For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions (edition 2007)

by James R. Gaines (Author)

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MaryJeanAdams's review

This was a hard book to review. First of all, I was looking for a book that focuses on a little more of the differences between the two revolutions and why the French Revolution took such a violent turn while the American Revolution had comparatively little civil violence. The Sons of Liberty never killed anyone, while the Jacobins killed thousands including their own leaders.

This book took more of a timeline approach to the discussion, so the first half was heavily focused on the American Revolution and the second half on the French Revolution. While certainly the seeds of the French Revolution were being sown during the American (not the least of which was the seed of debt from the French monarchy’s support of the Am Rev) I think it was a bit of a stretch to say that they were simultaneous revolutions. I don’t recall if the author used that word precisely – I listened to the book on Audible – but that was the setup for the discussion.

For the reader who is unfamiliar with Lafayette or George Washington, the book contained great insights into their character and personalities. Most of this would be well known to anyone who has studied the relationship between the two men, but the discussion was interesting.

The most disconcerting part about the book was the excursions it took into the lives of other characters like Beaumarchais. An intriguing character who play a part in both revolutions, but the book wasn’t about him. I found the detail included on things like his house and his pen-shaped weather vein a little annoying. Robespierre was handled a little better with just enough info to help the reader understand his role and his relation to Lafayette.

The best part for me was the discussion of what happened to Lafayette after the French Revolution, but perhaps that’s because I knew less about his later life. He continues to be one of my favorite historical figures.

As you can tell from the rating I give For Liberty and Glory, I think this is a good book. This review is intended to share my perspectives so others readers have a better feel for what this book is about. For those who want a high-level overview of events, and a bit of insight into the relationship between two intriguing historical figures, For Liberty and Glory may be just the thing. (

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MaryJeanAdams | Feb 28, 2016 |

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MaryJeanAdams | Feb 28, 2016 |

Although this book is about both the American and French Revolutions, Washington and Lafayette, Lafayette ends up being the central figure in the book. The account of the American Revolution mainly deals with the events in which Lafayette was involved. If this is the only book you have read about the American Revolution, you're missing out on a lot of the history. For instance, Generals like Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox are barely mentioned. The British generals and strategy are also largely absent from the story. I'm not as familiar with the French Revolution, but I think the account of it, too, is probably missing some key figures and events.

I did learn a lot about Lafayette from this book, and my admiration for him has grown as a result. His contributions to the Revolutionary War were important for its success. His career in France after his return was even more remarkable. He seems to have had friends and admirers on all sides of the French revolution. (There did seem to be at least three sides!) He must have had a charismatic personality, with an ability to make himself agreeable to even those with whom he disagreed in principle. The hardships he shared with American patriots during the American Revolution formed the basis for lifelong friendships with many of the founding fathers. However, political considerations restrained his American friends from providing much assistance to Lafayette when the revolutionary zeal in France finally turned against him.

If you don't have some familiarity with the history of the American and French revolutions, this isn't the place to start. The best audience for the book is probably the general reader looking for a biography of Lafayette. I noticed more than a usual amount of typographical errors in the book (e.g., the state of Franklin referred to as Frankland), so readers may need to double-check facts in other sources. (

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