22 November 2015

Review: Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Sarah Vowell's take on history since I found Assassination Vacation however many years ago. So it's been difficult for me to figure out what it is about this that feels like a miss.

Lafayette being the French general who was one of the instrumental cogs in the successful American Revolution, this sort of attempts to get inside his contributions a bit more. In a sense, he's a compelling figure, but he's also perhaps a little misunderstood.

So why did this fall a little flat for me? Maybe it's because I've read so much Revolutionary stuff over the years? Maybe he's just not compelling enough for this sort of treatment? Maybe I might be over Vowell's approach altogether?

I honestly don't know. But this is the first time I've read a Vowell book and didn't leave happy. I won't say to skip it, but maybe wait on it a bit.

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