From the bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes Hero of Two Worlds, the thrilling story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equality. We spoke with author Mike Duncan about the inspiration for Hero of Two Worlds, his favorite classic audiobooks, and more!
Hero of Two Worlds
By Mike Duncan • Narrated by the author
“Duncan reintroduces a celebrated hero….A highly readable biography of a committed liberal activist caught up in the fickle political passions of revolutionary extremism, violence, and war. Like Duncan’s previous work, this book is engaging and accessible.”
Library Journal
Please tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write this book and how this story took shape for you.
The Marquis de Lafayette is generally known for his participation in the American Revolution as an eager and idealistic teenager, but that was only the beginning. For the next fifty years, he was an active participant in most of the critical events that defined the Age of Democratic Revolution. Hero of Two Worlds tells the whole story of his almost impossibly dramatic life.
In two sentences or less, what’s something that might surprise Libro.fm listeners about your audiobook?
Most accounts of Lafayette’s life tend to focus exclusively on his youthful exploits, but when he was 72 years old he was still squeezing into a uniform to go help overthrow a king. His later life is absolutely as gripping as his early years.
Have you listened to your own audiobook? What struck you about the narration?
Yes I have. I liked the narrator. He made a few peculiar pronunciation choices, but that’s very on brand for him, so I didn’t really mind (::wink::).
Are you an audiobook listener? What are some of your favorite audiobooks?
Yes I love audiobooks. I especially love listening to the great big classics that I might otherwise not be able to slog through like the The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, Les Misérables, or War and Peace.
The Count of Monte Cristo
By Alexandre Dumas • Narrated by John Lee
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens • Narrated by Paul Adams
Les Misérables
By Victor Hugo • Narrated by Frederick Davidson
War and Peace
By Leo Tolstoy • Narrated by Frederick Davidson
What have independent bookstores and/or booksellers meant to you personally and professionally?
Independent stores are the beating heart of the book loving community. They represent far more than just the raw transactions of retail commerce. They are about the love of books, the love of authors, the love of readers, and creating the atmosphere that fosters that love in the local community. And I love them for it.
Header photo by Brandi Duncan