Hero of Two Worlds

Really amazing account of Lafayette's life! Duncan does a great job providing concise yet sufficient context for Lafayette's life too. Pre-revolutionary France, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the Napoleonic Wars, the Bourbon Restoration, and the July Revolution are all explained along with Lafayette's part in each.

I really wish Duncan gave more judgment on his life, though. Where did Lafayette go wrong? Where did he go right? What were the flaws in his day-to-day character that might've prevented him from reaching his goals? Duncan offers some reminiscence from Lafayette's contemporaries at the very end of the book, but I found it far from sufficient. In any case, a really delightful read about a fascinating character!