is only mentioned in passing. Although Washington did die first, the book ends with a epilouge that is almost entirely centered on Lafayette's portrayal in history and Washington seems sadly left out.
On the whole however I found this book very interesting for someone who enjoys history. There is a lot of information about the formation of the American Government and the French Revolution besides the stories of these two men. For the price that Amazon is selling it at, its definetly worth picking up.
July 24, 2010
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 the revolutionary period and how their relationship and experience in the American Revolution shaped the the French Revolution(s).
At 20, Lafayette sailed (on his own dime) to the aid of the colonists not long after the American Revolution began and did so in direct opposition to the French king. His character both on and off the battlefield was key in establishing his reputation on both sides of the world, but particularly in the eyes of Washington. The book contrasts what the concept of liberty meant to each of them and how those views colored their roles in the revolutions of their respective countries. This is a fascinating look at how their experiences fighting for freedom in one country impacted their approach to revolution in another.
The book covers the American Revolution is mild detail, but does an outstanding job of discussing the French Revolution more vividly. Of the many things history affords us, few are more beneficial than perspective. Anyone who views today's politics and media with disgust need look no further than the 1790s to see what rank amateurs those now involved are. The French Revolution spiraled out of control and into pointless and unchecked violence due to the mob being whipped into frenzies by various factions who had wrapped themselves in cloaks of revolutionary principles. If nothing else, the book is an outstanding account of how different the two revolutions were, despite the superficial similarities of their respective goals.
At 20, Lafayette sailed (on his own dime) to the aid of the colonists not long after the American Revolution began and did so in direct opposition to the French king. His character both on and off the battlefield was key in establishing his reputation on both sides of the world, but particularly in the eyes of Washington. The book contrasts what the concept of liberty meant to each of them and how those views colored their roles in the revolutions of their respective countries. This is a fascinating look at how their experiences fighting for freedom in one country impacted their approach to revolution in another.
The book covers the American Revolution is mild detail, but does an outstanding job of discussing the French Revolution more vividly. Of the many things history affords us, few are more beneficial than perspective. Anyone who views today's politics and media with disgust need look no further than the 1790s to see what rank amateurs those now involved are. The French Revolution spiraled out of control and into pointless and unchecked violence due to the mob being whipped into frenzies by various factions who had wrapped themselves in cloaks of revolutionary principles. If nothing else, the book is an outstanding account of how different the two revolutions were, despite the superficial similarities of their respective goals.
February 25, 2014
Recommended for anyone who enjoys American or European history, this book follows America through the revolution surrounding George Washington and the friendship developed with Lafayette as well as the French Revolution(s). The first half of the book primarily focuses on America's ordeal then switches to France on the second half, yet it jumps between the two pretty readily. The book does a good job of describing Washington's personality if that is even something describable. I did get lost at times with all of the names and locations surrounding the French Revolution as there is not much of a background or build up to the events. This is where I find the biggest fault in this work as I found myself a few times going to Wikipedia to get more information. I think people who are brushed up on the French Revolution would get more out of the book, but for others it may get your interested just enough to want to read up more on both revolutions. Another issue with the book I had is with the chronology of events, as it starts to break down and the author begins jumping back and forth especially toward the end of the book as if he may have been somewhat rushed to just get the book finished. What is clear is that a ton of research went into writing this work and the amount of detail following letters and people is impressive. The book does end up tying together nicely and ends on a good patriotic note. Recommended for the fair weather history buff or higher.
March 24, 2013
“Oh! Heaven grant us one great soul! One leading mind would extricate the best cause; from the ruin which seems to await it…One active, masterly capacity would bring order out of this confusion and save this country.”
The “great soul” that, more than any other, extricated America from the disaster of the Revolutionary War was George Washington. George Washington was also both mentor to, and beneficiary of, the greatest soul of the French Revolution, Lafayette.
Mr. Gaines writes a history of both of these great lives, as well as both of these revolutions. He deals particularly well with the motivations that drove these men to greatness and the attributes that made them great. This work also includes a section on the origin of U.S. Military doctrine and its founder, Friedrich von Steuben. His insight into the motivation of the American Soldier led him pioneer a unique philosophy of military leadership that is the foundation of the U.S. Military’s strength to this day. In his own words, “Citizen-Soldiers are motivated most powerfully not by fear but by love and confidence—love of their cause, confidence in their officers and in themselves.” This book is an epic of great leadership that cannot fail to benefit any study of the topic.
The “great soul” that, more than any other, extricated America from the disaster of the Revolutionary War was George Washington. George Washington was also both mentor to, and beneficiary of, the greatest soul of the French Revolution, Lafayette.
Mr. Gaines writes a history of both of these great lives, as well as both of these revolutions. He deals particularly well with the motivations that drove these men to greatness and the attributes that made them great. This work also includes a section on the origin of U.S. Military doctrine and its founder, Friedrich von Steuben. His insight into the motivation of the American Soldier led him pioneer a unique philosophy of military leadership that is the foundation of the U.S. Military’s strength to this day. In his own words, “Citizen-Soldiers are motivated most powerfully not by fear but by love and confidence—love of their cause, confidence in their officers and in themselves.” This book is an epic of great leadership that cannot fail to benefit any study of the topic.
June 24, 2009
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 exploring all of the relationship, not just staying on the surface with the fabled "father-son" angle, and to the better of both men, I believe. The author did one of the better jobs I've read in recent years of exploring Lafayette's role in the French Revolution and what exactly went wrong. Definitely a worthwhile read. One of the more enjoyable things was a fun look at Beaumarchais, "The Marriage of Figaro", and a cross-dressing cavalry captain, and their impact on the American Revolution (pretty critical, incidentally, :-)
December 15, 2022
James R. Gaines book For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions is a very well researched 450 page book. He has another 50 pages of sources and then 50 pages of an index.
It follows the revolutions in France and the United States in a chronological order. However it does more than follow them in the events, but shows the corresponding spirits, doctrines and in some cases, methods.
Mr Gaines furthermore interprets the events after the American Revolution, and explains the fight between the Anglophiles and Francophiles and how the US as a nation deviated from the worst of the violence of the French Revolution and from some of its most radical anti-monarchists sentiments. But, Washington had to fight hard for this against the O'Shea Rebellion and Whiskey rebellion, which James R Gaines says were outbursts of the more radical doctrines of the French Revolution.
A great book for all those interested in furthering their understanding of the destruction of Christian Civilisation by the forces of evil.
It follows the revolutions in France and the United States in a chronological order. However it does more than follow them in the events, but shows the corresponding spirits, doctrines and in some cases, methods.
Mr Gaines furthermore interprets the events after the American Revolution, and explains the fight between the Anglophiles and Francophiles and how the US as a nation deviated from the worst of the violence of the French Revolution and from some of its most radical anti-monarchists sentiments. But, Washington had to fight hard for this against the O'Shea Rebellion and Whiskey rebellion, which James R Gaines says were outbursts of the more radical doctrines of the French Revolution.
A great book for all those interested in furthering their understanding of the destruction of Christian Civilisation by the forces of evil.
Currently reading
January 17, 2009Who 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 Lafayette come across as fully human and yet much, much larger than life. What we owe to their courage and humanity and persistence is amazing. Wish I had known about my husband's family's connection to Lafayette and Washington--would have followed their tradition of using the names.
August 23, 2014
If you like history, and don't mind endless, grinding details that might, at the time, seem unimportant, but are willing to pay the price of keeping track of them over the decades, this is an amazing account.
This narrative describes the people and events that parallel and intertwined to try and accomplish and to prevent the revolutions in France and America.
I had never known how intricately they were codependent , nor how complicated and financial it all was. This book (approximately 30 hours of audio) gave me a completely new and expanded view of history and the intrigues that make it happen.
This narrative describes the people and events that parallel and intertwined to try and accomplish and to prevent the revolutions in France and America.
I had never known how intricately they were codependent , nor how complicated and financial it all was. This book (approximately 30 hours of audio) gave me a completely new and expanded view of history and the intrigues that make it happen.
February 13, 2008
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.
March 30, 2011
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!
March 11, 2008
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.
April 27, 2015
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.
September 24, 2008
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.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews