An upbeat biography of the great French American patriot who channeled his zeal into a formidable force of leadership…. An inspiring introduction to the beloved general.
December 1, 2010
Leepson’s concise biography concentrates on Lafayette's military and diplomatic accomplishments during the American and French Revolutions.… Drawing from a number of historical sources, including Lafayette’s own memoirs, Leepson gives this most restless man an affectionate and engrossing portrait.
January 24, 2011
Leepson, whose work can often be found in newspapers and magazines, is also the author of “Saving Monticello,” “Flag” and “Desperate Engagement.” His eye for the telling detail and his devotion to journalistic brevity shine in all his work, and his affectionate “Lafayette” is the latest example.
Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 6, 2011
Lafayette is a fast paced biography…, it is packed with interesting facts about a man to whom America owes much. The author chooses to conduct his ‘lessons’ through the way he recounts Lafayette’s many and major contributions to the cause of liberty in America and France. Consequently, it doesn’t read like a lecture, but rather as a high level, but surprisingly complete biography. The book is less than 200 pages and makes for quick reading….
“Leepson covers Lafayette’s political activities in France at a break-neck pace (fine for our purposes…), and portrays a man deeply committed to the cause of freedom, but at the same time one that is eminently practical in his realization that France was not suited for the American system of government….
“Leepson does a creditable job of summing up Lafayette’s accomplishments in his brief concluding chapter. He points out that the marquis “More than any other individual…” was… “responsible for securing vital French financial and military support for the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
