Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell
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Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell
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From the bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot, an insightful and unconventional account of George Washington’s trusted officer and friend, that swashbuckling teenage French aristocrat the Marquis de Lafayette.
Chronicling General Lafayette’s years in Washington’s army, Vowell reflects on the ideals of the American Revolution versus the reality of the Revolutionary War. Riding shotgun with Lafayette, Vowell swerves from the high-minded debates of Independence Hall to the frozen wasteland of Valley Forge, from bloody battlefields to the Palace of Versailles, bumping into John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Lord Cornwallis, Benjamin Franklin, Marie Antoinette and various kings, Quakers and redcoats along the way. Drawn to the patriots’ war out of a lust for glory, Enlightenment ideas and the traditional French hatred for the British, young Lafayette crossed the Atlantic expecting to join forces with an undivided people, encountering instead fault lines between the Continental Congress and the Continental Army, rebel and loyalist inhabitants, and a conspiracy to fire George Washington, the one man holding together the rickety, seemingly doomed patriot cause. While Vowell’s yarn is full of the bickering and infighting that marks the American past—and present—her telling of the Revolution is just as much a story of friendship: between Washington and Lafayette, between the Americans and their French allies and, most of all between Lafayette and the American people. Coinciding with one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, Vowell lingers over the elderly Lafayette’s sentimental return tour of America in 1824, when three fourths of the population of New York City turned out to welcome him ashore. As a Frenchman and the last surviving general of the Continental Army, Lafayette belonged to neither North nor South, to no political party or faction. He was a walking, talking reminder of the sacrifices and bravery of the revolutionary generation and what the founders hoped this country could be. His return was not just a reunion with his beloved Americans it was a reunion for Americans with their own astonishing, singular past. Vowell’s narrative look at our somewhat united states is humorous, irreverent and wholly original.
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell- Amazon Sales Rank: #12874 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-20
- Released on: 2015-10-20
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.28" h x .97" w x 6.25" l, 1.00 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 288 pages
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of October 2015: The Marquis de Lafayette, a.k.a. one of George Washington’s best buds, is the subject of Sarah Vowell’s latest offering, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. So, why would a young French aristocrat venture to our shores to join Washington’s army and fight in the Revolutionary War? He came for the glory! He came because he believed in American ideals! He came to escape his in-laws! But, mainly it was for the Enlightenment ideas that were unevenly embraced by many of his fellow comrades—ideas that impacted how the war played out. I have seen eyes glaze over when I talk about this sort of thing, but anyone familiar with Vowell’s oeuvre knows what a knack she has for making the (seemingly) mundane fascinating. She also draws some oddly comforting parallels between that time and our own (turns out that politicians have been butting heads, acting like idiots, and sporting terrible comb-overs since the birth of our great nation). There is rarely a description of Vowell that doesn’t include the term “acerbic,” and her signature snark, strategically employed, is one of the things that makes ‘Lafayette’ a fun (and yes, educational) read. But the other quality that shines through is her optimism. You will be smarter and less cynical after reading it. –Erin Kodicek
Review "[A] freewheeling history of the Revolutionary War... Vowell points out that Lafayette was for a time 'a national obsession.'" —The New Yorker“Vowell wanders through the history of the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath, using Lafayette’s involvement in the war as a map, and bringing us all along in her perambulations…Her prose sparkles.”—The New York Times Book Review“[Vowell] takes an open and observant 'Hey, that’s nuts' stance toward past and present, which results in a book that’s informative, funny and insightful.” —TIME“Gilded with snark, buoyant on charm, Vowell's brand of history categorically refuses to take itself — or any of its subjects — too seriously….At once light-footed and light-hearted, her histories are — dare I say it — fun. And Lafayette is no different. Even amid defeats... Vowell emerges from the Revolutionary War with an unabashed smile on her face. I'd be surprised if her reader doesn't, too.” —NPR"[Vowell] turns the dusty chronicle of American history into a lively mash up and then, playing the history nerd, delivers her stories in her flat funny voice.” —The National Book Review“Sarah Vowell turns her keen eye and droll wit to the American Revolution in her latest historical venture, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States… Vowell, of course, doesn't just give us the highlights; she offers a portrait of [Lafayette] and his older contemporaries, with whom he found friendship, glory, and endless bickering.” —Cosmopolitan “You can’t beat Sarah Vowell for quirky chronicles of American history's dark side.”—Chicago Reader“Vowell takes on American history as only she can, this time with the story of Frenchman theMarquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero.” —USA Today “To impress the history buff at the table, read Vowell’s (ever the expert in, really, everything) in-depth and irreverent account of George Washington’s decorated general Lafayette, which also looks to our own political climate for context.”—Marie Claire “Nobody recounts American history the way Sarah Vowell does, with irreverence and humor and quirky details — history and facts, but also entertainment. [Lafayette in the Somewhat United States] is about the friendship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, but in Vowell’s inimitable style it is also firmly grounded in the present.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune “Here's one historian who is a born storyteller.”—Philadelphia Inquirer“Vowell’s rollicking, sly humor is the perfect spoonful of sugar to down with her intensive research and historical insight.” —Huffington Post“If you ever wanted an insightful and entertaining look at the friendship between George Washington and his French aristocrat general Marquis de Lafayette, this book by Sarah Vowell…should be on your list." —Kansas City Star“Vowell's sort of the Quentin Tarantino of popular history: She weaves pop culture and real life into her narrative, breaking down the barriers that keep history buried in the past." —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel“Vowell is especially skilled at making detours seem natural and relevant, including in this case a swing by the boyhood home of Bruce Springsteen, which was in the neighborhood of a battle site and, hey, a historical landmark in its own right (plus, she adds, one of the Boss’s relatives was a Revolutionary soldier)… An intoxicating blend of humor and emotional weight.” —The AV Club“What so funny about American History? A lot, when it's Sarah Vowell telling the story.” —Omnivoriacious“Lafayette is lucky he has Sarah Vowell in his court.” —New Republic"With laugh-out-loud humor and her characteristic snark, Vowell makes this walk through history a walk in the park." —The Washington Post"A whopping canvas as choreographed as a graphic novel…. Vowell brings a learned, wiseacre hand to this work, full of its own brio and dash, and with that legerdemain that finds you embracing history." —B&N Review“Sarah Vowell books are equal parts incisive and laugh-out-loud funny.”—Inside Higher Ed“[Vowell] is wonderful at showing the way history can be a conversation between the past and present.”—Sophisticated Dorkiness"An engaging reminder that America has never been anything but a (somewhat) dysfunctional country." —Washington Monthly “Sarah Vowell is that hip high-school history teacher everyone wanted to have… She has a gift for the kind of description that seals an image in the reader’s imagination.”—Columbus Dispatch“When it comes to weird basic facts, all you have to do is turn on a presidential debate to remind yourself of the irreconcilable paradoxes and contemptuous rifts at the highest levels of American public life. [This] is one of those books that reminds us things have been this way since the beginning.”—The Stranger“Author Sarah Vowell has a unique voice both in reality and in her reality… Vowell takes a rather wry look at history under any circumstance, applying her modern and political perspectives to her topics.”—Gabbing Geek “Vowell has mined American history for surprising and amusing insights into the heart of the nation.”—Slate “Like her previous books, Lafayette strikes witty blows against the stodgy sorts of U.S. history taught in classrooms.”—The Smithsonian "The enjoyment Vowell seems to derive from poking around in America’s obscure corners is part of what makes her historical narratives vital. In tracing history’s circuitous path, she demonstrates how we got where we are today—and sheds light on where we might be heading next.”—BookPage"[Vowell is] as good at giving facts as she is at making sure you’ll retain them by telling the story in the most fascinating way possible.”—Paste
About the Author Sarah Vowell is the bestselling author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, Unfamiliar Fishes, The Wordy Shipmates, Assassination Vacation, and The Partly Cloudy Patriot.
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Most helpful customer reviews
64 of 65 people found the following review helpful. Sharply humorous, insightful, and stirring By Jaylia Sarah Vowell’s acerbic, insightful wit comes through loud and clear in this fascinating account of French General Lafayette and his role in the American Revolution, but it took me a while to adjust to her irreverent banter in print--as well as being an author Vowell is also known for her radio pieces on This American Life. This book runs almost 270 pages without any chapter breaks, and reads like the long-winded but mesmerizing stand-up routine of a highly knowledgeable, history obsessed comedian who knows how to use humor to make a point.Lafayette was still a teenager when he left his young bride behind and snuck out of France to join the American Revolution against the wishes of his family, but he ended up becoming such a key figure in the winning of the war that cities all over the country are named for him. Vowell has a special knack for revealing the personalities of the many historical figures she writes about, their foibles, revealing quirks, and strengths. Since Lafayette had a close relationship with George Washington he features prominently in the book and I really appreciated getting a clearer picture of the man behind the myth. Vowell even manages to make battles and military strategy interesting, in part by keeping her focus on the people involved, and in part by not overlooking the missteps or ironies of the situations.Vowell finds plenty of opportunities to relate the struggles of the Revolutionary period to American politics today, pointing out that many current ideological divisions and tendencies have an origin, or at least an analog, dating back to the founding of the country. The book also covers the aftereffects of the Revolutionary War in France and Britain, and the America of 1824, which was when John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson competed in a notorious presidential election and the then elderly Lafayette made a return trip to the country that was still so besotted with him that two thirds of the population of New York City welcomed him ashore. While researching the book Vowell visited historic sites in America and France and she takes readers along on those trips too, giving us her impressions of tourist destinations like Williamsburg and Valley Forge while relating what happened there in the past.In this book Vowell manages the neat trick of being both funny and stirring. She clearly loves history, and she makes it very easy to join her in that passion.
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful. What they didn't teach you in high school By Phelps Gates It's always a pleasure to see another Sarah Vowell book come out, and this is another of her highly readable efforts. Most Americans are vaguely aware that someone named Lafayette had something to do with the Revolution, and this book supplies the details, including entertaining portraits of many of the supporting characters. I had no idea that Pierre Beaumarchais (writer of the Figaro comedies that were the basis for operas by Rossini and Mozart) was instrumental in getting Lafayette to America. And in spite of being a descendant of Horatio Gates, I wasn't aware of his role in an attempt to remove Washington from command of the Continental Army (perhaps the nation's capital would now be called Gates, if he had succeeded?) Vowell's breezy, wisecracking style occasionally palls (as in her earlier books), but her often mordant comments on the current state of the union help to make the book a witty commentary both on the past and the present.
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful. Bringing America's adopted Revolutionary War hero back to life... By Cynthia K. Robertson Sarah Vowell has a way of bringing history to life with knowledge and humor, and I was thrilled to obtain her latest effort, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, through Amazon Vine. Not too long ago, I wondered why there are so many cities and towns named Fayetteville throughout the United States. When reading the history of Fayetteville, NC, I realized that all these places are named after Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette. Unfortunately, the contributions by this French citizen to our own country have been largely forgotten. So leave it to Vowell to bring Lafayette back to life in this interesting and entertaining book.Lafayette was born Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette. Mostly, he is known as the Marquis de Lafayette or just Lafayette. “The thing that drew me to Lafayette as a subject—that he was the rare object of agreement in the ironically named United States—kept me coming back to why that made him unique.” His father died when he was only two in the Seven Years’ War and he was born hating the British. When he was 19, he sailed to the United States without the knowledge of his family to offer his services to the Continental Army. His reasons were varied including a “lust for glory, the appeal of escaping his nagging in-laws, boredom with the court shenanigans of Versailles, and a head full of Enlightenment chitchat about liberty and equality.” It didn’t hurt that he was independently wealthy and agreed to serve without pay. At first he was given the rank of major general, but without any duties. But it didn’t take long for George Washington and Lafayette to form a father-son bond and General Washington soon started trusting the young Frenchman with more leadership rolls. Vowell takes us through the Revolutionary War and highlights Lafayette’s contributions in the war effort. She also covers his grand tour of American in 1824-1825, where tens of thousands of Americans came out to see him as he toured all the states then in the US, as well as visiting those friends from Revolutionary War times who were still alive including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. At the time, Lafayette was the last surviving general from the Revolutionary War.But what makes Lafayette in the Somewhat United States so good is Vowell’s humor, her impertinence and her ability to compare past to present. She travels to Brandywine, PA to see the sight of the Battle of Brandywine. She times her visit so that she is there for a Battle of Brandywine reenactment and “A Son of Liberty” puppet show about Lafayette. “I needn’t have worried about how the event planners could possibly turn a bummer like Brandywine into a celebration. If Americans can transform Memorial Day, technically a remembrance of all our war dead ever, into the official kickoff of summer, we can handle adapting one demoralizing battle into a wholesome, chipper get-together.” In 1934, FDR gave a speech before congress honoring Lafayette on the 100th anniversary of his death. FDR’s speech acknowledged “that every now and then, a bunch of backbiting blowhards like the United States Congress can temporarily come together with their president to mourn the death of one of the few people, places, or things they and their fidgety constituents have ever agreed on.”Vowell says it best when she writes that Lafayette “represented neither North nor South, East or West, left or right, Yankees or Red Sox. Lafayette has always belonged to all of us.” In her book, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, she puts him back on our national stage and gives him the prominence he deserves.
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