Hero of Two Worlds

I first encountered Mike Duncan through his amazing History of Rome podcast and fell in love with his style of historical presentation. Whe he released his first book, The Storm Before The Storm, which cames out of that podcast, I bought it and was not disappointed. When he finished with The History of Rome he started a new podcast, Revolutions, which covered a series of revolutions from the English Civil War, through the US, Haiti, Gran Columbia, Mexico, France, and up to Russia, the final one (still in progress as I write this.) I think he must have gotten intrigued that one person showed up in three revolutions, the Marquis de Lafayette, and then discovered that not much had been written in English about this fascinating and important figure. This biography follows Lafayette from his childhood through his adventures in America, the French Revolution, and finally the 1830s, up to his death. Duncan does not hide the contradictions involved in a man who was opposed to slavery but also owned slaves that he never quite got around to freeing. I recommend this book, as indeed I recommend anything by Mike Duncan.

I first encountered Mike Duncan through his amazing History of Rome podcast and fell in love with his style of historical presentation. Whe he released his first book, The Storm Before The Storm, which cames out of that podcast, I bought it and was not disappointed. When he finished with The History of Rome he started a new podcast, Revolutions, which covered a series of revolutions from the English Civil War, through the US, Haiti, Gran Columbia, Mexico, France, and up to Russia, the final one (still in progress as I write this.) I think he must have gotten intrigued that one person showed up in three revolutions, the Marquis de Lafayette, and then discovered that not much had been written in English about this fascinating and important figure. This biography follows Lafayette from his childhood through his adventures in America, the French Revolution, and finally the 1830s, up to his death. Duncan does not hide the contradictions involved in a man who was opposed to slavery but also owned slaves that he never quite got around to freeing. I recommend this book, as indeed I recommend anything by Mike Duncan.