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“An upbeat biography of the great French American patriot who channeled his zeal into a formidable force of leadership . . . This accessible life of Lafayette (1757-1834) ably captures his essential fiery-eyed idealism, which might have led him to impetuousness had he not learned pragmatic lessons while on the battlefields of the American Revolution.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“While there is no shortage of biographies about Lafayette, Leepson's book distinguishes itself by balancing historical narrative with a contemporary relevance. The book is not just a chronological march through Lafayette's life, though it certainly succeeds in that respect. Rather, Leepson focuses on Lafayette's principled, persistent, and idealistic leadership qualities, which still resonate in today's political landscape.”
— Elizabeth M. Reese, The New England Quarterly
The Marquis de Lafayette is an icon of both American and French history. Lafayette: Idealist General, a concise and engaging biography of this captivating figure, was first published in hardcover as part of Macmillan’s World Generals Series, and now available in a paperback edition for the first time from the University of Virginia Press.
The book reveals how Lafayette, born in 1757 into an aristocratic French family of warriors, traveled to the colonies at the age of nineteen to fight as a volunteer in the Revolutionary War. Continental Army Major General Lafayette was soon embraced by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who became his lifelong friends.
A fearless, accomplished battlefield commander, Lafayette also helped to convince the French court to provide crucial financial and military support to the Americans, which immeasurably aided the defeat of the British.
On his return to France, Lafayette played a leading role in the movement to make France a constitutional monarchy. He served as commander of the National Guard during the French Revolution, and as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, opposed Napoleon’s rule. Later, in 1830, he was instrumental in ending the short-lived July Revolution that brought the “citizen king,” Louis-Philippe, to the throne.
This focused biography of the legendary French statesman and military man offers a unique examination of his remarkable military career on both sides of the Atlantic.