Even avid readers of the American Revolution know far too little about the remarkable Marquis de Lafayette except that he was young and enthusiastic, that Washington's fondness suggests something like a father-son relationship, and that he certainly has a lot of "things" named for him all across our country. That Lafayette was both a genuine hero and at times a critical actor during the war is frequently overlooked by even our most illustrious historians. That he went on to become a pivotal leader in the early part of the French Revolution (and suffered terribly as a result) is hardly known to most Americans. And finally, that he lived long enough to witness America begin to grow and prosper and to see his own country survive its revolutionary excesses is an amazing story that deserves telling. James R. Gaines has given us a superb history that remedies all of the above and does so in extraordinarily pleasureable fashion. It's a big story involving two countries and two continents but Gaines is remarkable in keeping the story smooth and accessible all the way; especially when Lafayette returns to revolutionary France where explosive chaos (not to mention pronunciation challenges) frequently befuddle American readers. This is one of those books where the excellence of the work matches the appealing nature of its subject. And the Marquis is a most deserving fellow. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

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.

James R. Gaines has been the editor of several magazines, including Time and People, and is the author most recently of Evening in the Palace of Reason. He lives in Paris.

Publisher: W. W. Norton
Distributor: W. W. Norton
Publication Date: 09-06-2007
Pages: 512
Measurements: 9in X 6in