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The Hero Returns: Lafayette and the Legacy of Revolution
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jun 26The return of a revered revolutionary and the meaning of independence in a divided nation―in the 1820s and today
In 1824, the legendary French hero of the American Revolution, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, commenced an epic tour of the United States at the invitation of President James Monroe. On this thirteen-month trip across all twenty-four states, Lafayette (1757–1834) witnessed an evolving young nation grappling with its ideals, achievements, and challenges: a contested yet peaceful presidential election, engineering marvels like the Erie Canal, and the persistent tragedy of slavery. Journalist and historian Richard Brookhiser shows us what Lafayette saw on this storied adventure through the fifty-year-old republic―the hoopla, oratory, journalism, struggle, failure, and idealism.
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, Brookhiser invites readers to ponder the same critical question posed by Lafayette and his contemporaries: How well has America upheld the promise of its revolution? With vivid storytelling and acute insight, Brookhiser reflects on an era marked by triumph and turbulence―an era with compelling parallels to the present―and offers enduring lessons on liberty and democracy.
In 1824, the legendary French hero of the American Revolution, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, commenced an epic tour of the United States at the invitation of President James Monroe. On this thirteen-month trip across all twenty-four states, Lafayette (1757–1834) witnessed an evolving young nation grappling with its ideals, achievements, and challenges: a contested yet peaceful presidential election, engineering marvels like the Erie Canal, and the persistent tragedy of slavery. Journalist and historian Richard Brookhiser shows us what Lafayette saw on this storied adventure through the fifty-year-old republic―the hoopla, oratory, journalism, struggle, failure, and idealism.
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, Brookhiser invites readers to ponder the same critical question posed by Lafayette and his contemporaries: How well has America upheld the promise of its revolution? With vivid storytelling and acute insight, Brookhiser reflects on an era marked by triumph and turbulence―an era with compelling parallels to the present―and offers enduring lessons on liberty and democracy.
248 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 7, 2026
9 people want to read
About the author
Richard Brookhiser
33 books126 followersRichard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father (Free Press 1996), is a senior editor at National Review and a columnist for The New York Observer.
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