School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-This study of the marquis de Lafayette, emphasizing his service in the Revolutionary War, is a gorgeously illustrated, beautifully laid out production in an oversized format. Each spread contains at least one painting, drawing, or photograph, often in color. Freedman is a skillful, compelling writer and includes many interesting details and quotations. Unfortunately, there are no maps; one of battle sites and other significant places would be extremely helpful. Freedman includes a detailed bibliography, but his footnotes are not always consistently referenced, most likely due to different sources consulted. Still, the book as a whole is excellent, and there is little available on Lafayette for this age group. Jean Fritz's Why Not, Lafayette? (Putnam, 1999) is an enjoyable biography that more thoroughly covers the general's entire life; however, it has line drawings, no footnotes or maps, and leaves unanswered questions.-Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Newbery Medalist Freedman, biographer and historian to the young, employs his easy-to-read style in chronicling the life of Gen. Gilbert de Lafayette, an unlikely but key player in the American Revolution. Opening with Lafayette's dramatic, secretive departure from France, the author seizes readers' attention up front and holds it with a straightforward narrative that relies on quotations and anecdotes from Lafayette's unconventional life. The book's 10 chapters recount how the aristocratic Frenchman, who disdained court life and craved battlefield glory, came to the aid of the Continental Army and ended up one of George Washington's closest associates and friends. Reprints of drawings and colorful portraits break up the text and put faces to some of the myriad names. From Lafayette's mostly fatherless childhood and military career to his exile for his part in the French Revolution and his final, vindicated days, audiences receive a multidimensional view of the general, who once referred to himself as "an American, after all-just returned from a long visit to Europe." A time line, source notes, bibliography, and index complete this thorough account. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Lafayette, a nobleman in the French court, risked it all -- his reputation, his wealth, and his life -- to aid the American cause of liberty. Granted an honorary commission as a general, he soon won the admiration and respect of his colleagues and grew into a genuine position of leadership. He also grew into a fond relationship with his adopted country that did not diminish with the passing years. Indeed, he was immediately memorialized in various place names in America; still later, when the first Americans landed in France during World War I, their first order of business was to make a pilgrimage to Lafayette's burial place, where the commanding officer "stood before the grave, saluted, and announced: Lafayette, we are here." And yet Lafayette's status as a symbol of Franco-American friendship is not his only legacy. He also played a prominent role in the French Revolution, penning the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and had a long career in French politics. The narrative, written with all of the author's characteristic grace and clarity, presents in Lafayette an outsider's perspective on the American Revolution; in doing so, Freedman illuminates its connection to the revolutions that would happen all over the world in the coming century. Illustrated with color photographs; a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and an index are appended. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Biography. 10 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Inspired by an idealistic belief in the cause of liberty and a determination to prove himself worthy on the battlefield, Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, left his young wife and daughter, ignored a royal order, crossed the ocean to America, and took up a commission in the Continental army. Lafayette's courage and personal charm endeared him to Washington, who gradually gave him more difficult missions, culminating in the containment of Cornwallis' troops at Yorktown. Returning to France, Lafayette called for a constitutional monarchy but was accused of treason and imprisoned during the French Revolution. After his citizenship was restored, he continued speaking out for political freedom. In this solidly researched and smoothly written biography, Freedman creates a vivid portrait of Lafayette as he matures from an impetuous young man and inexperienced solider to a leader capable of wisdom as well as valor. Scenes on the battlefield are balanced with a nuanced portrayal of his filial relationship with Washington. A moving final scene takes place, surprisingly, in 1917. Handsomely designed with a spacious format and good use of color, the book includes many clearly reproduced paintings and prints. A time line, source notes, and a selected bibliography of sources are appended in this look at one of our Revolution's most intriguing heroes.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist