Thomas Jefferson

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	Thomas Jefferson
	by R. B. Bernstein Sales Rank: 8169	~~List Price: $15.95~~ $10.85 At Amazon on 6-16-2008.

*Features* Cover Type: Paperback with 288 pages Published by: Oxford University Press, USA September 15, 2005 Written in: English ISBN 10 Number: 0195181301 ISBN 13 Number: 978-0195181302 Book Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches Weighs: 5.6 ounces *From Publishers Weekly* And still they come, these biographies of Thomas Jefferson-so many, in fact, that it's sometimes hard to tell them apart. But not this one. Veteran historian Bernstein (Amending America, etc.) pulls off a remarkable feat: he writes of Jefferson and his "ambiguous legacies" with utter serenity, detachment and balance. He takes no sides and offers no particular arguments about the man. Instead, in prose of the utmost directness and clarity, Bernstein simply lays out the great founder's life in all its complexities, achievements and, at the end, ruin-by which he means not only Jefferson's late-life financial plight but also his sad conviction that a new generation had become unfaithful to "his" Revolution. The acid test these days for partisan or skeptical biographers of Jefferson is how to present his relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. In a characteristic example of his evenhandedness, Bernstein treats the controversy in a concise summary, then tells us what is now known of the relationship and what cannot yet be determined. One comes to trust the author as a guide, not a polemicist. In fact, it's precisely because Bernstein reveals nothing new and argues not at all that anyone wanting to brush up on Jefferson's life or gain exposure to the latest findings about it will find this book of huge value. It will be most valuable to those seeking an introduction to Jefferson's life and achievements. There's little doubt that the book will become the standard brief one-volume biography of someone who was "the leading spokesman for the revolution of ideas that changed the face of America and the world." Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist If daunted by Dumas Malone's multivolume monument, or by Joseph Ellis' more manageable American Sphinx (1997), the biography reader has a more compact option in Bernstein's life of the third president. Bernstein proposes that his narrative is balanced among the clashing opinions of professional historians; we in the grandstands, however, can cheer Bernstein's offering as a capable, interpretive survey of Jefferson's long and verbose life. When it comes to selecting examples from Jefferson's prolific writings, Bernstein often relies on the most familiar phrases, such as the epitaph he prescribed for his tombstone or his final letter extolling the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Highly abrasive excerpts, such as Jefferson's assertions that blacks were inferior, Bernstein anchors in Jefferson's social status as a slaveholding country squire. Jefferson's inconsistencies, however, do not dominate; rather, the author strongly emphasizes Jefferson's democratic ideals and his practical enactment of them in his political career. However crowded the TJ shelf, libraries should allow room for Bernstein's compact, competent contribution. Gilbert Taylor Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. *Reader Reviews* This review is from: Thomas Jefferson (Hardcover) I really enjoyed this superb book. I highly recommend it as an excellent introduction to Thomas Jefferson. The book is only 198 pages of text, yet the author paints a vivid, fascinating portrait of Jefferson - especially his ideas and how those ideas shaped his life and America. This book was a joy to read. On the cover of the book is afrom Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon Wood calling this book "The best short Biography of Jefferson ever written." I agree and would add that it's simply a great book. If you want to read an excellent, thick book on Jefferson, buy Merrill Peterson's classic "Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation." But if you want an excellent, concise book on Jefferson, buy this superb book. Thomas Jefferson had a profound role in the America Revolution, especially his enlightened ideas. He wrote the Declaration of Independence - essentially the American creed - "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Jefferson advocated freedom, learning, and individual rights for all, not to be infringed upon by the state. He was egalitarian. The first chapter "A Young Gentlemen of Virginia (1743-1774)" gives the reader a fine understanding of the aristocratic, planter society Jefferson grew up in. The book succinctly details Jefferson's love of learning, his noble ideas, and how his ideas would play out his life and then into American history. Subsequent chapters detail how Jefferson was faced with many difficult problems and how he handled them on a case-by-case basis. This method of problem solving appears to make him look contradictory, but his basic ideas always remained true. Jefferson was mired in debt, for example. Read the book and understand the society of land owners that required debt and the economic problems that led to his getting over his head. This forced him to deal with his economic problems as a farmer certain ways. (This would have made freeing his slaves economically impossible despite the fact that he ideologically opposed and repeated fought slavery). I just loved Bernstein's description of the nasty politics during Adams' presidency and the election of 1800 between Jefferson and Adams. I could not put the book down. Hamilton and Jefferson, the brilliant founders that they were, could be very wily. I really enjoyed Bernstein's brief description of Jefferson's alliances and rivalries with other founders, especially Madison, Adams, and Hamilton. Jefferson was friends with Adams, then enemies, then friends late in life. They both died on the same day, July 4. On the back cover of this book are these rave reviews: "Bernstein's Jefferson is a brilliant success. There's nothing like it in the literature." -Peter Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History, University of Virginia. "R.B. Bernstein has produced a fascinating, extremely intelligent examination of the life of Thomas Jefferson. With a clear eye and deft historical touch, Bernstein reminds us why studying Jefferson and his world will always remain central to understanding the development of the American character." -Annette Gordon-Reed, author of "Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy." "It is difficult to be objective about Thomas Jefferson, but this book succeeds wonderfully. Neither attacking Jefferson for his sins nor lauding him for his accomplishments, `Thomas Jefferson' does equal justice to Jefferson's political, intellectual and personal life in a concise biography that can be enjoyed by all." -Joanne B. Freeman, Professor of History at Yale University. Of the many books I have read on the presidents (I am reading through all the great presidents and founders), "Thomas Jefferson" stood out as especially well written. It carefully packed much information into a small amount of pages, touching on all aspects of Jefferson's life and creating a living portrait. It was a joy to read and I enthusiastically recommend it as an outstanding introduction to the life and ideas of Thomas Jefferson. Bravo! Comment \| \| (Report this) Back To Top
Thomas Jefferson Available from Amazon Price: $10.85 Updated on 6-16-2008.

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