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eletricjb's review against another edition
3.0
Man, war histories are boring, but what an ending. You know I have hearteyes for suffragists.
squirrelsohno's review against another edition
3.0
I mean, it was fun and well-written, but didn't add much to what I already know about the events of the Revolution. 3.5/5
timsin10's review against another edition
3.0
The author won't be my go to for hard history, but she does have an entertaining, funny style. That effort to be funny resulted in many rabbit trails that gave the book an unfocused feel. I'm glad I listened to the audiobook as the cast of readers and musical accompaniment did add to the experience.
sparklethenpop's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. The audio was great and Vowell presented history in a funny and snarky way. However, this is presented as a biography of Lafayette, that's a little bit of a stretch to call it one.
erboe501's review against another edition
4.0
I’ll begin by saying that I am not a fan of American history. But really, this book is about the relationship between colonial America and France. I was familiar with Lafayette's name from American history in high school, but I learned a lot about his background and the political climate in France from this book. I’ll also say that I liked this book in spite of Vowell's rather annoying voice (she narrated).
I learned that it’s something of a miracle that the U.S. won the war. I learned that France was pretty devious in their help and that Lafayette really does deserve the credit he gets (and maybe more). I also learned that what could be called the most decisive battle of the war wasn’t even fought by Americans; it was between French and British ships. Apparently Washington didn’t always have the faith of the Convention, and he almost lost power a few times. I liked that Vowell interspersed the history with her very honest, often sarcastic contemporary commentary on the sometimes racist and sexist moves on the part of the Revolutionaries.
A fun and informative listen.
I learned that it’s something of a miracle that the U.S. won the war. I learned that France was pretty devious in their help and that Lafayette really does deserve the credit he gets (and maybe more). I also learned that what could be called the most decisive battle of the war wasn’t even fought by Americans; it was between French and British ships. Apparently Washington didn’t always have the faith of the Convention, and he almost lost power a few times. I liked that Vowell interspersed the history with her very honest, often sarcastic contemporary commentary on the sometimes racist and sexist moves on the part of the Revolutionaries.
A fun and informative listen.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
3.0
I'd probably give this a 3.5 star rating. The somewhat stream of conscientiousness-like style of writing took a little getting used to, as did the lack of chapters, but I eventually got into the flow. The author blends historical facts with her contemporary retracing of the Marquis de Lafayette's role in the American Revolution. As a swashbuckling teenage aristocrat, Lafayette departed France and volunteered to join George Washington's army, soon becoming a trusted officer and friend. The author did a great job of boiling down eight years' worth of Revolutionary War history into an easily digestible text rather than getting bogged down with blow-by-blow detailed accounts of military campaigns and made history come alive as she described the places in France and the U.S. that she visited on the trail of Lafayette. I particularly enjoyed the visits to a Quaker community and Colonial Williamsburg. While I enjoyed her irreverent snark overall, there were a few spots in the first portion of the book where I felt she strayed too far into political opinion where it was not needed, although I did find the parallels between past and present discord interesting. If you're looking for a traditional history of Lafayette and the early days of the U.S., this book is not that; however, if you're looking for a history book that is more unconventional, this one will get you thinking about the country's roots and where we are today.
alboyer6's review against another edition
5.0
I love history and books like this one is a great example of why. Vowell is fun and funny and puts a perfect spin on the friction of the past that really isn't terribly different from the friction of today. It was a great listen. Offerman was a great Washington!
jgwenb's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to the audiobook. Delightful and witty, though some parts about the Revolutionary War were a tad slow.