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  • Hero of Two Worlds

  • The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution
  • By: Mike Duncan
  • Narrated by: Mike Duncan
  • Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (179 ratings)

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Hero of Two Worlds

By: Mike Duncan
Narrated by: Mike Duncan
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Publisher's Summary

From the best-selling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes the thrilling story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equality.

Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over 50 incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist.

As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830.

From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear.

©2021 Mike Duncan (P)2021 PublicAffairs

Critic Reviews

“Comprehensive and accessible.... Duncan marshals a wealth of information into a crisp and readable narrative. This sympathetic portrait illuminates the complexities of Lafayette and his revolutionary era.” (Publishers Weekly)

"Mike Duncan's ability to weave a rich and compelling story is on full display in Hero of Two Worlds. He takes the reader on a gripping roller-coaster ride that follows the Marquis de Lafayette's fortunes through decades of victory, defeat, and revolution on two continents.... Duncan has an exceptional eye for both human potential and human fallibility, grasping the qualities that make figures like Lafayette real, three-dimensional people, simultaneously victims of circumstance and active participants driving forward the course of history. Hero of Two Worlds is biography and narrative at its best, an informative page-turner crafted by a master of historical storytelling." (Patrick Wyman, creator of Tides of History and author of The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years That Shook the World)

"I first learned of Mike Duncan's work when a prominent politician told me he'd been addicted to his podcast on the French Revolution, and found it startlingly relevant in 2021. Duncan's work is a reminder that history can also be a gripping yarn full of compelling characters, and in Hero of Two Worlds he brings alive one of the great characters of American history." (Ben Smith, New York Times)

What listeners say about Hero of Two Worlds

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Wow.

Wow. Such an amazing story. So well told.
I'd heard of the Marquis de Lafayette while learning about the French revolution. Now I feel like I know him.

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A man who tried to hold the sane centre

As our own era becomes more and more polarised, Lafayette stands as a helpful example of someone who tried to hold the sane centre.

Mike Duncan makes history accessible like few others, so he is an excellent guide.

Enjoy!

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What a rollercoaster life!

Loved it, fascinating from start to finish. Lafayette had such an action packed life and met all the key players in his era - Washington, Hamilton, Louis XVI, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, even Simon Bolivar got a few letters.... Plus he was neck deep in 3 different revolutions. There's even a prison break subplot. Sometimes I had to stop to remind myself this was real rather than fictional....

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Great story of an extraordinary figure

Great biography by the producer of the famous History of Rome and Revolutions podcasts. Great to hear how he weaves ideas from those two extraordinary podcasts into the story of someone who played a part in some of the influential moments of European and US history.

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Intriguing

A great yarn leaving the two sides of the marguis’ circumstances behaviour and morals exposed.

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Long awaited and worth every minute

This is a wonderful book. Mike’s words had me in tears. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Recommend it highly!

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Just Fantastic!

If you've listened to Mike before on his podcasts you'll love this, it's more of the same but perhaps even better with it focused on a individual more than a event or empire. If you've never heard of Mike and just have an interest in history, strap yourself in for a fantastic and emotional journey through the life of one of historys most famous revolutionaries.

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Totally Fascinating

It’s Mike Duncan, enough said. Amazed by how instrumental Lafayette was across the history of so many countries across such a long time. One of those characters who pops up in so many stories, like a Winston Churchill or William Marshall. Totally excellent!

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Always good

Listen to his podcasts which are great. No surprise this is great too. So good

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another incredible book by Mike Duncan

Mike's ability to bring the history alive is incredible, he does so with balance, precision and passion. This book was able to show how incredible Lafayette was, without shying away from his many flaws.

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