Lafayette!

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8

by Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale brings readers back to the world of the American Revolution for the first time since One Dead Spy—but this time, he’s following the Marquis de Lafayette into battle. An orphan who became a French nobleman, Lafayette was a major figure in the American Revolution who fought alongside iconic figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Fans of the musical Hamilton will instantly recognize Lafayette’s name, but there’s so much more to his story. With Nathan Hale’s trademark graphic illustrations, Lafayette! shares what happened before and during the war, including all the wild escapades the Frenchman embarked on across France and the colonies. Both gruesome and hilarious, Lafayette! takes you on a roaring journey and will have even the most reluctant reader excited about the American history.
 

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Biography, Historical, Childrens

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2018

About the author

Nathan Hale is the New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of the Hazardous Tales series, as well as many picture books including Yellowbelly and Plum go to School, the Twelve Bots of Christmas and The Devil You Know.

He is the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel, Calamity Jack. He also illustrated Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, Animal House and many others.

(He is not the author of Extinction Earth or the other apocalyptic titles listed. That's a different Nathan Hale. If someone with "librarian" status would disambiguate those titles for me, I'd appreciate it.)

Learn more at www.spacestationnathan.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course it was good! And hilarious! And educational! And I can't believe that his wife Adrienne's hair really DID look like that!

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ev'ryone give it up for America's favorite fighting Frenchman!"

Anyone who loves the Hamilton musical will probably get a kick out of this biography of one of its most charismatic characters. Lafayette! is another super entry in Nathan Hale's truly awesome history series.

Bonus: There's a short history of Benedict Arnold's betrayal included.

[Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series returns to its Revolutionary War roots in this book. This story is stronger than the last two books in this series because it focuses on a single character, which allows the character enough development for readers to get attached to him. Lafayette, as portrayed here, is a fun and vibrant character that readers can sympathize with.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

View pre-revolution era France and the colonies mid revolution in this tale focused on Lafayette. Although this is a graphic novel, it contains a large amount of information. We begin with the death of Lafayette's father (in a war with the British). His childhood in France trains him for battle and stokes the anti-British sentiments he was born with. When he is finally able to sail to the colonies (love the graphics that were always used to show Lafayette sailing across the Atlantic), he meets General Washington and establishes a rapport that lasts throughout the war. The bravery and tenacity of Lafayette were most definitely a huge help in victory. Would like to see a Lafayette 2.0 and learn more about the French Revolution.

[Diana Martocci]

Amazing book, I thought i would be a little odd but like they say don't judge a book by its cover. I am a big fan of history and it was really cool to read a book about history that is a graphic novel. This is an awesome book and if you get the chance, you should totally read it. i think the theme of this book is to believe in your self and to look up to the wise because he looked up to his father and fought and was a hero to many in his land

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Another great addition to this fantastic series. I learned a thing or two and I certainly hope there is a sequal to this one. I would definitely like to become more familiar with Lafayette's involvement in the French Revolution.

[Lindsay Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good I liked how it was very historically accurate.

[Stephanie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun entry in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series. This volume tells the story of Frenchman Lafayette and how he was instrumental in pushing the Americans to fight off the British in the American Revolutionary War. Lots of battles, which I’m not generally interested in, but Hale makes them adventurous and humorous. Can’t beat that combination! Another recommendation for this great history series!

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best graphic novel

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite of the all of the Nathan Hales Hazardous Tales. I highly recommend this series for ages 13 and up.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Hale has a way with history. He tells the stories in such a way that young readers can at least begin to understand what happened. Of course, it's hard to get into historical events and people in real depth in a graphic novel, but for young readers it's generally the action that matters most anyway. And if there is one thing that Hale's Hazardous Tales series has it's action and plenty of it. This volume focuses on the role that the Marquis de Lafayette played in the American Revolution. Although the story does start with his father's death in battle, followed not long afterwards by his mother's death, and his guardian's. His enthusiasm and interest in the military began early and his natural exuberance and courage made him a natural leader. Not that he always played by the rules. But he developed a bond with Washington and proved to be a valuable asset when it came time to fight. He also played a role in getting the French to provide both troops and supplies to the American effort (even though he apparently also impeded his countrymen in their plot to take over the colonies). Once again, Hale tells a tale of daring-do with lots of action and interesting characters.

[orangerful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously, this is the easy one to sell to your upper elementary/middle/high school 'Hamilton' fans that want to know more about the fastest rapper of the revolutionary war! Hale covers the first half of Lafayette's life, stopping right at the French Revolution because that would be a whole other book (oh and I DO hope he does that one too!!)

There is also a mini-comic in the middle about Benedict Arnold because history is connected people so these guys all met up with each other! I would be nice to get a full comic book about Arnold, but kids can just read The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery for the whole messy story.

And for any adult that wrinkles their nose when I suggest a comic book as a great read, this book was DENSE! I mean, the pictures helped keep everyone straight in my head, but there was SO much information. Do not doubt this format! I learned a lot about this man and the American Revolution!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lafayette (Hazardous Tales) by Nathan Hale, 127 pages. GRAPHIC NON-FICTION. Amulet, 2018. $14.

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (war scenes, some dead)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Meet the Marquis de LaFayette – friend to the American colonists as they fought against England during the Revolutionary War.

Hale uses his familiar graphic novel style, with plenty of pizzazz, some blood, and a healthy dash of excitement to tell the tale. This one is a bit more confusing – mostly because LaFayette is less familiar to American children. I really wish these books were a larger format – better to see and enjoy the illustrations. But every single one of them is highly popular.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A fine bit of all-ages history illustrated with charm, but not quite as good to me as the past Nathan Hale books. It briefly covers Lafayette’s teen years in France before coming over to America to assist in the Revolutionary War, but the majority of this book covers his involvement in the US. His story certainly matches the sort of lesser-known history with popular name recognition Hale has covered with this series, but the specifics this time end up so often being foiled or otherwise dashed plans that end up feeling indistinct and more like a series of “this happened, so they had to wait a bit, and then this happened, so they had to wait again.” There’s also far less of the schematic/infographic panels that are typically interspersed in past NHHT books, which are always a personal highlight.

This is still a good book, just one of the lesser ones in the series so far.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put off reading this book for quite a while now. I was reading different books and meant to come back and never did. Funny book about umm.... Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette. It was nicely pieced together, but sometimes Hale would go off on a almost but not quite irrelevant story like the one about The Beast of Gevaudan. Great book and a fun read for middle schoolers .

[Brevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Hale does it again!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing! I utterly loved this! Nathan Hale does an amazing job in this Hazardous Tales addition which covers America's Favorite Fighting Frenchman, Lafayette!

The portrayal of Lafayette is utterly hilarious. An outgoing young man, eager for glory, to make his mark on the world, this book is a great introduction to the man for younger readers, as well as a great introduction to the American Revolution overall. The artwork is perfect as well, and greatly adds to the humor of many of the situations Lafayette finds himself in.

Perhaps my only quibble is that I had hoped to see the issue of slavery addressed a bit more. There is one scene where Thomas Jefferson tells Lafayette that the "people of Virginia are free" (p. 109) with a slave standing at their table pouring them wine and an aside pointing out the blatant hypocrisy of Jefferson's statement. Still, I had hoped to see a bit of something that pertained to Lafayette's own views on slavery. The story of James Armistead Lafayette would have been an interesting addition, particularly if it's pointed out how James Armistead Lafayette served under Lafayette in the lead up to Yorktown and through the battle itself, and how the man later secured his freedom with Lafayette's support.

That aside, the book was wonderful! Definitely worth a read!

[Mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a great book and a great history of Lafayette and many laughs and also a very truth fool book about Lafayette. And making a joke about it I would rate it for ages 7 and up to read an interesting book and for people who like war history.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan Halen hasardihommat keskittyvät tällä kertaa markiisi Lafayatten (1757-1834) elämänvaiheisiin. Sarjakuva alkaa lupaavasti ja esimerkiksi Gévaudanin petoa käsittelevä sivupolku on todella mielenkiintoinen. Loppupuolen sotakuvaus ei tee yhtä suurta vaikutusta, ja kaiken lisäksi päähenkilön myöhemmät elämänvaiheet jätetään kokonaan hämärän peittoon. No, toivoa sopii, että tekijä laajentaa joskus historiallis-maantieteellistä karttaansa vaikka Ranskan vallankumoukseen!

Sarjassa on julkaistu parempiakin albumeita, mutta silti tämän lukemisen jälkeen tekee mieli kohottaa katse taivaaseen ja lausua hiljainen pyyntö, että jonakin päivänä myös Suomen historiaa voitaisiin kertoa yhtä hauskasti ja mieleenpainuvasti sarjakuvamuodossa.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd think it would be difficult to read much about the Revolutionary War without being at least somewhat intrigued by the character of Lafayette, even before seeing him brought to life so charismatically by Daveed Diggs in Hamilton. So I found this graphic novel adaptation of his life both interesting and fun. It also does, at times, provide some background to events portrayed in Act 1 of Hamilton, as well as interesting side stories like a mini-comic about Benedict Arnold. My kids enjoyed it too, and it's basically the second half of the Revolutionary War story that began in One Dead Spy.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few joys in my life greater than a new Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tale. Lafayette continues the sterling tradition of excellence in this series if only minorly less interesting because Lafayette was sort of a side character in the Revolutionary War. An important side character! But so many of Hale's stories about Lafayette featured other fascinating characters that it was hard to keep my mind on the main guy. Still! Lafayette is a charming, informative read that will delight any fan of these Hazardous Tales.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: This title page would be better with sound effects. Whang! Klang! Shing! Slice! Stab!

Premise/plot: Nathan Hale is still prolonging his life by telling stories to his two executioners. The story he is sharing with them today is of Major General Lafayette, a Frenchman who came to help Americans fight for their independence from Britain, a good friend to many of our founding fathers including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, etc. It is set in France, America, and Canada. Nathan Hale's STORY of Lafayette ends with the American Revolution. This book does NOT in any way cover Lafayette's involvement in the French Revolution. What it does cover are many, many battles in the American Revolution.

My thoughts: I really have loved this graphic novel series. Nathan Hale doesn't just tell stories about the American Revolution, though in this case he does. He also tells entertaining, adventure stories from many different wars, conflicts, and battles. OR even episodes in history like the DONNER PARTY, the underground railroad, or the exploration of the Grand Canyon. The series could go on for quite a while since Nathan Hale is in no rush to get to his own execution.

I will say that the size of the font seems to have shrunk since the last time I read and reviewed one of the series. Surely it's not just my eye sight?! Okay. It could be just my eye sight. There were days when I couldn't even read it with squinting. But eventually I did get through all of it! It was a good read though perhaps not as compelling as some of the other books in the series.

[Mark]

I am an unrepentant and unabashed fan of the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. Ostensibly children's books, these graphic novels are beautifully constructed and based in serious research. They are almost impossible to put down, and Lafayette is no exception. I have read them all and will eventually post reviews but the reviews will all be the same: "The book is amazing, read it immediately!" My children have read each of the dozen or so volumes multiple times. In addition to the great historiography and clever humor, the graphic storytelling is a master class, on par with history comics of Larry Gonick, Robert Crumb, and Hunt Emerson.

[Hannah Galler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun way to learn a little bit more about the Marquis de Lafayette! Also, if anyone is looking for something to get a boy into reading and they like history, this series might be a great recommendation! It's obviously geared towards kids, but it was informative and has a whole slew of people from history in it. It also made me love "everyone's favorite fighting Frenchman" a little more. I didn't realize what a total bada$$ he really was!

[Rachel Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to like this book, but it suffers from inaccuracy and trying-to-cash-in-on-Hamilton-itis.

The final straw for me was seeming to imply that Lafayette led the French Revolution at the end of the book, when the reality is more messy and the French Revolution led to the deaths of his family members, including his brother in law, if memory serves.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales that I've read, and I really like the books in these series! They provide important historical information in a way that it is entertaining (to both kids and adults). The humor and illustrations are great as well. I learned a lot about Lafayette and the Revolutionary War, and some other random facts, such as the mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since so much of Lafayette’s story is about military strategy, it was an almost guarantee I’d find this a snooze. But, as usual, Hale is so good at adding little winks and nods along the way. I loved the Benedict Arnold mini-hazardous tale contained inside.

[Donnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Hale's latest historical graphic novel, loaned to me by a student who is a reading maniac. Enjoyed it much. I love that these books inspire my students to dive deeper into history. They have learned to go to more than one source to seek a better picture of history, to look at many perspectives. Hale's graphic novels are a good starting point for jumping into the Big Book of History.

[Issac]

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great companion to Sarah Vowell's biography, like revisiting an old friend.