Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

De: Sarah Vowell

Narrado por: Alexis Denisof, John Slattery, Sarah Vowell, Patton Oswalt, Fred Armisen, John Hodgman, Stephanie March, Nick Offerman, Bobby Cannavale

From the bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette—the one Frenchman we could all agree on—and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality.

On August 16, 1824, an elderly French gentlemen sailed into New York Harbor and giddy Americans were there to welcome him. Or, rather, to welcome him back. It had been thirty years since the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette had last set foot in the United States, and he was so beloved that 80,000 people showed up to cheer for him. The entire population of New York at the time was 120,000.

Lafayette's arrival in 1824 coincided with one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, Congress had just fought its first epic battle over slavery, and the threat of a Civil War loomed. But Lafayette, belonging to neither North nor South, to no political party or faction, was a walking, talking reminder of the sacrifices and bravery of the revolutionary generation and what they wanted this country to be. His return was not just a reunion with his beloved Americans, it was a reunion for Americans with their own astonishing singular past.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is a humorous and insightful portrait of the famed Frenchman, the impact he had on our young country, and his ongoing relationship with some of the instrumental Americans of the time, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and many more.

Multiple-narrator setup is clunky and distracting

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend that the friend read the print or Kindle version. I ADORE Sarah Vowell and have devoured every one of her books, but she's simply not a good long-form narrator, and having an all-star cast jump in on occasional quotes SOUNDS like a good idea - but in execution it just comes across oddly.

How could the performance have been better?

Smoother, with a professional narrator.

Needs an Editor and and Better Sound Engineering

I've enjoyed Sarah Vowell's printed books and was excited to see the number and quality of narrators. But in audio format, with Sarah's slow careful delivery of each word, digressions that are skimmable in print stretch out for an eternity. (In this book she spends 20 minutes exploring her personal feelings on Quakers she met and it felt like four hours.)

Another problem I had was that while bringing in a new narrator (each with a tiny pause and a slight but noticeable shift in audio quality) for every single quote made in the book quickly turned grueling for me. For large passages it worked--Nick Offerman as Washington is perfect--but when it's done for five-word sentences it was just jarring.

It was ok.

The narration was good, but not her best. The history was good, but not her best. It was ok.

Vowell at the top of her American History game

This is Vowell at the top of her game - funny, insightful, wistful, cutting, and absolutely encyclopedic in her knowledge of her subject matter. Her research is exhaustive, and I love the immediacy of how she integrates stories of visiting the sites and talking to park guides, locals, and other history experts with the "dry" facts to bring history alive. While no book will de-throne Assassination Vacation as my favorite Vowell, this one is now second on my list. I learned a ton about the American Revolution and its key players - not just the young and charismatic Lafayette but also George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and others. Rercommended for history fans and anyone that wants a more personal, unbiased look at the founding of our nation.

As always, Vowell narrates her own work in her funny, NPR-lauded and The Incredibles-famed unique voice, lending emphasis and cutting humor to her tale. Historyis never dry when viewed through Vowell's eyes.

I laughed out loud!

Possibly the best listen I've ever had. Fascinating, informative, entertaining, engaging and hillarious to boot. Wish history could always be this much fun. Let me know if she attempts the Old Testament. Lafayette, I am there.