Praise for Revolutionary Brothers:
"Chaffin has emerged with a text packed with facts and insights into both men as well as the tumultuous times in which they lived. A must-have." —Kirkus Reviews
“Compulsively readable…[a] worthy history.”—Publishers Weekly
"A compelling narrative of an epic—and unlikely—friendship from the Enlightenment era, enlivened by bracing plot-turns and vividly-drawn characters...a fascinating read." —Walter S. Isaacson, bestselling author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
“A dual biography, exquisite in its execution, that opens wonderful old trapdoors connecting two great nations. In Chaffin’s deft hands, we see how this dynamic duo literally made history together, shaping the raw material of a young nation while testing the possibilities—and limits—of a trans-Atlantic friendship that was lasting and true.” —Hampton Sides, bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and On Desperate Ground
"Beautifully constructed and impressively balanced in its judgements on both men...a gripping read throughout.” —Munro Price, historian and award-winning author of The Road from Versailles
"A remarkable story of two men and two revolutions...original and important...written with flair and grace." —Frank Cogliano, professor and author of Empire of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson's Foreign Policy (Yale University Press)
“Tom Chaffin’s well-told tale of two revolutions centers on the fascinating, sometimes intersecting careers of Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette...Chaffin is a reliable and engaging guide as he takes us on a page-turning journey through tumultuous times.” —Peter S. Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Virginia
“The key roles of two men who helped launch two revolutions that reshaped the Atlantic world in 1776 and 1789 and their friendship over almost half a century have found a worthy historian in Tom Chaffin...[a] dramatic story.” —Professor James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
Praise for Tom Chaffin:
"[A] biography that, like its subject, never knows a dull moment.” —Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson for Pathfinder
"An absorbing and illuminating read." —Nathaniel Philbrick, National Book Award-winning author of In the Heart of the Sea for Sea of Grey
"Fueled by obsessive scholarship and a boyish sense of wonder, Tom Chaffin takes us deep down into uncharted fathoms of the Civil War...fascinating." —Hampton Sides, bestselling author of Americana for The H.L. Hunley
"A major contribution to American historical writing." —Howard R. Lamar, historian and former Yale University president, for Pathfinder
"The boldest and most powerful book yet written on the saga of the H.L. Hunley." —Clive Cussler, New York Times bestselling author for The H.L. Hunley
"With the learning and literary style his readers have come to expect, Tom Chaffin, in Giant's Causeway, has provided the definitive account of Frederick Douglass' travels." —Walter Johnson, historian at Harvard University and bestselling author of River of Dark Dreams for Giant's Causeway
"Important scholarship and a splendid read." —David W. Blight, historian at Yale University and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom for Giant's Causeway
2019-08-18
An examination of the strong bonds and rewarding exchanges between the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.
Their friendship was primarily based on correspondence, beginning in 1781. Chaffin (Giant's Causeway: Frederick Douglass's Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionary, 2014, etc.) capably traces their parallel stories, presenting a wealth of information, personal and historical, not often included in biographies. Stories of Jefferson's governorship of Virginia, which represented the extent of his Revolutionary War activity after the Declaration of Independence, shows a man wholeheartedly devoted to Virginia. As the author clearly shows, Jefferson had little interest in military matters and generally stayed aloof from the war. Because he was unsure of what a 19-year-old Lafayette could bring to the table, George Washington accepted his offer to serve with great reservations. What Lafayette did have was enormous wealth, royal connections, and, in 1777, a ship loaded with men and materiel. He was determined to emulate his father, who died in the Seven Years' War, and become a great general. Furthermore, the American fight was a chance for Lafayette—and France—to get revenge for their horrible loss to England in that war. It was not until 1779 that France actually entered the war, bringing the fleet and support that turned the tide of the Revolution. Lafayette welcomed Jefferson's term in France as minister and (unofficial) consultant to Lafayette and his supporters. At the same time, he opened doors for Jefferson and helped him learn the ways of diplomacy. Lafayette's strength was in taking a middle road, protecting the king while aiming for something between the U.S. Constitution and Britain's arrangement by which the monarch and subject united into a single polity. Sifting through mountains of research material in both the U.S. and France, Chaffin has emerged with a text packed with facts and insights into both men as well as the tumultuous times in which they lived.
A must-have in the libraries of those who love this period and/or admire these two iconic historical figures.
