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e_cobbe's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
harlando's review against another edition
4.0
I like Sarah Vowell and I liked this book. It had been quite a while since I had read one of her books and I was happy to find that she was still as sharp, interesting, and witty as I remembered. Lafayette is a fascinating character who led an incredibly interesting life. His time in America was but one short part of that life, but he did a lot while he was here and it was in America that his reputation was built.
I learned a lot from the book that wasn't in my college US history classes or in any of several histories I have read since. Lafayette was just a 19 year old kid when he arrived in the US. He showed up amid a wave of other European officers looking for commissions in the continental Army. many of these were neither invited nor particularly wanted. That he was able to charm his way into says a lot about his personal magnetism. The fact that he was fabulously wealthy, closely connected to the king of France, and offered to work for free probably helped him just as much. He also had a young wife and infant daughter back in France. Vowell casts him as a bit callous for leaving them for what would turn out to be years. I had not thought of it that way and appreciate the perspective. I'm not sure if that indicates he was a bit self centered of that he was a typical aristocratic man of his time, but it probably wouldn't have occurred to me at all if she had not pointed it out.
She explores all of his time in America from the revolution to his return decades later. I had heard of Lafayette's tour of America in the 1820s. Many towns have plaques memorializing his visit, where he stayed, and where he spoke. However, I hadn't realized what a sensation he was. In terms of proportional crowd size he seems to have been one of the most popular people in American history. Huge crowds greeted him and listened to him speak and everyone wanted to meet him. From a modern American perspective it is amazing. I can't think of, and find it a little difficult to imagine, a modern figure who would be so universally popular.
It was a good book and I highly recommend it.
I learned a lot from the book that wasn't in my college US history classes or in any of several histories I have read since. Lafayette was just a 19 year old kid when he arrived in the US. He showed up amid a wave of other European officers looking for commissions in the continental Army. many of these were neither invited nor particularly wanted. That he was able to charm his way into says a lot about his personal magnetism. The fact that he was fabulously wealthy, closely connected to the king of France, and offered to work for free probably helped him just as much. He also had a young wife and infant daughter back in France. Vowell casts him as a bit callous for leaving them for what would turn out to be years. I had not thought of it that way and appreciate the perspective. I'm not sure if that indicates he was a bit self centered of that he was a typical aristocratic man of his time, but it probably wouldn't have occurred to me at all if she had not pointed it out.
She explores all of his time in America from the revolution to his return decades later. I had heard of Lafayette's tour of America in the 1820s. Many towns have plaques memorializing his visit, where he stayed, and where he spoke. However, I hadn't realized what a sensation he was. In terms of proportional crowd size he seems to have been one of the most popular people in American history. Huge crowds greeted him and listened to him speak and everyone wanted to meet him. From a modern American perspective it is amazing. I can't think of, and find it a little difficult to imagine, a modern figure who would be so universally popular.
It was a good book and I highly recommend it.
erine's review against another edition
4.0
With characteristic humor and plentiful asides and tangents, Vowell dives into the Revolutionary War. She particularly addresses the struggles of George Washington and the assistance rendered the rebels by various Europeans. Lafayette is the thread that runs from beginning to end, but was by no means the only outsider to provide help.
The contentious reality of the Founders came as a welcome story during the current election. It leaves me with some hope.
Recommended for readers interested in history, George Washington, Lafayette, or the founding of the United States.
Not recommended for readers with no patience for digression.
Second reading: this book is disorganized and messy. But too often the founding of the U.S. is boiled down to a handful of tidy anecdotes about amazing heroes and dastardly villains. Vowell reminds her readers that nothing is that simple, history is not in fact linear (it might even be called timey-wimey) and acknowledging complex history doesn’t have to destroy your sense of patriotism.
The contentious reality of the Founders came as a welcome story during the current election. It leaves me with some hope.
Recommended for readers interested in history, George Washington, Lafayette, or the founding of the United States.
Not recommended for readers with no patience for digression.
Second reading: this book is disorganized and messy. But too often the founding of the U.S. is boiled down to a handful of tidy anecdotes about amazing heroes and dastardly villains. Vowell reminds her readers that nothing is that simple, history is not in fact linear (it might even be called timey-wimey) and acknowledging complex history doesn’t have to destroy your sense of patriotism.
bioniclib's review against another edition
3.0
Her writing style was more cynical and wise-assery than normal history books. But this is not a normal history book. Though the tone didn't always work for me, it was good addition to my American History reading.
The book was a non-traditional view of the American Revolution. Though, it does continue the trend of most other histories of that time outside of textbooks; the Continental Army was a pack of barefoot (often literally) ornery SOBs that were lucky the French (and Germans) hated England as much as they did. Without the help of peeps like Lafayette we never woulda won...maybe.
The English Parliament voted to forgive and repeal the Coercive Acts in 1778, allowing the colonies representatives in Parliament. But we said "Freedom or Bust!" But think about if they had accepted...England outlawed slavery in 1833. That means African American (or African Britons as they would've been called) would have been free 30 years before they were in America. How different would the world be? (p. 178)
The Battle of Yorktown was in 1781 but the Treaty of Paris wasn't signed until 1783. (257)
Now for a couple of I did not know thats:
The L in L. Ron Hubbard? Lafayette. (263)
Lafayette Park is the park across the street from the White House where all the protests happen. (264)
Talking about a KKK protest that happened in Lafayette Park in 1982:
"Freedom of expression truly exists only when a society's most repugnant nitwits are allowed to spew their non-sense in public." (264-5)
The book was a non-traditional view of the American Revolution. Though, it does continue the trend of most other histories of that time outside of textbooks; the Continental Army was a pack of barefoot (often literally) ornery SOBs that were lucky the French (and Germans) hated England as much as they did. Without the help of peeps like Lafayette we never woulda won...maybe.
The English Parliament voted to forgive and repeal the Coercive Acts in 1778, allowing the colonies representatives in Parliament. But we said "Freedom or Bust!" But think about if they had accepted...England outlawed slavery in 1833. That means African American (or African Britons as they would've been called) would have been free 30 years before they were in America. How different would the world be? (p. 178)
The Battle of Yorktown was in 1781 but the Treaty of Paris wasn't signed until 1783. (257)
Now for a couple of I did not know thats:
The L in L. Ron Hubbard? Lafayette. (263)
Lafayette Park is the park across the street from the White House where all the protests happen. (264)
Talking about a KKK protest that happened in Lafayette Park in 1982:
"Freedom of expression truly exists only when a society's most repugnant nitwits are allowed to spew their non-sense in public." (264-5)
girlinacardigan's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.5
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2024/07/03/lafayette-in-the-somewhat-united-states-by-sarah-vowell/
aziraphale2000's review against another edition
3.0
The title misled me. I assumed I'd get to meet Lafayette in America during and after the Revolutionary War. Instead, I got something of a travologue by the author mixed with a retelling of American history I could have gathered from the internet myself. So... yeah...
And I couldn't stand the author's glib, blogger tone. I checked out the book to read about Lafayette, not her ramblings about travel, France, or politics.
And I couldn't stand the author's glib, blogger tone. I checked out the book to read about Lafayette, not her ramblings about travel, France, or politics.