Book Description
Thomas Jefferson designed his own tombstone, describing himself simply as "Author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." It is in this simple epitaph that R.B. Bernstein finds the key to this enigmatic Founder--not as a great political figure, but as leader of "a revolution of ideas that would make the world over again." In Thomas Jefferson, Bernstein offers the definitive short biography of this revered American--the first concise life in six decades.Bernstein deftly synthesizes the massive scholarship on his subject into a swift, insightful, evenhanded account.Here are all of Jefferson's triumphs, contradictions, and failings, from his luxurious (and debt-burdened) life as a Virginia gentleman to his passionate belief in democracy, from his tortured defense of slavery to his relationship with Sally Hemings. Jefferson was indeed multifaceted--an architect, inventor, writer, diplomat, propagandist, planter, party leader--and Bernstein explores all these roles even as he illuminates Jefferson's central place in the American enlightenment, that "revolution of ideas" that did so much to create the nation we know today. Together with the less well-remembered points in Jefferson's thinking--the nature of the Union, his vision of who was entitled to citizenship, his dread of debt (both personal and national)--they form the heart of this lively biography.In this marvel of compression and comprehension, we see Jefferson more clearly than in the massive studies of earlier generations. More important, we see, in Jefferson's visionary ideas, the birth of the nation's grand sense of purpose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Basic, indeed....................
This is billed as a concise, one-volume, biography of Mr. Jefferson. It is that, and I've seen worse books. It is quite well written, and does hit all the high points, and basic ideas. It even clarifies some of the ideas rather well. However......

I have a couple of complaints.....

[1] It skips around, placing events out of sequence; this is most marked toward the end.

[2] The author gives full credence to the Tom and Sally story, while rather blithely dismissing the alternatives. It is NOT that simple. OK; this one is a matter of opinion, and we'll never settle it.

Complaints, and Sally, aside, this is not really "bad". The main points get made, the Declaration and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom get written, and UVA gets founded. A nice touch is including Dumas Malone's biography as one of Jefferson's five great "monuments". [Along with the nickel, Mount Rushmore, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Jefferson Papers]. Still, you can do better...try Joseph Ellis' "American Sphinx" or Noble Cunningham's "In Persuit of Reason....The Life of Thomas Jefferson". Naturally, Dumas Malone and Merrill Peterson remain definitive, but their length will deter most readers.

Simple, basic Jefferson primer
This is an extremely basic and simple 192 page summary of the life and accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson.In that context, it is perfectly acceptable.For the life of me, however, I don't see how this could be rated a five (or even four) star effort.

If you give this 5 stars, what do you give Truman, or John Adams or War and Peace?When you go to your average Holiday Inn, do you give it five stars?If so, what is a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton?Do you award the gold medal to a diver who does a perfectly executed swan dive?Degree of difficulty must come into play.

Having said that, if you're looking for a beginner biography for your junior high student, this would be an excellent selection.If you're interested in the American Presidents series and want to skim the surface of many of our Presidents without going in depth on any of them, this would be the way to go.If you're looking for depth, analysis and context, however, I'd certainly look for more than a 192 page summation.

Why then did I purchase this work?I knew what it was when I bought it.I had just finished Ron Chernow's "Hamilton" and had previously read David McCollough's "John Adams".Both of these subjects were rivals and at times bitter enemies of Jefferson.Having been brought up to view Jefferson as a Founding Father of great intellect and importance, it was a little disconcerting to view him through the writing of McCollough and Chernow as a dishonest, venal, calculating opportunist.Chernow, especially, falls into hero worship mode when comparing and contrasting his subject, Hamilton, with Jefferson.

In buying this work, I was looking for a more balanced effort without having to invest the time in an 800 page biography which largely recounted the historical events already covered in previously read biographies on Washington, Adams and Hamilton.For that purpose, it was just what the doctor ordered.Unlike Chernow, Bernstein examines his subject warts and all.He acknowledges and doesn't downplay his weaknesses, while at the same time revealing his unquestionable brilliance in many areas.

I highly recommend "Hamilton" as an outstanding history lesson and biography of a little appreciated and sometimes disregarded founding father.However, this little tome is a good antidote for the character assassination sustained by Jefferson in the aforementioned work.

Accomplishes what it set out to do - Recommended
Historians have tackled Jefferson's towering life and voluminous writings and correspondence with equally imposing full-length biographies, the best of which is over one thousand pages long.Scholarly and informative, sure, but prohibitively long for the first-time reader.

Bernstein's book complements these monumental biographies, serving as a balanced primer to his life.Although familiar segments of Jefferson's life seem glossed over, a close reading of the text shows that Bernstein indeed possesses a full understanding of Jefferson.Bernstein knows more about Jefferson than is revealed only in the text; however, for the sake of maintaining a short, readable biography, he chooses a minimalist approach.The author certainly simplifies certain episodes, but in such a way that provides enough information for the casual reader while still providing a springboard for the more serious student of history.

Bernstein gives a chronological narrative that is easy to follow (supplemented by a timeline in the appendices) and hits all the salient points.Far from being a partisan against Jefferson or his apologist, the author succeeds in balancing the need to view Jefferson in his own time with our desire to to judge him against today's moral standards.Never does the book get off-track with partisan attacks or psychological field trips intent on discovering the "real" Jefferson, as other historians often attempt.

Recommended as a (very) short introduction to Jefferson's life and lasting importance.

Thomas Jefferson
I liked this book I haven't read any other books on Jefferson but I enjoyed this one. It was recommended by another reviewer as the best one he had read so I decided to try it and I was not disappointed. I've enjoyed reading it and learning more about the person who was Thomas Jefferson.

The Power of Ideals
This is the first book that I've read about Jefferson, my knowledge of this Founding Father to date having come from high school and college courses and an occasional newspaper article. This compact, well-written biography makes for a compelling read and, for me, clearly whetted my appetite to find out more about what made this oratorically-challenged man of ideals tick.

The portrait painted of Jefferson is an interesting, occasionally troubling one, that of a man somewhat thin-skinned, who would suffer what he considered fools in silence rather than open his mouth, who didn't have (in today's vernacular) "the fire in the belly" for politics and trembled while delivering his inaugural address, and whose conduct with two married women was at best questionable. He was a man who could trot out the theory of nullification when affronted by a politically-charged Federalist edict (The Alien and Sedition Acts), a brilliant diplomat who never quite learned how to temper his correspondence and paid for it, a man whose political philosophy ran so deep that it ended up robbing him temporarily of a friendship with another Founder, and one who built his legacy around the common man but bristled at what the common man was doing to shine the light of liberty in Paris simply because he was so personally and deeply grounded in the Virginia countryside.

Then, of course, there are the conflicting acts and views that Jefferson took with regard to race. He stated that "All men are created equal", yet expounded upon what he saw as the inherent differences between two races that could never be reconciled within the same republic. His relations with Sally Hemings appear to extend from his view of her as property. As part of the Territorial Ordinance, he proposed, unsuccessfully, that all lands won from Britain in the Revolutionary War be off-limits to slavery, yet according to Bernstein, during the debate on The Missouri Compromise argued forcefully against that accommodation in terms of the sovereign powers of the individual states, "...each of which would regulate its own affairs, including the decisions whether to accept or reject slavery in joining the Union, or to preserve or abolish slavery thereafter."

Bernstein's work is a riveting read about America's greatest Founding Father, the one who gave the most eloquent voice to the colonists' hopes and dreams, who unlike some of his contemporaries clearly saw the American experiment as something to be exported, and who, through several of his acts as president, set in motion a seemingly endless debate about the meaning of The Constitution and when and how it should be interpreted as America grows and changes.

Bernstein's "Thomas Jefferson" is not the last word on the author of The Declaration, but it is a wonderful place to begin.



... Read more

Book Description
Is American education preparing the future leaders our nation needs, or merely struggling to teach basic literacy and job skills?Without leadership education, are we settling for an inadequate system that delivers educational, industrial, governmental and societal mediocrity?In A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century, Oliver DeMille presents a new educational vision based on proven methods that really work!Teachers, students, parents, educators, legislators, leaders and everyone who cares about America's future must read this compelling book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Just what I was looking for...
This book resonated with me on so many levels!I was disappointed in regular homeschool ideologies and methodologies and knew that I did not want to use them as a whole in educating my children.Sure there are some great ideas you can glean from them, but I did not feel forcing my children to learn what "they" felt was important, ignoring my child's own inherent talents and interests, was a true education.One-sized-fits-all curriculum does not produce independent thinking adults.Then one day I stumbled across TJEd, WOW!THIS was exactly what I wanted for my children, I wanted my children to learn how to master themselves, to read the great books, to discover who it is they are, to have the space to pursue their own life's mission, to love learning and take ownership over their own education (who wants to push a child through 12 yrs of school?), and to THINK.I just believe that this is the ultimate in educating the next generation and I am so pleased to have found this resource.

Life changing
....literally.We were planning on homeschooling our children eventually, anyway, but after reading this book, we gained courage and took the plunge.Now I feel confident that our children will be able to get the leadership education they deserve, and that I will facilitate that feat!Highly recommend this book to all who care about education and especially the education of their own children, homeschooled or not.Also recommend A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion, and "Core and Love of Learning:A Recipe for Success" reading available from gwc.edu for homeschooling parents of young children.

One of my top five INSPIRING education reference books
Almost ten years ago I read A Thomas Jefferson Education and since then I have been applying the principles of classical education in my own schooling and my children's schooling.I have been inspired in my own education.As John Adams said, "No effort in favor of virtue is lost."I did have to read more articles by Dr. DeMille and attended several seminars that helped me glean more insight in how to learn from the classics."How to Read a Book" and "Transition to Scholar" have been very helpful.These materials I was able to find at the George Wythe College bookstore at www.classicbooks.com.I also found that while I still use curriculum it has helped me to discriminate better for those types that best fulfil our goal to use and focus on the classics. Using audio recordings of classics also was helpful in bringing in classics in our home-it saved my voice a little!. Another helpful book is the Thomas Jefferson Home Companion.These two books are in my top five homeschooling reference books that I go to for inspiration, guidance, and information.In case you are wondering what other company sits on the shelf with this book-The Well-Trained Mind, Charlotte Mason, and Diane Hopkin's Homeschooling is Fun.

Buy Thomas Jefferson books instead!
I was disapointed in this book.This is the author's interpretation of Thomas Jefferson's views and education. Yes, read the classic literature and historial biographies that Jefferson read and studied.But also read his letters and other writings for yourself. It is much more enlightening. Our Founding Fathers have been lumped into one broad category by many authors and textbooks.Jefferson was brilliant, enlightened and way ahead of his time.Read his writings for yourself!!

A must read for every parent
This book has changed the way I view education and how my kids will be educated.It's a real inspiration and eye opener to what is happening in our nation. ... Read more

Book Description
"Jefferson aspired beyond the ambition of a nationality,
and embraced in his view the whole future of man."
--Henry Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useful selection
I once met Luthor Evans, the foremost expert on the complete works of Jefferson, and had dinner with him once with a friend who worked at the United Nations. I didn't know much about Jefferson except what I learned in school, but it was interesting to listen to Evans talk about Jefferson and his achievements, and what a true Renaissance man he was. Evans was also the first director general of UNESCO, and a former Librarian of Congress, a position often used to honor the most outstanding American historians, I hear. But getting back to the present volume, I found it a useful selection of his works, even if I can't seem to find the collected works of Jefferson on Amazon, and I owe much of my appreciation of Jefferson to that evening I once spent with Evans. I'm not sure I'm up to reading the complete works, as Evans did in his prime, but I'm at least up to reading a good compilation, and this one served a useful purpose for that.

Jefferson the " American Mind"
This study is a wonderful compilation of the life and writings of Thomas Jefferson. The introduction by Koch and Peden of Jefferson's long and fruitful life is rich and complete. Jefferson's greatness shines forth in the pages of this volume. His Anas, Autobiography, Essay of the Anglo Saxon language, Notes on Virginia, And his numerous public papers and letters show the reader the depth of this great man. Koch and Peden clearly admire Jefferon which is a welcome respite from the sad and anti-intellectual deconstructionist philosophy of modern historians. No PC here. For a student of Jefferson, or someone attempting to familiarize themselves with his ideals, this is a great buy!

A excellent anthology for your library
We added this book to our library when I was doing research for a doctoralproject on Racism. In one volume, is Jefferson's autobiography, traveljournals, essays, biographies of other historical figures, notes andcorrespondence.It is a wealth of material into a foundation stonepersonality of our American identity.

Lately Jefferson has drawn firebecause of his position on slavery and his philandering activities as aplantation owner. Still, within this volume you can observe the full storyhistorical context provides.

In my favorite passage in connection withthe slavery issue he writes,

"And can the liberties of a nation bethough secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction inthe minds of thepeople that these liberties are the gift of God?That theyare not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my countrywhen I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever;that considering numbers,nature and natural means only, a revolution of thewheel of fortune, an exchange of situation is among possible events; thatit may become probably by supernatural interference!The Almighty has noattribute which can take side with us in such a contest." (Notes onVirginia, Query XVIII; p. 278 Modern Library Edition)

I think everyfamily should have a copy of this volume in their library.It isenlightening, powerful and life changing material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A very helpful resource
I was floundering, trying to get my TJEd homeschool organized.That effort is still in progress; but I don't think I could have even attempted it without this book, especially Chapter 8, to guide and encourage me.Thanks especially to author Diann Jeppson!

For the highly organized and family of TEN!!
While I think it is highly desirable for the family unit to be the main source for each child's education, I found this book to be a bit simplistic.My daughter was sent to public school today for the first time and I know I'm more nervous about the experience she'll have than she is.Of all the books that I've read on alternatives to NoChildLeftBehind public school, the best have been by John Taylor Gatto and Grace Llewellyn.Both of them offer ways to incorporate enrichment outside of public school, and in fact, say that you will HAVE TO practically have a "curriculum" to allow your child to feel free to seek out the experiences they wish to explore.I have alot to learn and look forward to working with the system until I feel that is more of a detriment than not.

A practical handbook for applying Thomas Jefferson Education Principles
Save yourself some time and get this book to start applying principles and techniques of Thomas Jefferson Education that took me ten years to figure out!I first read A Thomas Jefferson Education almost ten years ago and since then have been incorporating techniques to apply it into my everyday homeschooling and personal education.Suffice it to say when I read this book I was nodding my head in agreement in several places.I love Dr. DeMille's answer to the overwhelmed mom that empathizes with her and then inspires her(and the rest of us) in his response.Rachel DeMille and Diane Jeppson are inspiring and knowledgeable in their writing as well. The chore chart that Dianne suggests has worked well for my cousin who uses it while I work from the motivatedmoms.com chore list.

Essential Reading
A Thomas Jefferson Education is a thought provoking, stimulating look at the ideas that drive a classical education.As a springboard for discussion the book is ideal; as a guide to quality education it is essential.The book inspires critical thinking while providing ideas to all who want to experience education devoted to the love of learning, to the expansion of knowledge and to the promotion of leadership.As homeschool and alternative educational ideas abound books such as the Thomas Jefferson Education can lead us home once again.

Just what the doctor ordered
This book along with the Thomas Jefferson Education are the only two books I needed to homeschool my four children. When I started this system of education I had no idea what I was doing, then Diann's book came along as the "companion" and all was right with the world. The forms, systems and processes in this book work hand-in-glove with Dr. Demille's book. I recommend both books as the core system for homeschoolers wanting to raise leaders.

Diann's writing style and easy-going approach to homeschooling will leave you feeling totally in control and not wandering around in the dark forest of philosophy. Her systems are easy to use and her language is easy to read.

Janine Bolon, financial coach, speaker, radio talk show host, and author of [ASIN:1411643437 Money...It's Not Just for Rich People!]] ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Jefferson's service
I was a bit disappointed in this book.Having read and relished The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, I was anxious to read the native narrative of another of the Founding Fathers.Unfortunately, where as Franklin's book combines delightful personal details along with perspectives on the man's government service, Jefferson's autobiography is quite dry and seems to be more an official catalog of committee deliberations than a story about his own life.The rear cover of the books states, in addition to other things, that the book "...presents a detailed account of his young life..." and "...his life in retirement."I think that one would be hard pressed to identify more than a couple paragraphs in this 101 page book in which Jefferson describes his youth or his retirement.The book was interesting, though more from the historical and political perspectives than from any insight it offers into the inner philosophy or personal life of the man. ... Read more

Book Description
Includes some 100 observations about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness-as well as art and culture-from the author of the Declaration of Independence. The new series look features a classic portrait of the author on the front cover with his signature printed below in gold foil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A brillant mind but still bound by his times.
Mr. Jefferson was a brilliant man. I enjoy reading his works and appreciate this opportunity to gain insight into his logic and thought process as it evolved throughout his lifetime. His intellectualism and that eternal curiosity about his world place him head and shoulders above those men of his time. He bought Louisiana upon the suggestion of Thomas Paine and our nation spread westward as a result. He no doubt made major contributions towards the creation and founding of this nation. Thousands of accolades for his brilliance and achievements are in order. I'm not putting him on a pedestal, there was a dark side.He did own slaves.He was however in many ways morally and intellectually bound by the time he lived in.His thoughts regarding the mentality of slaves scream racism.His solution was to abolish slavery and export them back to Africa.He believed most would never fit in to American culture based on their resentments against enslavement and the racism they endured from white society at the time. His letters to American Indians in which he addressed them as "My Children" and assured them of his eternal blessings belied the fact that their lands were being taken away from them and they were being forced to be assimilated or slaughtered. He did not foresee the industrialization of America and wanted to leave manufacturing to the Europeans to preserve the American way of life. In short, Mr. Jefferson was all too human, who no doubt would be appalled at the antics of modern day Republicans and Democrats.

QUOTATIONS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
At approximately $10.00 I expected a little more material than this 32 page, index card size book, provided.

The other customer reviews seem to be about another book
I have this book (I checked the IBSN#). It's 32 pages of quotes, and that's it. No papers, no index, etc. I think the other customer reviews are innacurate in that they are probably about an entirely different book.

So about *THIS* book, I love it. It's got the well-known quotes like "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." and lesser-known quotes like "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

It's not a scholarly work. It doesn't have citations to explain where the quotes came from, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of Liberty, this book is a must buy.

The writings of a one of the Great Americans - a must have!
What a difference of few decades make.When I was a youngster the founders were all revered and taught in school.Nowadays, they are almost ignored and condemned for not conforming to our modern view of morality.Of course, the present view is both arrogant and ignorant because we assume that future generations will believe as we do and lacks the humility to realize that the human condition is fraught with weakness and sin as well as triumph and wisdom.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most remarkable men this country or any country has ever produced.All you need do is sample these writings and you will begin to understand the powers of his mind, the charisma he manifested, the range of his interests, and the paradoxical foibles as well.The writings included here are his autobiography, his Notes on Virginia, all kinds of essays, letters, speeches, and selected other papers.

He writes of philosophy, English prosody, natural history, political observations, the history of the Founding, theological beliefs, and many other topics.Both of his inaugural addresses are included as well has his notices to Congress (what we now call State of the Union Addresses used to be handled in a letter).There are also letters to Indian tribes that are quite interesting.

The idea that the Indian tribes would want to remain as they were seemed a mistaken to notion to Jefferson and his contemporaries.They needed to understand that realities of their world had changed forever and they had great opportunities for improving their lives (as he saw it).Their rejection of overtures to assimilate seemed evidence of an imprisoned mind rather than what we would call a "lifestyle choice".

This is another of the great volumes from the Library of America.It includes a chronology of Jefferson's life, great notes on the texts included, and an index.

Something you really should have on your shelf of American History and our Founding.

Excellent Comprehensive Collection
This edition of Jefferson's writings is an excellent comrehensive collection. Edited by Jefferson biographer Merrill Peterson this volume is a treasure.

It includes Jefferson's Anas, Autobiography, The Notes on Virginia( complete), Summary View of the Rights of British America, his version of the Declaration of Independence, numerous public papers, and addresses. This volume is a must have for the Jefferson reader. It also very necassary for the current state of the American Republic which would be wise to hear the words of this great man. A great buy! ... Read more

Book Description
In Thomas Jefferson On Wine, John Hailman celebrates a founding father's talents as a wine connoisseur and provides unprecedented insight into a seldom explored facet of this great man. In both his personal and public lives, Jefferson wielded his considerable expertise and influence to change the views of his friends, fellow founding fathers, and the American public on the pleasures and refinements of wine.

An international wine judge and former wine columnist for the Washington Post, Hailman discusses the particular wines Jefferson sought, the ways in which Jefferson's tastes developed, and how Jefferson became one of the great wine connoisseurs of the early American republic. His recommendations governed the president's table before and after his tenure there. Thomas Jefferson on Wine explores the third president's fascination with scores of wines from his student days at Williamsburg to his lengthy retirement years at Monticello, using mainly Jefferson's own vivid words from hundreds of immensely readable and surprisingly modern letters on the subject.

Hailman examines Jefferson's five critical years in Paris, where he learned about fine wines at Europe's salons and dinner tables. The book uses excerpts from Jefferson's journals, as well as his letters to friends and wine merchants, whose descendants still produce the wines Jefferson enjoyed. Vivid contemporary accounts of dinners at the White House allow readers to vicariously experience the enjoyment of fine wine. The book concludes with an overview of the current restoration of the vineyards at Monticello and the new Monticello Wine Trail and its numerous world-class Virginia wineries. In Thomas Jefferson On Wine Hailman presents an absorbing and unique view of this towering historical figure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

THOMAS JEFFERSON ON WINE
This book is super for anyone interested in wine-to know what was going on in wine in Jeffersons time-some European wines that we drink today but were surly different at that time.Well written as well

Jefferson the Connoisseur
Thomas Jefferson is so well known that it is difficult to find a book about him that offers new insight into his multi-faceted character.This book does:it presents Jefferson through his very discriminating taste in wine, which was so expert that his favorite French wines later became the great Classified Growths of Bordeaux and the premiere wines of Burgundy.He traveled through France, Germany, and Italy with the express purpose of selecting wines for Monticello, the house he had built in Virginia, capitalizing on an opportunity that came when he was appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the French court.When he was elected President he built the wine cellar for the White House and stocked it with his favorite imported wines.All this is to his credit, and provides further evidence of Jefferson's extensive learning, which went beyond books.But he never succeeded in his pet project, of planting a vineyard and cultivating at home the fine wines he enjoyed abroad.That was for later Virginians to do, and the author provides a tour map of the wineries that now surround Monticello, fulfilling the dream Jefferson himself failed to realize. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In this unique biography of Thomas Jefferson, leading journalist and social critic Christopher Hitchens offers a startlingly new and provocative interpretation of our Founding Father. Situating Jefferson within the context of America's evolution and tracing his legacy over the past two hundred years, Hitchens brings the character of Jefferson to life as a man of his time and also as a symbolic figure beyond it.

Conflicted by power, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and acted as Minister to France yet yearned for a quieter career in the Virginia legislature. Predicting that slavery would shape the future of America's development, this professed proponent of emancipation elided the issue in the Declaration and continued to own human property. An eloquent writer, he was an awkward public speaker; a reluctant candidate, he left an indelible presidential legacy.

Jefferson's statesmanship enabled him to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase with France, doubling the size of the nation, and he authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition, opening up the American frontier for exploration and settlement. Hitchens also analyzes Jefferson's handling of the Barbary War, a lesser-known chapter of his political career, when his attempt to end the kidnapping and bribery of Americans by the Barbary states, and the subsequent war with Tripoli, led to the building of the U.S. navy and the fortification of America's reputation regarding national defense.

In the background of this sophisticated analysis is a large historical drama: the fledgling nation's struggle for independence, formed in the crucible of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and, in its shadow, the deformation of that struggle in the excesses of the French Revolution. This artful portrait of a formative figure and a turbulent era poses a challenge to anyone interested in American history -- or in the ambiguities of human nature.

Discover More Eminent Lives

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Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time by Karen Armstrong	George Washington: The Founding Father by Paul Johnson	Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy's Guide by Joseph Epstein

Book Description

In this unique biography of Thomas Jefferson, leading journalist and social critic Christopher Hitchens offers a startlingly new and provocative interpretation of our Founding Father. Situating Jefferson within the context of America's evolution and tracing his legacy over the past two hundred years, Hitchens brings the character of Jefferson to life as a man of his time and also as a symbolic figure beyond it.

Customer Reviews (36)

evidence?attribution?facts???
This little fluff contains not a single note or attribution.Many statements are presented as fact, with no attribution.As no effort is given to a balanced account, either, one must conclude that this is a personal rant.I had hoped to read more about the mind of Thomas Jefferson, not just that of the 'author'.

Thought it could be better...
This book I was slightly disappointed in.I am no English Major or book maven, but the style of the writing is so bland and can be very hard to follow.Although there are some VERY interesting facts and stories, it was just a hard read.

There are so many Jefferson books...
...and this one is not among the top ten. That should be a helpful enough review for most readers. May I recommend my own listmania--Jefferson's Shadows--as a better starting point for learning about the Sage?

Astonishing Disappointment
Wow! This book was a complete letdown. First of all...this book is only 188 pages long. And they're small pages! To think that you could even come close to encompassing even the public life of Jefferson in less than 200 pages is laughable. Secondly, instead of focusing on particular points in Jefferson's life, Hitchens attempts to cover many different topics, in no specific order and thus barely scratches the surface on any of them. To say the least, this book left me wanting more...a LOT more. I don't know if Hitchens just decided to slap together a quick book on TJ or if he was given an impossible deadline to meet by the publisher. But this book doesn't even cover one subject about Jefferson partially, let alone many subjects completely. The positive side to this book is that it is short, so the painful incompleteness only lasts a couple of hours. For those wanting a good book that encompasses more than a mere cursory look at Thomas Jefferson I would certainly recommend looking elsewhere. For those looking to burn a couple of hours who don't really care what they read...I would still recommend a different book...a good fiction or something of the like. This one gets a definite PASS!!

Hitchens on Jefferson
Part of the Eminent Lives series Christopher Hitchens has written a great fairly short biography of Thomas Jefferson that examines the man warts and all. Off most interest to many these days will be his constant battle with his conscience versus the practicality of freeing all the slaves in the South.
That while this is meant to be a short history it is by no means one that skimps. Christopher Hitchens eloquent style is well used her getting the idea across while not being too wordy. He uses Jefferson's own words and writings to demonstrate how the great man felt during his lifetime.
It is hard to describe how important Jefferson was to the history of the United States, whether it be his penning most of the Declaration of Independence to his major role in the monumental Louisiana Purchase towards the end of his career. He even managed to provide the foundation for the modern Library of Congress after the fire that destroyed 2/3s of the book in their collection. Then there is Monticello, his house and lands, of a most impressive type.
The man was not infallible as he had his troubles over slavery, his half-black mistress and his bitter rivalries with some of the other major players of the early American experience. He was an writer of note, philosopher, orator, politician and diplomat in extremis. A man not afraid to take it the enemy when needed as seen in his handling of the Muslim Barbary Pirates. A test for a young nation that Jefferson made sure they passed.
Who better than Christopher Hitchens to tell us his fascinating life's tale. ... Read more

Book Description
Did you know that John Adams had to coax Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence? It's true. The shy Virginia statesman refused at first, but then went on to author one of our nation's most important and inspiring documents. The third U.S. president, Jefferson was also an architect, inventor, musician, farmer, and-what is certainly the most troubling aspect of his life-a slave owner. Finally, here's a biography for kids that unveils the many facets of this founding father's remarkable and complicated life.

Illustrated by John O'Brien. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Jefferson review
By:Andrew "Who was Thomas Jefferson" took place from 1743-1826 in the thirteen original colonies.One thing I liked about the story is that it also told you things that affected his life.Another reason I liked this book is the text tells you about his hobies.Like fossil collecting and inventing.Though you might think his life must of been great, he actualy had many hurtful things happen to him.For example, Thomas lost his wife in 1782 and, when Jefferson was govoner of Virginia he was almost killed by the British.One more terrible thing that happened to him was when he was older, he was 100,000 dollars in debt which is 2,000,000 dollars today.But he was able to pay it off by selling his posessions.Friends and even strangers donated money to help him.In the story they tell you many great things in his life like how he was the third president of the U.S. of America.So Thomas was famous for a veiaty of reasons. yet he also had a more difficult life then you or me that is one thing you'll learn reading this book.

Inaccurate Information in a Children's book is inexcusable
[...]

This author spends five pages reporting on the Jefferson-Hemings controversy and gets it wrong in most instances.

* There is NO proof that Thomas Jefferson's wife and Sally Henings were half sisters as Mr. Fradin claims (see McMurry book, "Anatomy of a Scandal."

* There is NO information anywhere that Jefferson began a relationship with Sally except an unproven claim by Madison Hemings who has been found to be inaccurate on several claims such as his naming.......FALSE. here is also NO proof that Thomas and Sally became fond of each other as Mr. Fradin claims. He also claims a forty year relationship which is unprovable.

* He states that in 1789, Sally Hemings became pregnant and Thomas Jefferson was the father. If Mr. Fradin had cared to research the facts he would have found that the original Callender Campaign Lie of September 1802 was DISPROVEN by the DNA Study. There was NO match of the DNA between Jefferson and Tom Woodson, the subject of the James Callender lie.

* Mr. Fradin says that over the next nineteen years they had six more children. There is absolutely NO proof of this. Not only that, it was over five years after they had returned to Monticello before ANY registered child for Sally was made. Only one Hemings descendant was DNA tested, HOW could Mr. Fradin make his outrageous claims. How can we be sure that his several other children books are accurate? Mr. Fradin your are remiss in distributing false and inaccurate information for our youthful readers.

I recommend that the books listed on the above mentioned web pages be read regarding the Jefferson-Hemings Controversy.

Herbert Barger
Jefferson Family Historian ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Words Of The Sage Of Montecello
"The Portable Jefferson" consists of a vast collection of Jefferson's works.It provides us with valuable insights into his mind and his world.

The longest entry is "Notes on the State of Virginia".It provides a multifaceted assessment of the Virginia known by Jefferson.Politics, the economy, topography, populations, flora and fauna are all included in this report.I read with particular interest the reports on areas of French settlement in what is now Illinois, areas in which my ancestors were living but to which Jefferson had never traveled and about which he had to have learned from the reports of others.Many insights into the Virginia of his day are very interesting.

Jefferson's July, 1774 tome on "A Summary View Of The Rights of British America" give a preview of America's grievances on the eve of the Revolution.

The next segment consists of Jefferson's public papers and addresses.Some are well known, such as the Declaration of Independence, while others are obscure, but often no less interesting.

The last segment of the book consists of many private letters written to a host of correspondents.Some of these are rather mundane matters of personal interest, while others are occasions for expositions of political views and comments on the news of the day.I found particularly interesting his comments on developments in France during its Revolution.

I have long had an interest in Jefferson.This book enables the reader to see him in new and deeper lights.His thought, the breath of his interests and his genius shine on the pages of his book.This is a book to read and then keep handy for reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Words Of The Sage Of Montecello
"The Portable Jefferson" consists of a vast collection of Jefferson's works.It provides us with valuable insights into his mind and his world.

The longest entry is "Notes on the State of Virginia".It provides a multifaceted assessment of the Virginia known by Jefferson.Politics, the economy, topography, populations, flora and fauna are all included in this report.I read with particular interest the reports on areas of French settlement in what is now Illinois, areas in which my ancestors were living but to which Jefferson had never traveled and about which he had to have learned from the reports of others.Many insights into the Virginia of his day are very interesting.

Jefferson's July, 1774 tome on "A Summary View Of The Rights of British America" give a preview of America's grievances on the eve of the Revolution.

The next segment consists of Jefferson's public papers and addresses.Some are well known, such as the Declaration of Independence, while others are obscure, but often no less interesting.

The last segment of the book consists of many private letters written to a host of correspondents.Some of these are rather mundane matters of personal interest, while others are occasions for expositions of political views and comments on the news of the day.I found particularly interesting his comments on developments in France during its Revolution.

I have long had an interest in Jefferson.This book enables the reader to see him in new and deeper lights.His thought, the breath of his interests and his genius shine on the pages of his book.This is a book to read and then keep handy for reference. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor of law at New York Law School, doesn't take a position for or against the proposition that Thomas Jefferson may have had a liaison of nearly 40 years with a slave named Sally Hemings, and that Hemings may have borne him several children. Instead, in this scrupulously researched book, Gordon-Reed examines the evidence both for and against Jefferson's liasion with Hemings. Among the strongest evidence in this provocative book is the fact that though Jefferson's time in Virginia was limited when he was in public life, Hemings's six children--born over 15 years--were delivered with months after each of Jefferson's stays at Monticello. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

wonderful reading
I bought and read this book before the DNA results.This is the most unbiased look at the Jefferson-Hemings story I have read so far.The author examines the facts pro and con. According to Madison Hemings, Sally's son, the child she had after returning to Monticello from Paris died.Why can't this be believed? This would explain why the Woodson DNA test was negative. Despite all his greatness, Thomas Jefferson was just a man, subject to all the weaknesses that we all possess. The true feelings that these two had for each other will never be known but I choose to believe that he loved her.That is the only way that I can forgive him for being a slave owner.

Very Skillful Lawyerly Presentation of History
This is a very solid and well researched book.The author makes a very thorough and logical presentation to prove her case.Much in the manner of a courtroom argument.It is effective.I came away from reading the book convinced that Jefferson, in all reasonable liklihood, did father Sally Hemings five mixed race children.

Sally Hemings was 1/4 African in descent, 3/4's European.By all accounts, she was a picture of beauty.Jefferson was, apparently, unexpectedly presented with her youthful beauty when Sally accompanied his youngest daughter from his former, deceased wife to France where Jefferson was representing US government interests.

Some reviewers have referred to Jefferson as a rapist and a child molestor.I think that's a bit much.The "past is a different place" as some thoughtful historian once described it.Teenage girls in the 18th century--and for much of the 19th century--were seen as legitimate romantic interests and potential wives for middle aged men of substance.It, apparently, was not particularly frowned upon during that period.Gordon-Reed gives an example of this with Jefferson's friend James Madison who was hopelessly in love with a teenage girl.She rejected him for someone closer to her own age.However, he eventually wound up with a much younger Dolly Madison for a wife.And apparently was not socially condemned for it.The past is a different place.Not better by any means, necessarily, but different.Something to keep in mind....

The author makes the argument that Jefferson's real sin was not in loving a "slave girl."The real sin was his enslavement of other humans for his own financial benefit.He couldn't let go of the financialbenefits and the ease of living that his slaves brought him.He could never close the distance between his high sounding and beautifully eloquent rhetoric about human equality, fraternity, and liberty and his actual practices--however relatively enlightened for the times--as a slave owner at Monticello.

It's far from inconceivable that Jefferson and Hemings might have been lovers and even married in a social environment with slavery extinct.She was, after all, the 1/2 sister of his beloved deceased wife.And as stated, she was 3/4's European descent.If one--or society for that matter--wants to set up a binary system of black/white, then it sounds like Sally Hemings would logically be more closely classified as "white."However, Americans, then and even now, subscribed to the slavemaster's logic of "one drop of African blood" means that the person must be "black." An artifical social construct, but one tune many of us still dance to.I think humans are far more complicated and multi-faceted than "racial fundamentalists" would have us believe.

Jefferson is guilty of being a slaveowner and of being a hypocrite given his political and philosophical idealism.However, if he did love and have affection for Sally Hemmings in the manner that the author implies and suggests, then I am in agreement with the author that that would be no crime.However, we'll never know for sure, because the probable relationship was so evidently carefully concealed, as best as it could be,from the prying eyes of future generations.

I first heard about the Sally Hemings "scandal" from Gore Vidal.He said that the conventional historians who defend Jefferson against the "abomination" of loving a slave girl argue this way:

Thomas Jefferson was a great man.
Great men do not live with their slave girls.
Consequently, Thomas Jefferson did not live with Sally Hemings.

This is the type of conventional idiocy that sometimes passes itself off as "history."

Annette Gordon-Reed's book is well worth the effort of reading if you're interested in the subject.I thought it a very well balanced and intellectually honest effort.

Believe it, I do.
Shame, on these so called Historians, that turn away from what is so plan to me and anyone else with common sense. Why is it so hard to believe that Thomas Jefferson did in fact have a relationship with his slave, Sally? Yes, he is one of the key figures in establishing the United States, Yes; he spoke of freedom and equality. However, he did not practice what he was preaching. He fought for freedom and independence and kept slaves in bondage, he recorded births of his slaves along side the inventory of his animals. They were property no more, no less, including Sally, she was taken advantage of, and that is the bottom line. A 40+ male having sex with a 14 yr old child, makes me sick to my stomach. I visited Monticello last week, the view was breath taking, the house was all it appeared on television, but I secretly mourned for the slaves that were made to live, work and die there.No matter what they individually wanted to call it, love, lust, rape, what it was, was wrong. And, why the Jeffersonians don't want to acknowledge it, is simple, it is racism, fueled by some magnificent notion that Jefferson was better than they average slave owner. He kept all his fair colored slaves close to the house and all the darker slaves in the fields. He would leave the plantation when they were whipped; he was no better that any other slaveholder. He violated rights, and profited from their labor, and what was their reward ....he had them sold off to get out of debt, with the exception of Sally's children. If he thought slavery was so wrong, why did he do nothing to stop it?
As my 11 year old said to me; if he was president why didn't just stop slavery? After all he was so moral, respected and powerful. Wasn't he?
Check out Jefferson's Blood on PBS website...very interesting.

No longer a "Controversy"
Jefferson owned slaves. As did his father before him. Jefferson was a man of his times and Sally Hemings a slave woman of hers. There is no big 'mystery' here. Jefferson and Hemings had a sexual relationship that produced offspring. DNA is not necessarily needed to help prove that. Reed does not state this in her book as fact, but she makes it clear that this was the most likely scenario. And exposes the bigotry throughout the centuries that have tried to cover it up. Great book if you're really interested in this subject. I have never read a finer book on it.

A detailed analysis of the alleged Jefferson Hemmings affair from a different angle
The author has done her homework and is well-versed on this particular subject. She goes into extreme detail, analyzing multiple pieces of historical evidence, both circumstantial and documented. The latest version of her book also has an introductory chapter on the light that physical evidence, DNA, has shed on what is already known.

While careful not to draw a definitive conclusion about whether or not Jefferson fathered the children of Sally Hemmings, the author very tactfully points to certain pieces of evidence and interjects her opinions, sometimes subtly, while other times being quite obvious. While this may be considered bias by some, in essence, she appears to be responding to what she considers ongoing extreme bias and prejudice in past biographies by Jefferson historians. This is really what her book is about, more than anything, is how historians have, in her view, edified Jefferson and chosen to ignore certain pieces of important evidence, downplaying and ridiculing some, while choosing to emphasize other.

This writing is a direct attack on the way American history has been controlled and propagated by white males at the expense of slaves and their descendants. Annette Gordon-Read is a well educated, African American historian/attorney, who is taking a stand, and she presents a compelling case. She feels the voice of blacks in history has been squelched and ridiculed, and on this particular subject she points out the shortcomings of historians who have glorified Jefferson while maintaining a stereotypical view of blacks.

On the downside, I personally felt the author came across too strong in labeling Jefferson a "racist". She could have presented the facts in this area and let readers make up their own minds, rather than coming across as harsh and judgmental. She also provides a lot of speculation throughout the book. She is careful, however, to avoid statements as fact when she cannot prove them (this is what she continually accuses her predecessors as doing). Perhaps much of this conjecture is necessary to counter the multitude of speculation that has been articulated by so many historians who have downplayed or disputed the likelihood (or to them, even the possibility) of the Jefferson-Hemmings affair. The author is also very repetitive. The book could have easily been cut in half and been just as effective. However, this repetition also drives certain points home and helps the reader remember certain key elements.

Overall, this is very interesting reading, and it is also very well-written. The author communicates extremely well and her writing flows nicely and is easy to understand.

If you have any interest in the (likely) Jefferson-Hemmings affair, this book is a must read. I gave it 5 stars, despite my criticisms, as 4 stars would not have given this book the credit is deserves (perhaps a 4.5?). ... Read more

Book Description
When Thomas Jefferson was young, Virginia was still a colony of England. Jefferson thought that many English laws and taxes were unfair, so he studied hard to become a lawyer and help make better laws. Soon he and others came to believe that the colonies should become a new country, and Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. As the third president of the United States, he focused on exploring the country and making it grow. His fairness and love of learning made him one of the most beloved presidents of all time.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great little book
Being a foreigner, I am still learning American history and a good friend of mine advised me to get children's books as they are easier to read and get the basics from.

I picked up this little nugget today at a used bookstore, and had my nine-year old start reading it to me on the way home. As much as she protested at the start, she is now enjoying the book, and when I read a couple of chapters to her before bed, she said "That's all?" I think she likes it now. :-)

This book tells the basic story of the various periods of Thomas Jefferson's life and times and is a wonderful introduction to him.

Get hooked...
This book, and the others in the series, jumpstarted my love of reading back in the 70's. I now have children of my own and have had difficulty getting my youngest son to complete his reading assignments. He literally hated to read until he found this book - a long lost relic - at his grandmother's.He loved it! I have since purchased several others of the 'Meet x' series and each one is greeted with an eager smile. A well written, easily read book that captures the imagination. You won't be disappointed.

Easy-to-read history book
This is a great book for older remedial students as well as grades 1-4. The primary facts are here with some illustrations. The text is simple and easily understood.

Not What I Was Looking For
This book was not what I was looking for. My teacher assigned us a Biography/Autobiography book report (like every month), and I checked this book out in the library. Yeah, maybe its ok for 4-8 year olds, this book is really boring for children like me. This book had stuff I already knew about, and I didn't learn anything. It was really boring and had no interesting facts. So, if you are looking for a book with a detailed scope about Thomas Jefferson, read another book. ... Read more

Book Description
This is a biography of Thomas Jefferson at leisure, enjoying two of his passions--wine and travel. Twelve of the sixteen chapters cover Jefferson's five years in France where he served as our minister and traveled through France, England, Germany, Italy and Holland. "Passions" was selected by Robert M. Parker, Jr. as "1995 Wine Book of the Year," and was the winner of the 1995 "Veuve Clicquot Wine Book of the Year" competition. It is a marvelous account of America's first wine connoisseur and gourmet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

INSIGHT INTO THOMAS JEFFERSON'S LIKES
This was given as a gift, and I've received many thanks and raves from my sister and brother-in-law about the book.Both not only are history majors, they are in a group that studies wines.They plan to use this book as a subject at their next meeting.

America's First Wine Connoisseur
Wine was a lifelong passion for Jefferson, not just drinking it, but also planting vineyards at Montecello and in his Paris garden.The book details his experiences with wine and is enhanced by vintage prints.
Sixty-five pages at the back, document where the author found the information in the book (letters, books, documents).Also appended are measures for English, German, French and American wines at that time and the standardized guage for foreign wines (a pipe, a bull, a hogshead, and an ohm).The author lists the contents of Jefferson's travel box and clarifies what the items were used for.A glossary further helps the reader with unfamiliar words.
An interesting glimpse into the passion of an interesting man.

A New Side of Thomas Jefferson
Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson by James M. Gabler is a delightful book.If you think you know Thomas Jefferson guess again.The 18th century revolutionary also was the nation's foremost expert on wine.

Gabler follows the travels of Jefferson through France and Italy when Jefferson was in his early 40s.Every wine Jefferson ever drank is listed in this book, as was the commentary on how he traveled and what he saw during that era.

I bought the book at the Beringer vineyard's gift shop, and found it an enchanting companion as I traveled through the Napa Valley on my own wine tour.Jefferson's palate was impeccable, and you can truly taste his joy and curiosity.

You'll learn all about the life of the people of Italy and France, how well he related to ordinary farmers and wine growers, and his close friendships with wine merchants worldwide.

There was something charming and civilized about this book, the perfect glimpse into the inner life of Jefferson.I found his delight and passion for fine wines endearing.Buy the book, take a leisurely trip through Northern California's wine country, and drink in the tradition of 18th century intellectual virtuosity. You won't be disappointed, and you'll learn a lot about wine in the process from one of the world's most imaginative people.

The pursuit of happiness
The preface to Passions quotes John F. Kennedy's toast to a group of Nobel laureates that "this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever gathered together in the White House -- with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." James Gabler's unusual biography pays tribute to Jefferson's palate as well as his mind. Certain to succor the most serious oenophiles, it contains encyclopedic data on Jefferson's cellar and interesting trivia on the era's wines, many of which were far more distant in evolution from their modern incarnations than is often supposed. Moreover, by documenting the passion with which Jefferson devoured the world's great wines, Gabler offers an engaging perspective on the genius Jefferson manifested in all of his pursuits.

Passions depicts Jefferson at leisure and does not emphasize his career as statesman except when necessary to develop the narrative. Nor does it address the controversy over Jefferson's moral character ignited by his complicity in slavery, a pointless debate which lamentably fixates modern revisionists. But despite its limited scope, in offering a more vivid account of Jefferson the man, Gabler's research probes certain mysteries about Jefferson's public life, particularly the question why, following his legendary work as a founding father of the nation, his Presidency was less successful. Gabler's Jefferson is a loner whose widowing as a young man left him heartbroken and somewhat estranged from the nation he sired. He sought comfort in a sort of exile across Europe, never quite establishing a home but immersing himself in the best of what its cultures offered. From Gabler's account, one surmises that Jefferson could have retired happily in that fashion but returned to Washington when duty obliged him to serve as Secretary of State, and then as President.

Gabler's final chapters describe with mouthwatering clarity a series of dinners which Jefferson hosted in the White House for friends and fellow statesmen, which he funded personally despite his dwindling wealth. He served wine after dinner, but the meals retained about them some elements of the colonial frontier, with cider or porter's ale accompanying the food. At one such dinner, an invitee expressed surprise at receiving an invitation requesting the "favour of his company" on behalf of "Thomas Jefferson," rather than "the President of the United States." As such details suggest, these chapters are interesting evocations of a time when Americans' aversion to the trappings of entrenched power remained visceral. Gabler's accounts of these evenings also leave one warmed that a man so monumental as Jefferson seemed most content gathered around a table with old wine and old friends.

A Combination of Two Passions
To the Jefferson buff and wine fanatic, this book is a rare treat.I ordered it after spending a long weekend touring the Virginia wine country and Jefferson's Monticello.What an interesting read - meticulously researched and well-written, the author is commended for taking a potential dry subject and bringing it to full-fruited life.A must for any Jefferson fan's library. ... Read more

Book Description
In her sixth presidential biography for National Geographic, Cheryl Harness illuminates the many sides of Thomas Jefferson: scientist, lawyer, farmer, architect, diplomat, inventor, musician, philosopher, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and third president of the United States. Readers meet this extraordinary man of contradictions: a genius who proclaimed that "All men are created equal" and championed the rights of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," while at the same time living a life that depended on the enforced labor of slaves.

Readers experience an eventful life lived largely in public service, yet also enjoy the personal warmth of this fascinating historical figure. The narrative examines the crucial role that the "sage of Monticello" played in shaping the ideals of freedom and self-government, which became the cornerstones of American democracy. The author's conversational storytelling, her richly detailed illustrations, and use of period maps bring to life the exciting times of Thomas Jefferson on every page. This appealing and insightful biography is an honest, well-balanced portrait of a complex and controversial American legend. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly illustrated book... great for Jefferson reader
Cheryl Harness have written and illustrated some of our nation's great presidents (John Adams, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, etc.), but for Jefferson, I think she did a good job on explaining about Thomas Jefferson. Although this book is mainly for children to give them a main idea about our third president of the United States, many adults, including myself, can learn something from this book. It's highly illustrated on some of the important events in Jefferson life. If you really want your child to know Jefferson or just get a brief idea about him, or do a research paper on Jefferson, I would highly recommanded this book. As well as people that want to be major in US history, this is one of the book that I would recommand. Because illustrations can help a child, even as well as an adult, to understand better about what's going on in the book.
As you filp through pages of this book, Chernal Harness (author) gives you a very good idea of some of the events during Jefferson's time. She show some interesting maps in this book (like P. 25 for example) that tells you about what's going on in that time.
The author also showed you how Monticello was like during Jefferson's retirement. She show a "blue print" (P.36) and a layout map (P.38-39)of Jefferson's "Essays of Architecture"-Monticello and as well his garden and where his slaves work.
As a "Jefferson scholar" and history book collector, I really enjoy reading this book. Even though I might think I already know a lot about Jefferson, but when I first read this book, it teach me something new about him-William Clark came back from the "Corps of Discovery" and lay out the map of the US to show President Jefferson where did he and Meriwether Lewis traveled and explored.
I think this book is fun to read for everyone, no matter how old you are. ... Read more

Book Description
A simple presentation of the third president's life from childhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Review of A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson
This Book explains the life of Thomas Jefferson.It starts out explaining how his father died when he was very young, leaving him the man of the house and with a lot of responsibilities.The book also explains how Jefferson always loved reading and decided that it would be good to go to college for law.He was the person who wrote the declaration of independence and was the secretary of state for George Washington. He also served two years as president himself and established the University of Virginia.The book also tells how upset Jefferson was when he lost his wife and daughter.
I liked this book because it told about Jefferson's life in a way that wouldn't bore children.It was really colorful and it was fairly easy to read.It is a book that children could pick up and really get into where as other biographies might just be boring and something children would only read when they had too.
I think that the message this author is trying to send out is just what an important person Jefferson was.It seems that he really wants children to be able to get into books with biographical context and not find the subject to be dull and boring.The book also has the pictures that really jump out at you which children really love.

Kid friendly biography
Adler does a superb job in the "A Picture book of..." series. The book has lots of biographical information but presented in such a manner that young students will not be bored. Great illustrations on each page give little ones lots to look at while listening. The book concludeswith a timeline of important dates. Good resource material for grades K-3as an initial introduction to key people in US history. ... Read more