General and Madame de Lafayette: Partners in Liberty's Cause in the American and French Revolutions [Hardcover]

Jason Lane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 2003

This biography of French liberator Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) reveals not only how the nineteen-year-old bravely ventured to the infant United States to serve in its War of Independence, but also the iconoclast's enormous contribution to the causes of social and economic justice in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Poland. The Marquise (1759-1807), born Adrienne de Noailles, shared the same controversial beliefs as her husband, supporting and defending him wholeheartedly despite ongoing political persecution-including the Marquis's exile in an Austrian dungeon and her own imprisonment (and near-execution) by French radicals. Employing a sweeping, classical feel, and visiting landscapes including the magnificent court at Versailles, the brutal hardship of Valley Forge, and the momentous storming of the Bastille, Lane chronicles and celebrates the couple's passionate yet tumultuous relationship while documenting the birth of America, two French Revolutions, and the Napoleonic era.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Propelled through life by an unquenchable thirst for liberty and justice, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette distinguished himself in both his homeland, France, and in America by his canny leadership in the fight for freedom. Using the letters of Lafayette and his wife, Adrienne, Lane (a member of American Friends of Lafayette) provides a workmanlike hagiographic account of Lafayette's life and work. Lafayette was only 17 when he plotted to come to America to aid the colonies in their revolution; he faced resistance from his in-laws and his own lack of skill in battle and in speaking English. But he learned English on the voyage over, and when he came ashore near Charleston quickly made a name for himself as a brave and heroic leader. Lafayette became fast friends with George Washington, whom he helped to defeat Cornwallis in Virginia. He returned home a hero and began to press for the cause of liberty in France. His wife, who had supported him during his American campaign with her loving and uplifting letters, stood beside him once again. He won great support during the French Revolution, but was eventually arrested and imprisoned for his support of a constitutional monarchy. Adrienne voluntarily shared his dungeon cell for two years, contracting the illness that finally killed her. Written in a prosaic style, Lane's first book offers a detailed glimpse of French society in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as seen through the lives of two aristocrats dedicated to liberty. 13 b&w illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Though many are familiar with the legendary story of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, the young French aristocrat who fought so valiantly for the ideals of freedom during the Revolutionary War, few have heard the details of his remarkable marriage and his life after his return to France. Despite the fact that their marriage was arranged, Lafayette and Adrienne de Noailles shared a deep and abiding love. Theirs was a fortuitous union of like minds, as both shared respect for one another and a passion for the concept of political liberty. When Lafayette was exiled and imprisoned by reactionaries during the French Revolution, Adrienne took up his cause and fought tirelessly for his release. After the conclusion of the French Revolution, Lafayette continued to be politically active, lobbying ceaselessly for a constitutional monarchy. This compelling dual biography paints a vivid portrait of two extraordinary individuals who together strove to alter the political course of two great nations at a pivotal juncture in history. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; 1 edition (October 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589790189
• ISBN-13: 978-1589790186
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adrienne Lafayette her Husband's Equal, January 17, 2004

By 

martha barkley (charleston, sc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: General and Madame de Lafayette: Partners in Liberty's Cause in the American and French Revolutions (Hardcover)

After reading both Unger and Kramer on the astounding life of General Lafayette, I was very curious about his wife. This book of letters and history concerning her life of privilege and partnership is a complement to what most people know about her famous husband. Both the American and French Revolutions were pivotal in their life together of sharing their wealth to the very end. Adrienne generously gave the peasants working her land the best circumstances of the day, while Lafayette at age 18 bought and outfitted a ship to help the colonies win freedom. Three daughters and a son were born while the General was going back and forth across the Atlantic to muster more help from the French for the new nation. Their only son was named George Washington Lafayette and he escaped being imprisoned due to his mother's clever arrangement. Before she joined her husband in prison voluntarily, she snuck her son out of France to be raised for several years by Martha and George Washington. Lafayette's two daughters also joined their father in prison. When Lafayette was not allowed to enter France, his wife pursued their family interests in war torn Paris and environs. She regained La Grange for Lafayette's retirement. He survived Adrienne by almost 30 years at this lovely chateaux and never remarried. She died at 50 due to her illness contracted at the prison where she decided to join her beloved husband. Many relatives were guillotined, so Adrienne arranged their burial site at Picpus Cemetery to be close to the thousands dumped in a mass grave. An American flag flys over their grave for they were both truely "Partners in Liberty's Cause." Lafayette took a triumphal tour of all the United States and returned to France with American soil to spread over their graves. Both equal partners and generous souls.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Life, Excellent research and writing, March 10, 2004

By 

Terry Kirker (Whittier, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: General and Madame de Lafayette: Partners in Liberty's Cause in the American and French Revolutions (Hardcover)

After all that's been written about Lafayette, this book was a complete surprise. It added much to read of his wife's devotion and abilities and their lifelong relationship. It also places them in history, and by reading their letters, you are introduced to them directly. This book is not only entertaining but scholarly. Should be in every college library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book concerning the Marquis de Lafayette, July 29, 2010

By 

Rex P. Cowan (Winter Haven, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: General and Madame de Lafayette: Partners in Liberty's Cause in the American and French Revolutions (Hardcover)

I cannot say enough about this fascinating book. It resulted in my visiting the Marquis' grave in Paris and arranging to have a new flagpole placed there, on which a new American flag is installed each July 4 as it has benn since the Marquis' death.