Lafayette, We Come!

Rupert Sargent HollandProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 363K words
Chapters: 37

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Lafayette, We Come! by Rupert Sargent HollandAuthor: Holland, Rupert Sargent, 1878-1952,Language: English, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: Sep 29, 2013

Editor's review

Lafayette, We Come! is by the American writer Rupert Sargent Holland; its title comes from the famous tribute uttered when the American Expeditionary Forces arrived in France in 1917. Centered on Lafayette as a figure linking America and France, the book recounts the historical background of American entry into the First World War and the expeditionary force's journey to France, and belongs to history writing. Its strength is using a person and a signature phrase as a thread to connect the Revolutionary-era Franco-American friendship with twentieth-century battlefield support, helping readers understand the moral narrative and symbolism of America's entry into the war. Written in English in a popular-history style, it suits readers interested in WWI history and Franco-American relations as an introductory work. Read it alongside a WWI timeline and the shift in U.S. policy from neutrality to intervention, and do not treat it as a study of military tactics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers interested in First World War history
Readers wanting to understand Franco-American historical ties and symbolic narratives
History enthusiasts with basic English reading ability
Students at secondary level and above needing broader WWI background

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting detailed tactical analysis and military maps
Historians seeking strict academic scholarship and extensive notes
Readers who struggle with English and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read the introduction or first chapter first to understand the historical origin and symbolic meaning of the title phrase.
Read alongside a timeline of WWI to clarify the key moments in America's shift from neutrality to intervention.
Compare Lafayette-related passages with the background of the Revolutionary War to see how the Franco-American narrative continues.
After finishing, summarize the main thread in a few sentences to check whether you have grasped the figure and the intervention theme.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does the title “Lafayette, We Come!” mean?

This is the famous line often attributed to the American officer Charles Stanton, meaning “Lafayette, we are here.” Invoking France's aid during the American Revolution, it expresses that the U.S. forces' arrival in France in 1917 was a repayment to France, with strong symbolic and moral overtones.

Is the book mainly about Lafayette himself or about WWI?

Judging by the title and classification, the book uses Lafayette as a symbol of Franco-American friendship and focuses on America's entry into the First World War and the expeditionary force's journey to France, not a full biography of Lafayette.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for non-native readers?

The book is popular history writing with generally plain language, but it involves historical names, places and military terms. Readers with intermediate English can finish it with a dictionary; complete beginners may find it hard going.

Comments

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About the author

Rupert Sargent Holland Author · American · 1878–1952

Rupert Sargent Holland (1878–1952) was an American author born in Louisville, Kentucky, known for historical reading aimed at young readers. Many of his books were published by Macmillan. Eight of his works are included here, among them Historic Boyhoods, Historic Girlhoods, Part One, William Penn, Historic Inventions, Historic Events of Colonial Days, Historic Adventures: Tales from American History, Lafayette, We Come!, and Peter Cotterell's Treasure. He often approached history through concrete subjects such as childhood, everyday inventions, and colonial events, turning facts into clearly narrated and vivid stories that combine information with readability, which helped his work reach a wide readership among young people. Public information about his life and writing career is limited, and existing accounts rest mainly on these works.