****
It's been about a month since I finished this, so it's a little hazy now. Hugh Brogan has done a good job of presenting a complete life, which I'm sure is very valuable for the academics who read the book. It was for me a little tedious at times, the major part of the text being of more interest to scholars of French history and politics than political philosophy and American history/culture. That being said, his coverage of Tocqueville and Beaumont's travels in America were very complete and well done. For the first time I felt I had a good sense of where they did and did not go and for how long. Other than that Brogan tries to take on Tocqueville to no real avail. But the life he presents seems honest and true and is very useful for understanding more about the man and how his experience and station may have influenced his thought.
