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Noel Bertram Gerson
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Statue in Search of a Pedestal: A Biography of the Marquis De Lafayette (Heroes and Villains from American History) Kindle Edition

by Noel B. Gerson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 96 ratings
An impressive biography of the Marquis de Lafayette – rebel, reformist, revolutionary.

An ideal book for readers who wish to find out more about the remarkable life of the French nobleman who fought in the American Revolutionary War and was hailed a hero on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Liberty for all is worth any sacrifice.” So said Gilbert Motier de Lafayette, the French visionary who championed freedom and equality, but whose devotion to the cause of democratic government came at a great personal sacrifice.

Born into one of the oldest and most honorable aristocratic families in France, as a teenager the idealistic Lafayette volunteered to fight under George Washington for America’s independence in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, a decisive victory which brought him lasting military renown and made him one of the true heroes of the American Revolution.

A natural leader of men, both on and off the battlefield, as commander of France’s National Guard Lafayette risked his own life to save those of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. Yet the role ultimately placed him in a position of conflict between the monarchy and the nobility, and, branded “a traitor to his class,” he was forced to flee the country he loved and had served with unselfish distinction.

Captured and imprisoned in the Austrian fortress of Olmütz for five years – his devoted wife Adrienne choosing to join him in captivity – Lafayette returned to France after Napoleon Bonaparte secured his release in 1797, though he refused to participate in Napoleon’s dictatorial government.

Elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1818 following two decades in political exile, Lafayette continued to fight for freedom of speech, press, assemblage, and worship, arguing that these were rights that belonged to all people and could not rightly be taken from them by any government.

Drawing on contemporary material, including private letters and Lafayette’s own memoirs, Noel B. Gerson paints a vivid picture of a man of physical and moral courage, whose fight for the cause of liberty earned him the title the “Hero of Two Worlds”.

Statue in Search of a Pedestal is an engrossing biography of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to protect the principles of democracy, told through the lens of the three revolutions he participated in: the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Revolution of 1830.
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  1. Part of series
    Heroes and Villains from American History
  2. Print length
    165 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    July 11, 2021
  6. File size
    1.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097RDB6L9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 11, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 165 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1800553101
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Heroes and Villains from American History
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 96 ratings

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Noel Bertram Gerson

Noel Bertram Gerson

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4.6 out of 5 stars
96 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Randall Aragon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Randall’s Review
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Excellent read!

    Noel Gerson did a phenomenal job on this work of literary genius! A must read for executives in leadership roles.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fighter for freedom
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I liked the personal facts good and not so flattering being written along with the French and American history. I would highly recommend this to readers of history.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars True hero
    Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Fantastic story of an amazing man
    I had no idea that he played such a large part in the American war of independence
    So damned interesting
    I salute you Lafayette
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  • Jpf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Very well written. Couldn’t put this down. Author did a great job objectively portraying Lafayette, his life, and his place in history.
    One person found this helpful
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  • William L. Rowe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insight and understanding France and the United States
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A very readable biography of a man personifying Frame and the United States his support from the US after the French Revolution may have been unique.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bill Delphenich
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    All good!
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  • Richard Subber
    3.0 out of 5 stars A breezy and dispensable biography
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
    Format: Hardcover
    I’m a modestly experienced reader of Lafayette biographies, so I’ll acknowledge that Gerson entertains by re-stating the obvious: Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de la Fayette was a national, military, political and, indeed, a paternal hero to millions in America and France during the American and (several) French revolutions.

    There is no doubt that, despite the fact that he was one of the richest French nobles of his time, he was publicly and privately dedicated to republican government and a social/economic order that was far more egalitarian than the monarchical and aristocratic structures that prevailed.

    Was Lafayette a great man? Gerson, like many of his biographers, says yes. Lafayette was a courageous battlefield leader, he was an enlightened manorial lord who enhanced the lives of his peasants, and he was both outspoken and fearless, repeatedly, in literally dangerous political situations for a couple decades in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. Gerson, like other Lafayette biographers, repeatedly attests to these lifelong characteristics of the man Americans called “our Marquis.”

    I feel obliged to call attention to some countervailing factors that Gerson describes but does not adequately interpret in Statue in Search of a Pedestal.

    Lafayette put his money where his mouth was. He repeatedly used his great personal wealth to pay and outfit the troops he commanded, when government funds and supplies ran low. I suggest a case could be made that the Marquis, almost uniquely among American commanders, paid for his military success in the Revolutionary War. Throughout the war, the options and operations of colonial commanders were significantly hindered by short funds and short supplies. If Lafayette had not been able to pay, feed, clothe and arm his troops with his personal resources, could he have been as winning a general as he was? I suspect the answer is “No.”

    Some biographers refer to Lafayette as the “victor” at Yorktown in 1781. Gerson says that Lafayette’s campaigning in Virginia in the spring and summer of 1781 “was largely responsible for the American victory at Yorktown.” Lafayette was not the only American general at Yorktown, and he wasn’t the only French general; in fact, it was manifestly an American and French victory at Yorktown. Lafayette did use his small force to isolate Cornwallis in Yorktown, but he had to wait until Washington, Rochambeau, de Grasse and others arrived with sufficient land and naval forces before he participated in the final assaults.

    In France he repeatedly declined to step up to the plate and take executive leadership, during the revolutionary and Napoleonic convulsions, when the French people and the contentious military/political factions would have handed the throne or the presidency of France to him on a velvet pillow. The Marquis repeatedly risked his life to defuse explosive situations by his personal, courageous intervention. However, Gerson fastidiously details Lafayette’s repeated reluctance to take the final step and take control when, arguably, he could have stabilized dangerous situations, and forestalled or prevented catastrophic consequences, by doing so. Lafayette wasn’t responsible for the violence, but, time after time, he left a void that was unfortunately filled by lesser men.

    Was Lafayette a great man? Yes. A successful general? Yes. Was he a really lucky guy? Yes. Did he and his reputation benefit immensely from great wealth and fortuitous circumstance? Yes. Did he live up to his potential in serving France and the French nation? Maybe not.

    For my taste, Statue in Search of a Pedestal is a breezy and dispensable biography of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de la Fayette. Gerson was a prolific writer (325 books during his lifetime). This one is not one of his well-remembered works. It is a quick and easy read, especially if the absence of footnotes doesn’t bother you.
    Read more of my book reviews here:
    richardsubber.com
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Gary Puckett
    1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, I collect only books complete
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Book did not have cover jacket. Disappointed, I collect only books complete.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jeremy M. Kriewaldt
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good summary
    Reviewed in Australia on March 8, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am still left with an impression of a man who never quite understood how difficult others found it to understand his views
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  • Patatuille
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not objective
    Reviewed in Spain on December 4, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A hagiography: Lafayette is presented as a shining hero, and everything he did was in the name of virtue and honor.... The prose is good though.

    Enjoyable as fiction
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