Lafayette In The Somewhat United States

(Paperback)

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From the bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous and insightful account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette - the one Frenchman America could all agree on - and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality. A fascinating alternative US civil war story, from a writer who specialises in obscure political history.

Reviews

"[A] freewheeling history of the Revolutionary War... Vowell points out that Lafayette was for a time 'a national obsession.'"The New Yorker

Vowell wanders through the history of the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath, using Lafayettes involvement in the war as a map, and bringing us all along in her perambulationsHer prose sparkles.The New York Times Book Review

[Vowell] takes an open and observant 'Hey, thats nuts' stance toward past and present, which results in a book thats informative, funny and insightful. TIME

Gilded with snark, buoyant on charm, Vowell's brand of history categorically refuses to take itself or any of its subjects too seriously.At once light-footed and light-hearted, her histories are dare I say it fun. And Lafayette is no different. Even amid defeats... Vowell emerges from the Revolutionary War with an unabashed smile on her face. I'd be surprised if her reader doesn't, too. NPR

"[Vowell] turns the dusty chronicle of American history into a lively mash up and then, playing the history nerd, delivers her stories in her flat funny voice. The National Book Review

Sarah Vowell turns her keen eye and droll wit to the American Revolution in her latest historical venture, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States Vowell, of course, doesn't just give us the highlights; she offers a portrait of [Lafayette] and his older contemporaries, with whom he found friendship, glory, and endless bickering. Cosmopolitan

You cant beat Sarah Vowell for quirky chronicles of American history's dark side.Chicago Reader

Vowell takes on American history as only she can, this time with the story of Frenchman theMarquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero. USA Today

To impress the history buff at the table, read Vowells (ever the expert in, really, everything) in-depth and irreverent account of George Washingtons decorated general Lafayette, which also looks to our own political climate for context.Marie Claire

Nobody recounts American history the way Sarah Vowell does, with irreverence and humor and quirky details history and facts, but also entertainment. [Lafayette in the Somewhat United States] is about the friendship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, but in Vowells inimitable style it is also firmly grounded in the present.Minneapolis Star Tribune

Here's one historian who is a born storyteller.Philadelphia Inquirer

Vowells rollicking, sly humor is the perfect spoonful of sugar to down with her intensive research and historical insight. Huffington Post

If you ever wanted an insightful and entertaining look at the friendship between George Washington and his French aristocrat general Marquis de Lafayette, this book by Sarah Vowellshould be on your list." Kansas City Star

Vowell's sort of the Quentin Tarantino of popular history: She weaves pop culture and real life into her narrative, breaking down the barriers that keep history buried in the past."The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Vowell is especially skilled at making detours seem natural and relevant, including in this case a swing by the boyhood home of Bruce Springsteen, which was in the neighborhood of a battle site and, hey, a historical landmark in its own right (plus, she adds, one of the Bosss relatives was a Revolutionary soldier) An intoxicating blend of humor and emotional weight.The AV Club

What so funny about American History A lot, when it's Sarah Vowell telling the story.Omnivoriacious

Lafayette is lucky he has Sarah Vowell in his court.New Republic

"With laugh-out-loud humor and her characteristic snark, Vowell makes this walk through history a walk in the park."The Washington Post

"A whopping canvas as choreographed as a graphic novel. Vowell brings a learned, wiseacre hand to this work, full of its own brio and dash, and with that legerdemain that finds you embracing history."B&N Review

Sarah Vowell books are equal parts incisive and laugh-out-loud funny.Inside Higher Ed

[Vowell] is wonderful at showing the way history can be a conversation between the past and present.Sophisticated Dorkiness

"An engaging reminder that America has never been anything but a (somewhat) dysfunctional country." Washington Monthly

Sarah Vowell is that hip high-school history teacher everyone wanted to have She has a gift for the kind of description that seals an image in the readers imagination.Columbus Dispatch

When it comes to weird basic facts, all you have to do is turn on a presidential debate to remind yourself of the irreconcilable paradoxes and contemptuous rifts at the highest levels of American public life. [This] is one of those books that reminds us things have been this way since the beginning.The Stranger

Author Sarah Vowell has a unique voice both in reality and in her reality Vowell takes a rather wry look at history under any circumstance, applying her modern and political perspectives to her topics.Gabbing Geek

Vowell has mined American history for surprising and amusing insights into the heart of the nation.Slate

Like her previous books, Lafayette strikes witty blows against the stodgy sorts of U.S. history taught in classrooms.The Smithsonian

"The enjoyment Vowell seems to derive from poking around in Americas obscure corners is part of what makes her historical narratives vital. In tracing historys circuitous path, she demonstrates how we got where we are todayand sheds light on where we might be heading next.BookPage

"[Vowell is]as good at giving facts as she is at making sure youll retain them by telling the story in the most fascinating way possible.Paste

Author Bio

Sarah Vowell is the bestselling author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States,Unfamiliar Fishes,The Wordy Shipmates,Assassination Vacation, andThe Partly Cloudy Patriot. From the Hardcover edition.