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Mike Duncan's Lafayette Fascination
- Mike Duncan became fascinated by Lafayette due to his recurring presence across multiple revolutions and his contrasting reputations.
- He aimed to write a unified narrative capturing Lafayette's complex, human reality beyond simple heroics or failures.
Versailles and Absolutism Explained
- Louis XIV tamed rebellious French nobility by forcing them to live at Versailles, centralizing royal power.
- This contrasts with England's dispersed noble power and partly explains France's stronger absolutism.
From Political Theory to Podcasting
- Mike Duncan studied political theory in college, then deepened his historical reading on contexts behind political ideas.
- This passion led him to podcasting to share nuanced history beyond popular simplistic views.