Thomas Jefferson

Nov 14, 2012 Shellys♥ Journal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, arc, biography, history, non-fiction, revolutionary-era

I loved this book. Really delves into the psyche of Thomas Jefferson, chipping to the core on the things that make him tick. Meacham spends a lot of time in Virginia laying the groundwork for Jefferson's character - how he loved control but hated conflict. And then he builds the bridge to the presidency - detailing his struggles with the executive powers that Hamilton put upon the presidency during Washington's terms and then how he embraced these very powers in his own Presidency.

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Jan 30, 2013 David Beeson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Looking around the gathered Nobel Prize winners he had invited to a White House dinner, John F. Kennedy declared, ‘I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.’

That quotation, included by Jon Meacham in his enthralling biography of Jefferson, gives a measure of the man, and the man fully deserves such a biography. Not that it’s a simple ha...more Looking around the gathered Nobel Prize winners he had invited to a White House dinner, John F. Kennedy declared, ‘I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.’

That quotation, included by Jon Meacham in his enthralling biography of Jefferson, gives a measure of the man, and the man fully deserves such a biography. Not that it’s a simple hagiography: Meacham paints his subject in the round, not glossing over the difficult moments in his life story, such as the 1781 moment when, as governor of Virginia, his retreat before the British troops of the bloodthirsty Banastre Tarleton led to serious criticism of his performance, which would never be entirely expunged.

But Meacham goes further. He shows that as well as being a philosopher and a man of principle, capable of drafting the inspiring sentiments of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was also a practical politician perfectly prepared to act in ways that some might regard as contrary to those principles, when concrete circumstance demanded it of him. I entirely sympathise with his denunciation of the Alien and Sedition Acts of his predecessor as president, and rival, John Adams; I equally admire him for having the courage to take decisions on his own responsibility to defend his nation against British hostility and to extend its territory through the Louisiana purchase, although by doing so he increased the power of the executive presidency far beyond anything Adams had attempted.

The ability to adhere to key principles, and to uphold them sincerely, while at the same time reaching the compromises needed for the real exercise of political authority, is a talent few have attained and which the world would do well to rediscover today. Jefferson had it in spades.

Of course, at times this brilliantly skillful duality can look perilously like self-contradiction or even hypocrisy. Nowhere is that clearer than in the matter of slavery and, more particularly, the longstanding relationship Jefferson maintained with one particular slave, Sally Hemings, with whom he had several children. Like Washington or Patrick Henry (‘give me liberty or give me death’), Jefferson could perfectly well see that slavery was shameful and his new nation would at some stage need to lance that boil; he could equally well see the contradiction between that sense of horror and his continuing to own slaves and, in Hemings’s case, to maintain a sexual relationship with one of them – a sexual relationship with someone over whom he had power of ownership.

Meacham does not skirt around these matters but simply states the facts, points to Jefferson’s silence on the Hemings issue, and talks about the hints at justification that came from his pen: slavery was simply not an issue that could be tackled at that time, or not for a bearable political cost – though the political cost that would in the end be borne, in a bitter civil war and the first assassination of a president, was arguably vastly higher for having been delayed. In passing, it’s worth noting that John Dickinson, fellow revolutionary and member of the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, hung behind Jefferson in willingness to break decisively from Britain, but far outpaced him in this other, harder field when he freed his slaves – Jefferson only ever freed the Hemings and then only on his death.

What emerges from Meacham’s work is therefore a complete picture of a man, a man of towering intellect and courage, which the clear presentation of his failings highlights all the more strongly in contrast. And Meacham presents all this in the most readable of prose (or, in my case listenable, since I chose an audio edition). Both the subject matter and the way the story is told mean that anyone who likes biography and is interested in the man or his times, has to put Thomas Jefferson: the Art of Power, at the top of their must-read list.(less)

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May 23, 2013 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/...

“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” is author Jon Meacham’s fifth and most recent book, having been published in late 2012. Meacham received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson, and has also written about Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill as well as the civil rights movement and the influence of religion in American politics.

“The Art of Power” is by a significant margin the most popular and widely-read Jefferson biography av...more http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/...

“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” is author Jon Meacham’s fifth and most recent book, having been published in late 2012. Meacham received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson, and has also written about Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill as well as the civil rights movement and the influence of religion in American politics.

“The Art of Power” is by a significant margin the most popular and widely-read Jefferson biography available today. Well-written and fast paced, Meacham’s accounting of Jefferson’s life is both entertaining and enjoyable, and requires little patience or fortitude on the part of the reader. With about five hundred pages of text, Meacham’s work seems to occupy a desirable space for modern biographies – it is comprehensive enough to cover the most salient aspects of its subject’s life, but is not so lengthy that it requires an exorbitant commitment of time or attention.

In contrast to the exhaustive accounts of Jefferson’s life authored by Dumas Malone and Merrill Peterson, Meacham’s narrative almost seems to sprint through the eight decades of our third president’s life. Where Malone spends nearly twelve hundred pages describing Jefferson’s terms as president, Meacham sets aside slightly fewer than one hundred. But that is part of the delight of this biography: in relatively few pages it manages to capture the essence of Jefferson, describing his core principles and philosophies, outlining his primary accomplishments and failures, and highlighting the contradictions he offers posterity.

But following my five week journey through Dumas Malone’s series on Jefferson, I am reminded that brevity comes at a price. Important nuances in Jefferson’s decision-making and complex threads within his life must be ignored in order to maintain the book’s brisk pace. Key moments in Jefferson’s presidency and the early life of our nation (such as the Embargo of 1807 and the Burr conspiracy) are only afforded minimal attention. But happily, such a pace provides the book no opportunity to find itself bogged down in unnecessary detail or to pursue trivial tangents.

What Meacham accomplishes brilliantly, in my view, is efficiently summarizing and synthesizing the various (and often contradictory) aspects of Jefferson’s personality and offering his own view of why Jefferson acted – as a patriarch, as a scientist, as a politician and as a friend – as he did. Though I found many of the author’s conclusions less grand and sweeping than they were presumably intended to be, Meacham’s perspective on Jefferson was nonetheless insightful and cogently argued.

“The Art of Power” has been criticized by some for portraying Jefferson in too flattering a light. I did not detect this fault, and Meacham seems to harbor no greater sympathy for Jefferson than most biographers do with their subjects. Although Meacham does seem to admire Jefferson, his affection is not without qualification.

Others have pointed out that although Meacham seems to have been quite diligent in his preparation for writing this book (the endnotes and bibliography alone consume over two hundred pages), it contains little that is truly new or revealing. Only Meacham’s central thesis – that Jefferson was successful because he was simultaneously a philosopher and a politician, an idealist and a tactical strategist – seems to add a new dimension to a president who has been so thoroughly explored and described.

Finally, I admit to disappointment in Meacham’s treatment of the possible (perhaps even likely) relationship between Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. Rather than describing the controversy which has pervaded this issue for over two hundred years, Meacham treats the topic as fully resolved. Only in the extensive endnotes does the reader find a multi-page note admitting to, and describing, the controversy.

In most ways, however, “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” lived up to the hype which has surrounded the book since its publication. I found it easy, entertaining and enjoyable to read. It required relatively little from me, but offered disproportionately greater rewards. As a serious student of Jefferson, this would not be my first (or even second) stop on the lengthy journey to understanding Jefferson. However, as an efficient, wonderfully descriptive and generally comprehensive introduction to Thomas Jefferson, I am unaware of better biography.

Overall Rating: 4½ stars(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Jay Perkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, history-us, audiobook

An excellent, objective, and fair biography on Thomas Jefferson. Meacham covers the entirety of Jefferson's life, but states in an author's note that his goal wasn't to "write a full life and times" but to paint a "portrait" that "neither lionizes nor indicts Jefferson, but instead restores him to his full and rich role as an American statesmen who resists easy labeling."

Meacham points out that "nearly two decades of highly acclaimed biographies of John Adams, of Alexander Hamilton, and of Geor...more An excellent, objective, and fair biography on Thomas Jefferson. Meacham covers the entirety of Jefferson's life, but states in an author's note that his goal wasn't to "write a full life and times" but to paint a "portrait" that "neither lionizes nor indicts Jefferson, but instead restores him to his full and rich role as an American statesmen who resists easy labeling."

Meacham points out that "nearly two decades of highly acclaimed biographies of John Adams, of Alexander Hamilton, and of George Washington that understandably emphasize the virtues of their protagonists often at Jefferson's expense", with the result that the third president can be misunderstood. This biography gives a fuller account of Jefferson's political viewpoint which can be summed up as a concern for republican democracy in American, and the right of the many rather than the privilege of a few.

After reading the biography of Alexander Hamilton (by Ron Chernow) and Thomas Jefferson back to back (which I highly recommend to get the best picture of the opposing views), I'm struck at how much both of these men (and their respective parties) misunderstood one another. Their differences and their views of each other were exaggerated in the public and in their own minds, when deep down they had many similar goals, concerns, and visions. It is something worth considering in our current political climate.

"… Jefferson came to see Hamilton as the embodiment of the deepest republican fears: as a man who might be willing to sacrifice the American undertaking in liberty to the expediency of arbitrary authority. And Hamilton came to see Jefferson as a man who might be willing to throw everything the Americans had built to the revolutionary winds blowing from France. It was an extreme, overheated view of Hamilton (as of Jefferson), but it was a time of extreme and overheated views. Such was the political reality of the day, and Hamilton and Jefferson were politicians." Page 241

Both were concerned that the new government would fail, and both convinced that the other wanted it to fail.

During his presidency "it is not too much to say that Jefferson used Hamiltonian means to pursue Jeffersonian ends. He embraced ultimate power subtly but surely."

My only complaint about this book would be that it's not as warm or personal as McCullough's John Adams or Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton (although the last section have many warm examples of Jefferson's personal kindness and demeanor, as well as warm stories from his grandchildren). The McCullogh and Chernow biographies do a better job of painting the era and the personality of their respective subject. They make good companion biographies to The Art of Power.

However, this is a well written and entertaining biography, and I highly recommend it.

(I listened to the audio version of this book, so quotes may not be exact.)(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Cheri rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's rare when this happens. I just finished the prologue to this book. This eary in the book, I had the overwhelming feeling that I was reading something GREAT. Oh, I'm going to enjoy this book!!!

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May 24, 2013 Ken Bronsil rated it 4 of 5 stars

When America was born, there were many differing views on what a President's role should be. The first three Presidents--Washington, Adams, and Jefferson--each handled the role differently because each defined the role differently. The first two harbored a deep mistrust of very much democracy. Many leaders felt that the office of President needed to be handed down in some way or other, just as the title of King or Queen is handed down in England.

It all changed with Jefferson; and by the time his...more

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May 22, 2013 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great Biography. Not like the others on Jefferson. He was a complex man who owned and traded over 600 slaves during his life. Yet he wrote and worked tirelessly for the liberty of most American's. He was born into wealth, privilege and power. As the author says Jefferson always knew he would have power and control. It's remarkable that he used that power to advance liberty for his country. He was never able to admit that the french revolution was a disastrous blood bath. Until his death he still...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • Entertainment Weekly • The Seattle Times • St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his er

...more

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • Entertainment Weekly • The Seattle Times • St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power.

Thomas Jefferson hated confrontation, and yet his understanding of power and of human nature enabled him to move men and to marshal ideas, to learn from his mistakes, and to prevail. Passionate about many things—women, his family, books, science, architecture, gardens, friends, Monticello, and Paris—Jefferson loved America most, and he strove over and over again, despite fierce opposition, to realize his vision: the creation, survival, and success of popular government in America. Jon Meacham lets us see Jefferson’s world as Jefferson himself saw it, and to appreciate how Jefferson found the means to endure and win in the face of rife partisan division, economic uncertainty, and external threat. Drawing on archives in the United States, England, and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson presidential papers, Meacham presents Jefferson as the most successful political leader of the early republic, and perhaps in all of American history.

The father of the ideal of individual liberty, of the Louisiana Purchase, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and of the settling of the West, Jefferson recognized that the genius of humanity—and the genius of the new nation—lay in the possibility of progress, of discovering the undiscovered and seeking the unknown. From the writing of the Declaration of Independence to elegant dinners in Paris and in the President’s House; from political maneuverings in the boardinghouses and legislative halls of Philadelphia and New York to the infant capital on the Potomac; from his complicated life at Monticello, his breathtaking house and plantation in Virginia, to the creation of the University of Virginia, Jefferson was central to the age. Here too is the personal Jefferson, a man of appetite, sensuality, and passion.

The Jefferson story resonates today not least because he led his nation through ferocious partisanship and cultural warfare amid economic change and external threats, and also because he embodies an eternal drama, the struggle of the leadership of a nation to achieve greatness in a difficult and confounding world.

Advance praise for *Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“Jon Meacham resolves the bundle of contradictions that was Thomas Jefferson by probing his love of progress and thirst for power. This is a thrilling and affecting portrait of our first philosopher-politician.”—Stacy Schiff
*
“This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

From the Hardcover edition.

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2012: As multifaceted a character as has ever been seen in American history (not to mention politics), Thomas Jefferson was perhaps the ideal leader for the young nation still struggling with external threats and its own identity: a to-the-core individualist and visionary who both embodied and reconciled the contradictions of individualism and a shared nationality. It’s no mean feat to render the life and times of such a figure (much less make it compulsively readable), but as with his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Andrew Jackson (American Lion), Jon Meacham’s Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power vividly illustrates the world and impact of our third president, deftly weaving the threads of Jefferson’s personality into a complete portrait of a singularly complex politician and thinker--a philosopher president. --Jon Foro

Review

Praise for *Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“Fascinating and insightful … Many books have been written about Jefferson’s life, but few have created such a vivid portrait … Meacham immerses the reader in that period of history to explain Jefferson’s behavior during an era when the nation was as contradictory as he was … extraordinary … essential.”—The Associated Press

“[A]ccomplishes something more impressive than dissecting Jefferson’s political skills by explaining his greatness, a different task from chronicling a life, though he does that too — and handsomely. Even though I know quite a lot about Jefferson, I was repeatedly surprised by the fresh information Meacham brings to his work. Surely there is not a significant detail out there, in any pertinent archive, that he has missed.”—Joyce Appleby, Washington Post

“[Meacham] argues persuasively that for Jefferson the ideal of liberty was not incompatible with a strong federal government, and also that Jefferson’s service in the Congress in 1776 left him thoroughly versed in the ways and means of politics … Meacham wisely has chosen to look at Jefferson through a political lens, assessing how he balanced his ideals with pragmatism while also bending others to his will. And just as he scolded Jackson, another slaveholder and champion of individual liberty, for being a hypocrite, so Meacham gives a tough-minded account of Jefferson’s slippery recalibrations on race … Where other historians have found hypocrisy in Jefferson’s use of executive power to complete the Louisiana Purchase, Meacham is nuanced and persuasive..”—Jill Abramson, The New York Times Book Review

“[Meacham] does an excellent job getting inside Jefferson's head and his world … Meacham presents Jefferson's life in a textured narrative that weaves together Jefferson's well-traveled career.”—USA Today

“A big, grand, absorbing exploration of not just Jefferson and his role in history but also Jefferson the man, humanized as never before. [Grade:] A-.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Impeccably researched and footnoted … a model of clarity and explanation.”—Bloomberg

“[Meacham] captures who Jefferson was, not just as a statesman but as a man … By the end of the book, as the 83-year-old Founding Father struggles to survive until the Fourth of July, 1826, the 50th anniversary of his masterful Declaration, the reader is likely to feel as if he is losing a dear friend … [an] absorbing tale.”—Christian Science Monitor

“[Meacham] brings to bear his focused and sensitive scholarship, rich prose style … The Jefferson that emerges from these astute, dramatic pages is a figure worthy of continued study and appreciation … [a] very impressive book.”—Booklist* (Starred Review)

“An outstanding biography that reveals an overlooked steeliness at Jefferson’s core that accounts for so much of his political success.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Jon Meacham understands Thomas Jefferson. With thorough and up-to-date research, elegant writing, deep insight, and an open mind, he brings Jefferson, the most talented politician of his generation—and one of the most talented in our nation’s history—into full view. It is no small task to capture so capacious a life in one volume. Meacham has succeeded, giving us a rich presentation of our third president’s life and times. This is an extraordinary work.”—Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello

“This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals

“Jon Meacham resolves the bundle of contradictions that was Thomas Jefferson by probing his love of progress and thirst for power. Here was a man endlessly, artfully intent on making the world something it had not been before. A thrilling and affecting portrait of our first philosopher-politician.”—Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life
"A true triumph. In addition to being a brilliant biography, this book is a guide to the use of power. Jon Meacham shows how Jefferson's deft ability to compromise and improvise made him a transformational leader. We think of Jefferson as the embodiment of noble ideals, as he was, but Meacham shows that he was a practical politician more than a moral theorist. The result is a fascinating look at how Jefferson wielded his driving desire for power and control."—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs

"This is probably the best single-volume biography of Jefferson ever written; it is certainly the most readable."—Gordon Wood, author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution

“This is Jon Meacham's best book yet. Evocatively written and deeply researched, it sheds brilliant light on facets of Thomas Jefferson we haven't seen before, gives us original and unexpected new insights into his identity and character, and uses the irresistible story of this talented, manipulative, complicated man to bring us life lessons on universal subjects from family and friendship to politics and leadership. The Sage of Monticello made a considerable effort to turn his life into a mystery, but in a splendid match of biographer with subject, Meacham has cracked the Jefferson code."—Michael Beschloss

From the Hardcover edition.

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May 09, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Was Jefferson a great man or just one whose reputation was immeasurably enhanced by the need of Americans to turn their Founders into saints?

Little interests me more than the process of historiography – i.e., the study of historical writing, and the ways in which interpretations of the past change depending on the individual historian. Books about Jefferson provide a great opportunity to see historiography at work!

What historians choose to focus on regarding Jefferson has implications for our n...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Watchingthewords rated it 5 of 5 stars

Much to the chagrin of some of my more loyal followers, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction. I like the idea of non-fiction, but unfortunately, for me, it is too rarely done really well. I am a storyteller and a lover of stories, reading a book that feels like a textbook, a research paper, or a treatise on someone’s personal opinions (often supported by their own personal interpretation of facts) just doesn’t work for me. In this week’s top ten I talked about 1776 by David McCullough and how I did...more Much to the chagrin of some of my more loyal followers, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction. I like the idea of non-fiction, but unfortunately, for me, it is too rarely done really well. I am a storyteller and a lover of stories, reading a book that feels like a textbook, a research paper, or a treatise on someone’s personal opinions (often supported by their own personal interpretation of facts) just doesn’t work for me. In this week’s top ten I talked about 1776 by David McCullough and how I didn’t like it as much as I had hoped. I wanted to be told the story of 1776, I did not want to read a research paper on 1776, and while it was a well-written and well-researched book, it still felt like a research paper to me. Being a fan of Thomas Jefferson (how can you not like a guy who donates 47,000 books to the Library of Congress?), I approached reading this book with some trepidation – I did not want to read a textbook about Jefferson, I wanted to be told his story, and I was not disappointed.
“I cannot live without books.” – Thomas Jefferson

Jon Meacham tells the story of Thomas Jefferson brilliantly; while it is well-researched it is never dry, engrossing you in the world, ideas, and actions of this amazing and complex man. Through his time as a lawyer, author of the Declaration of Independence, governor of Virginia, minister to France, Secretary of State, Vice President, and President Jefferson understood the delicate balance between philosophy and politics, that big dreams do not become reality on their own. He knew how to work “the system” to achieve his desired ends, working through both his friends and enemies to achieve his vision for the country.
“He dreamed big but understood that dreams become reality only when their champions are strong enough and wily enough to bend history to their purposes.”

Meacham brings forth the complexity of the man, the conflict that sometimes existed between his actions and the beliefs he expounded. In spite of these beliefs, Jefferson as a politician accepted and understood the realities of the offices he held, mastering the art of power to achieve the ends he desired.
“Our greatest leaders are neither dreamers nor dictators: They are, like Jefferson, those who articulate national aspirations yet master the mechanics of influence and know when to depart from dogma.”

As a person, Jefferson was well-educated and well-read, interesting and interested in numerous subjects, congenial and kind, a lover of all things French, devoted to his family, friends, and country. However, Jefferson is certainly not portrayed as flawless, his inability to manage his personal finances, the contradictions between his words and his actions, his hypocrisy on the issue of slavery, are all addressed and show the many sides of this complex and fascinating figure. Regardless of his flaws, he ultimately worked tirelessly to leave the world better. He is a man who I would’ve liked to meet, to share a glass of his French wine, to sit and discuss philosophy and art and science and politics, leaving more enlightened and inspired for my time with him.

See more on my blog at www.watchingthewords.com!
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Mar 31, 2013 karl rated it 3 of 5 stars

My heart loves fiction shoot’em ups. My head makes me read nonfiction. I slogged through this well-searched biography of Jefferson (TJ), who I admire and respect. When I was about to write this short review I looked at Wikipedia. It said it all about him. That made me thinks, “Why didn’t I spend 10 minutes on Wikipedia and have hours more for non fiction? “ Great question. No good answer.

The book should have been trimmed by 1/3. Too many quotes from Jefferson’s papers. I found it often repetitiv...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Mohammed AlQuraishi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Meacham’s book is a voluminous one, and at times the details do feel a bit strained. Yet what emerges by the end of the book is a rather complete picture of the Master of Monticello, one that, on the whole, is flattering but not without qualification. Several interlocking threads run through the book, each weaving a picture of a distinct aspect of Jefferson’s personality. The first, obvious from the book’s title, is Jefferson’s relationship with and use of power. Meacham’s primary thesis is that...more Meacham’s book is a voluminous one, and at times the details do feel a bit strained. Yet what emerges by the end of the book is a rather complete picture of the Master of Monticello, one that, on the whole, is flattering but not without qualification. Several interlocking threads run through the book, each weaving a picture of a distinct aspect of Jefferson’s personality. The first, obvious from the book’s title, is Jefferson’s relationship with and use of power. Meacham’s primary thesis is that the real Jefferson, unlike the portrait painted by his contemporary adversaries, was no naïve theorist. He was animated by and committed to certain ideological principles, ones which he outlined in the Declaration of Independence and in his other writings, but his overriding aim was to bring life to these primary principles by all the means at his disposal, even at the cost of sacrificing some secondary causes. The defining characteristic of Jefferson’s personality, according to Meacham, was not his philosophical discipline, his love of science, or even his commitment to individual liberty and republicanism. Rather, it was his ability to use power to effect his will on the political and social stages in which he operated, and in so doing implement the political and social system he deemed most compatible with, and most empowering of, human nature. More so than a philosopher or a revolutionary, Jefferson was fundamentally a politician, one whose primary interest was in the acquisition and exercise of power.

His seeking of power was purposeful, and it is this purpose that forms the second thread of the book. Meacham places the American Revolution within the larger context of the English Civil War of the 17th century. To Jefferson and his revolutionary contemporaries, growing up as a subject of the British Crown was a perfectly natural state of being, and he found much with which he could sympathize in the struggles of his home country in the preceding century. During his early adulthood however, he becomes, for lack of better word, disillusioned with King George III and what he perceives as inconsistent and hypocritical treatment of the American colonies. His disillusionment eventually spreads to the entire British monarchy, and the system of governance that it represents. This hatred and fear of monarchy becomes the defining arc of Jefferson’s political life, beginning with the Declaration of Independence, and continuing through the American Revolution, the European wars of the 1780s and 1790s, the internal turmoil and political infighting in the nascent American Republic during the 1790s, and ultimately through his years as President and the looming British threat which culminates and is ended in the War of 1812. Jefferson was obsessed with monarchy and its defeat, and his exercise of power was singularly focused on establishing democratic and constitutional republicanism as a practical and stable form of government. This singular focus was, in the beginning of the Revolution, directed outward toward foreign adversaries. Ultimately however it was most forcefully projected onto internal foes, primarily the Federalists Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. In this respect, Meacham’s book paints a somewhat nuanced picture of Jefferson. Many historians perceive Jefferson as reactionary, perhaps even paranoid, of the potential of reestablishing monarchy in the United States. Meacham argues that the threat was not entirely exaggerated, and that Jefferson’s actions, as he perceived them, were effectively a continuation of the struggle of the English Civil War, something with which he was intimately familiar and which therefore colored his worldview.

On matters of race and color rested the third thread of Meacham’s biography. Jefferson’s view on race relations in the United States, and his personal relationship with black slaves, is an extremely contentious issue. Meacham tries to approach the subject delicately, and does not paint a terribly flattering picture of Jefferson in this regard. Nonetheless, the book does veer into apologia, although it is made clear that Jefferson’s views were retrograde even relative to some of his contemporaries. Jefferson did view slavery in a negative light, and considered it an immoral act. Yet he owned slaves and did not seem to have any reservations about doing so. Worse yet, his solution to the slavery problem was to end it by expelling all blacks out of the United States. The book mentions all this but focuses primarily on the personal aspect of Jefferson’s relationship with slavery, in particular his sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. Jefferson’s relationship with Hemings was a subject of historical debate until recently, when in 1998 DNA testing established with high likelihood that Jefferson fathered several children from Hemings. The nature of the relationship is not entirely clear, at least not from the book, but it appears to have largely been consensual. Jefferson met Hemings after the death of his wife, and they continued to live together for decades and likely had five children. Inexplicably, the children lived with Jefferson as slaves, but were freed upon reaching the age of 18, in accordance with an agreement that Jefferson made with Hemings.

In totality, the Jefferson that emerges out of Meacham’s book is a brilliant if human politician. What appears to me most remarkable about his story is the fact that, starting with a philosophical vision of how people and government ought to relate with one another, he was able to articulate this vision in words that had popular and universal appeal. He used the power of this appeal in the cause of the Revolution, and in so doing helped bring about the creation of the confederation. He participated and was instrumental in reforming the process until a strong federal Republic was born, and insured that a republican form of government was indeed the one that would prevail. By the time his second term as president had ended, he not only had given life to his vision and seen it established, but managed to also put it on firm footing, defeating the Federalists and securing the American experiment in democratic republicanism. Few people, if any, see their life’s project through with such thorough completeness. And it is a testament to Meacham’s work that the richness of Jefferson’s life can come through via the medium of the written word.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Ob-jonny rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not just a biography of Jefferson but a description of his world in the way that he saw it. It attempted to help the reader understand why he made the decisions he made and how they were shaped by the circumstances of the time. Many of his positions are frustrating from the modern perspective but make much more sense once the setting is understood. Jefferson wanted smaller government and won the battle against Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists who wanted a strong central government...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to devour this book the way I had with bios of the other Founding Fathers, but this one was more of a slog than I anticipated. Meacham does a good job connecting all the big historical touchstones of Jefferson's remarkable life: writing the Declaration of Independence (check); serving as an ambassador to France (check); serving in Washington's cabinet (check); winning election as the third president of the U.S., negotiating the Louisiana Purchase, and founding the University of Virginia...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power.

Thomas Jefferson h

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In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power.

Thomas Jefferson hated confrontation, and yet his understanding of power and of human nature enabled him to move men and to marshal ideas, to learn from his mistakes, and to prevail. Passionate about many things—women, his family, books, science, architecture, gardens, friends, Monticello, and Paris—Jefferson loved America most, and he strove over and over again, despite fierce opposition, to realize his vision: the creation, survival, and success of popular government in America. Jon Meacham lets us see Jefferson’s world as Jefferson himself saw it, and to appreciate how Jefferson found the means to endure and win in the face of rife partisan division, economic uncertainty, and external threat. Drawing on archives in the United States, England, and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson presidential papers, Meacham presents Jefferson as the most successful political leader of the early republic, and perhaps in all of American history.

The father of the ideal of individual liberty, of the Louisiana Purchase, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and of the settling of the West, Jefferson recognized that the genius of humanity—and the genius of the new nation—lay in the possibility of progress, of discovering the undiscovered and seeking the unknown. From the writing of the Declaration of Independence to elegant dinners in Paris and in the President’s House; from political maneuverings in the boardinghouses and legislative halls of Philadelphia and New York to the infant capital on the Potomac; from his complicated life at Monticello, his breathtaking house and plantation in Virginia, to the creation of the University of Virginia, Jefferson was central to the age. Here too is the personal Jefferson, a man of appetite, sensuality, and passion.

The Jefferson story resonates today not least because he led his nation through ferocious partisanship and cultural warfare amid economic change and external threats, and also because he embodies an eternal drama, the struggle of the leadership of a nation to achieve greatness in a difficult and confounding world.

Advance praise for *Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“Jon Meacham resolves the bundle of contradictions that was Thomas Jefferson by probing his love of progress and thirst for power. This is a thrilling and affecting portrait of our first philosopher-politician.”—Stacy Schiff
*
“This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

From the Hardcover edition.

Review

Advance praise for *Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“Jon Meacham resolves the bundle of contradictions that was Thomas Jefferson by probing his love of progress and thirst for power. This is a thrilling and affecting portrait of our first philosopher-politician.”—Stacy Schiff

“This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power* is a true triumph, a brilliant biography. Jon Meacham shows how Jefferson’s deft ability to compromise and improvise made him a transformational leader. We think of Jefferson as the embodiment of noble ideals, as he was, but Meacham shows that he was a practical politician more than a moral theorist. The result is a fascinating look at how Jefferson wielded his driving desire for power and control.”—Walter Isaacson

“This is probably the best single-volume biography of Jefferson ever written.”—Gordon S. Wood

“Jon Meacham understands Thomas Jefferson. With thorough and up-to-date research, elegant writing, deep insight, and an open mind, he brings Jefferson, the most talented politician of his generation—and one of the most talented in our nation’s history—into full view. This is an extraordinary work.”—Annette Gordon-Reed

From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Jon Meacham received the Pulitzer Prize for American Lion, his bestselling 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Franklin and Winston and American Gospel. Executive editor and executive vice president of Random House, Meacham is a contributing editor to Time magazine, a former editor of Newsweek, and has written for The New York Times and The Washington Post, among other publications. He is a regular contributor on Meet the Press, Morning Joe, and Charlie Rose, and is the editor at large of WNET, the New York public television station. Born in Chattanooga in 1969, Meacham was educated at The University of the South. He lives with his family in New York and in Tennessee.

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Mar 04, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent book. Meacham sees Jefferson not only as the idealist and philosopher who wrote the Declaration of Independence, but as a man who learned from experience and compromised throughout his political career. In fact, at the beginning of his Presidency, the Federalists were frightened that the country fail because real democracy was too dangerous and at the end of his Presidency some of the Republicans were angry that he'd compromised with the Federalists to the extend that he compromised th...more Excellent book. Meacham sees Jefferson not only as the idealist and philosopher who wrote the Declaration of Independence, but as a man who learned from experience and compromised throughout his political career. In fact, at the beginning of his Presidency, the Federalists were frightened that the country fail because real democracy was too dangerous and at the end of his Presidency some of the Republicans were angry that he'd compromised with the Federalists to the extend that he compromised the who idea of democracy. Interestingly, there was talk of secession at both points, and in both instances the North was seen as leaving the union, perhaps to form a country with British possessions in North America (Canada) and to have a more "royalist" government, maybe even go back to British rule.
One of Jefferson's greatest fears was that the new United States would give up the democratic ideal and have a "president for life" or even a younger son of the British king as its king.
His relationship with John Adams was also interesting. The two were close when they were both abroad as diplomats but politics separated them as Adams became the head of the Federalist Party and Jefferson of the Republicans. Only in old age did they reconcile (as a result of a push by Abigail Adams) and carry on a correspondence after Jefferson had retired. Then, they both died on the 4th of July of 1826, Jefferson have struggled to stay alive until July 4th.
Interesting to me that I've always liked Jefferson and felt closer to his main ideas but never read very much about him. Lately though I've read biographies of Adams, Hamilton (Jefferson's Nemesis) and Washington so have understand the Federalist POV much better, but reading this book reminded me that Jefferson, IMHO, is the closest to the way I think.
The book was interesting on the Jefferson controversy (slavery--he didn't free his slaves at death as did Washington, Sally Hemmings--Jefferson promised his wife not to remarry/sleeping with a slave, who was in fact a half sister of his wife, was not unusual at the time).
I was also reminded that it was Jefferson who commissioned the Voyage of Discovery of Lewis and Clark and who made the purchase of the Louisiana Territory on his own without consulting Congress (thought he at first wanted a constitutional amendment to allow it). It would probably not have happened had he not acted quickly. Those two acts set the scene for American expansion into the west and were therefore far-seeing and critical decisions.
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Feb 28, 2013 Carl Brush rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jon Meacham won and deserved a Pulitzer for his bio of Andrew Jackson. It’s a compelling narrative that takes you inside the head and heart of the man and his times. One comes away from Thomas Jefferson The Art of Power knowing a great deal more about the man and his times, but as for the compelling narrative part, or the journey into the head and heart of the man, this one falls short. Meacham has collected and arranged an impressive array of commentary about Jefferson by his contemporaries–let...more Jon Meacham won and deserved a Pulitzer for his bio of Andrew Jackson. It’s a compelling narrative that takes you inside the head and heart of the man and his times. One comes away from Thomas Jefferson The Art of Power knowing a great deal more about the man and his times, but as for the compelling narrative part, or the journey into the head and heart of the man, this one falls short. Meacham has collected and arranged an impressive array of commentary about Jefferson by his contemporaries–letters, articles, public documents–and from the voluminous writings of the man himself. The chronological sequence is clear, and we get a clear and complete picture of this remarkable man and of the career and country he and his compatriots fashioned. However, the picture is like an inert portrait or a marble statue. Not much flesh and blood to it.

Even the stomach-turning circumstances of his affair with Sally Hemings and the children he fathered by her–as complete an account as I’ve ever heard or read–don’t bring us in actual touch with the man’s feelings (urges?). Meachum tries hard enough. Hemings is sixteen or seventeen when J starts the affair in Paris. She’s his wife’s half-sister, the child of his wife’s father by another slave, given as a wedding present. She’s the same age as his daughter, also with him in Paris. When Sally becomes pregnant, she entertains thoughts of remaining in France, where slavery is illegal and where Jefferson would have been powerless to stop her from walking away. No one apparently knows how he finally persuaded her to return to Virginia. In subsequent years, though she was given some privileges and lighter duties than other slaves (She may have negotiated these while in France.) she remained a slave and continued to pump out children for Jefferson the master, children whom he never acknowledged–nor denied. He simply ignored them. He did provide freedom for a couple in his will–so generous–and they went on to other lives passing as white.

How Meacham avoided bringing alive the juicy lustiness of the man who would do all this and still become the eloquent and brilliant voice of one of the greatest political and intellectual enterprises in human history I don’t know. After reading The American Lion, I felt as if Jackson was sitting beside me and that I’d better be careful what I said. He’d easily best me in an argument, and if I opposed him too vigorously he might bring a cane down on my head. After reading The Art of Power, I felt as if I knew a great deal more about this man on the pedestal, but that he was still up there in his detached, ethereal world, beyond the reach of conversation or argument.

All in all, a sterling effort, but a disappointment. If I hadn’t read the Jackson, maybe I’d feel differently. But I did and I don’t. So there.(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished this masterful work. The biography was not meant to be comprehensive (see acknowledgments), but it did cover Jefferson's life from birth to death. And the end was one of the most moving accounts in the book. I was brought to tears by the realization of this great man's will to live, to make it to July 4. I knew that both he and John Adams had died on the same day/same year, but not that Jefferson willed himself to stay alive so that he would die on July 4. My only reason for not gi...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Steven Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a well written, fast moving biography of Thomas Jefferson. The chapters tend to be punchy and relatively brief (some as short as 5 or 6 pages long)'

I once reviewed Ellis book, "American Sphinx," a biography of Thomas Jefferson. At one point I mentioned Ellis' perspective:

"Thomas Jefferson, according to the author, was an American Sphinx. And, indeed, there is an elusive quality to Jefferson. As the biography outlines, he could be as vicious a political assassin as there was (e.g., his at...more This is a well written, fast moving biography of Thomas Jefferson. The chapters tend to be punchy and relatively brief (some as short as 5 or 6 pages long)'

I once reviewed Ellis book, "American Sphinx," a biography of Thomas Jefferson. At one point I mentioned Ellis' perspective:

"Thomas Jefferson, according to the author, was an American Sphinx. And, indeed, there is an elusive quality to Jefferson. As the biography outlines, he could be as vicious a political assassin as there was (e.g., his attacks on John Adams through others, while trying to keep his own hands `clean'), but he did not appear to want to accept or confront this in himself.

Ellis characterizes Jefferson as (page 26) `. . .a flawed creature, a man who combined massive learning with extraordinary naïveté, piercing insights into others with daunting powers of self-deception, utter devotion to great principles with a highly indulged presumption that his own conduct was not answerable to them.'"

In short, Ellis emphasized his elusiveness, his contradictions. It is a nuanced work, but there is a critical edge at points in this book.

Jon Meacham's book has a different take on Jefferson. It has a more positive cast to it. One example suggests the difference in approaches. Ellis speaks of the time when President George Washington lamented to harsh attacks on him by a partisan newspaper, edited by Philip Freneau. Jefferson was a key actor in bringing the newspaper into existence. Indeed, Freneau was an employee of the State Department (which Jefferson headed). Ellis' take on this is critical, as he relates Washington's lament to Jefferson, while Jefferson revealed nothing of his own role in the newspaper. Ellis sees this as indicating a sort of dishonesty about Jefferson. Meacham sees it as an illustration of Jefferson's desire not to get caught up in unpleasantness, with which he felt uncomfortable.

The book does a nice job outlining Jefferson's life, from birth to death. Meacham develops a portrayal of Jefferson that addresses his inconsistencies (his view on slavery and African-Americans is rather tortured). Jefferson is perceived as a pragmatist--not a mist eyed Romantic. Slavery is an example. He thought it an institution that would create problems in the future. He made a few efforts to address this, but withdrew and did not really take a firm stand thereafter when the political problems associated with his perceptions became obvious.

The book analyzes some of Jefferson's problems in a sympathetic manner, such as his flight from the English forces while he was serving as Governor. It treats his economic policy against European countries more positively than Ellis.

The book deals openly with Sally Hemings, a slave on his plantation who bore him several children.

Well done is the past paced storyline of Jefferson. We move crisply through the various stages of life, from his early political career to his role at the Constitutional Convention (with his authorship of the Declaration of Independence as a major contribution), to Governor of Virginia to a diplomat living in Paris to service as Secretary of State under Washington to the vice presidency (serving with John Adams--who went from being a close ally to his bête noir) to the presidency and thereafter. The tale of the resumption of his friendship with John Adams is well told. We get a good sense of Meacham's take on Jefferson as a person.

All in all, a very readable account of Jefferson that is accessible to the reader. (less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Drew Danko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not being a history buff I wasn't sure how much enjoyment I was going to receive from reading this book. Seeing Jon Meacham many times on the Morning Joe show though convinced me to give the book a try.

Glad I did. The author managed to do what none of my prior history instructors were able to do-make history interesting and informative. Of course I assume all responsibility for my lack of interest and progress in the subject matter.

The book is scholarly, yet interesting and easy to read. Because...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Brian T rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a fascinating person Thomas Jefferson was! He was so integral to the concept of "America" as the embodiment of freedom, liberty, justice, representative government, and inherent rights of man. Yet, he was also a slave owner who, while claiming to believe that "one of these days, slavery ought to end..." did so very little to help the American salve.

Jefferson was a keen politician. No one should forget that. He fought nasty battles with Hamilton and Adams as the young nation became a realit...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Don Bryant added it

A good read. There is very little about the "art of power" and more a generalized biography of Jefferson. Meacham is a fan and downplays the usual critique of Jefferson as duplicitous and a quiet subversive of his political opponents, John Adams in particular. There is always the constant theme of Jefferson and slavery and Jefferson's supposed willingness to accept the institution as a fact of his time which he was not going to be able to change. So he didn't even try. There was little surprise...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Rex Hammock rated it 5 of 5 stars

I rarely review books while still reading them, but I can already give it five stars despite being only 50% finished. Why? At dinner with friends last night, the people on either side of me were also reading the book and about 50% through it, also: an accidental, but very enjoyable, book club event broke out. Despite our different reactions to the book (Meacham's focus was questioned by one) we were unanimous in marveling at how much we've learned about someone we thought we knew much about.

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Dec 23, 2012 Pam Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars

As another reviewer stated, the prologue had me hooked.

Jon Meacham's prose held me spellbound.

Jefferson truly did understand and practice the fine art of power as it applied to himself and other politicians, leaders,journalists, family, and others of his era. This book illustrates his savvy use of power, often subtle, numerous times as it delves into the mind of Jefferson--his thought process, his choices, and his rationale. As a writer, I can't help but be envious of his ability to author the...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although it may not look like a page turner, Jon Meacham’s latest novel, is revolutionary, taking an in-depth look at one of the most powerful and influential men in American history. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power is such a moving, powerful book that even it is well worth a read.

Meacham paints a picture of Jefferson that extends far beyond the scope of history books, examining the details that truly made this president a leader in all that he did. By looking at Jefferson’s strategies, moral...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Mlg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Fascinating portrayal of our third president, a man of startling contradictions. Meacham shows him as a man opposed to slavery, yet who kept over 600 slaves on his plantations. He also participated in the removal of the indians and believed that if the slaves were to be freed, they should be sent back to Africa. Jefferson's interest in all areas of learning was an exceptional part of his personality.
Jefferson's personal life was equally interesting. His wife died young and extracted a promise...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Julia Reed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Is it ok to say you couldn't put an 800 page book down? Maybe not, but in this case, I have to tell the truth, I loved this chronicle of Tomas Jefferson's political life. Some have criticized it for not looking closely enough at Jefferson as a slave owner, or for glossing over his less palatable qualities, but I disagree on both counts. This isn't a story of Jefferson as the Master of Monticello, a story that has been fully and ably chronicled in other books (most recently Master of the Mountain...more Is it ok to say you couldn't put an 800 page book down? Maybe not, but in this case, I have to tell the truth, I loved this chronicle of Tomas Jefferson's political life. Some have criticized it for not looking closely enough at Jefferson as a slave owner, or for glossing over his less palatable qualities, but I disagree on both counts. This isn't a story of Jefferson as the Master of Monticello, a story that has been fully and ably chronicled in other books (most recently Master of the Mountain), but Meacham does not ignore that part of Jeffersons life. After all, being a slave owner was part of how Jefferson acquired and wielded power, both over the lives in his hands and over the Virginia planter society to which he belonged. Nor does Meacham whitewash Jefferson into some kind of marble busted saint. This book is the politico's Thomas Jefferson, the story of his education in, and acquisition, use,, and misuse of power. A man of reportedly high principle, but also of high failures, and both of those pieces are laid out here by Meacham in a thoroughly readable way. The political junky of every party persuasion will find something to love, and revile in this masterful work on one of the earliest party politicians, but mostly to love. It does an excellent job of breaking down his choices and political maneuvers, highlighting the ideas and personalities that drove him, and the experiences that shaped him as a governor, congressman, president, statesman, as well as in his personal life. From his early attempts at liberating slaves (abandoned eventually as politically unfeasible), to his break up with the Washington and Adams administration, Jefferson was not always coherent in his decisions, but always interesting to watch.

Jefferson was a party man, but also a pragmatist, an idealist, but also a politician to the core. He worshipped reason, but was willing to bend facts to suit his own version of the truth. he loved liberty, but owned slaves and participated in a relationship with his teenage slave, whose children he also owned for most of his life. Jefferson is an enigma, a contradiction, and yet still retains status as a beloved figure of American life. As Meacham notes: We revere Washington, we respect Adams, but we love Jefferson, despite his long list of faults and crimes. I predict people will love this book, and think it makes a great addition to a political bookshelf.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Sherry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, cultural-political, historical-non-fiction, inspiration, philosophy

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's right up there with Steven Ambrose's Undaunted Courage. Meacham deftly paints Jefferson as deeply human, (warts and all), enlightened, compassionate, and powerful. What impressed me the most is how this man created and defined the presidency, and what that meant. Recently I read Tempest at Dawn, (another well-done book) about the creation of the constitution. The members argued about the executive branch of the government. Some said there needed...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Bob H rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thomas Jefferson was one of the great minds that created and defined the Republic; a one-volume work would be difficult to span all that he was. Dumas Malone took six volumes to do him justice. Here, Jon Meacham provides a warmly-written yet quick-moving story of his life in about 500 pages. His focus is political, mostly: his years as governor of Virginia, as a diplomat in France. It lingers over his presidency, but does touch on his personal life on Monticello, some of it obviously from accoun...more Thomas Jefferson was one of the great minds that created and defined the Republic; a one-volume work would be difficult to span all that he was. Dumas Malone took six volumes to do him justice. Here, Jon Meacham provides a warmly-written yet quick-moving story of his life in about 500 pages. His focus is political, mostly: his years as governor of Virginia, as a diplomat in France. It lingers over his presidency, but does touch on his personal life on Monticello, some of it obviously from account-books and diaries of family and the farm. It dwells, more than most, on his controversial term as governor of Virginia, in a time when he had to confront, and then flee, Lord Cornwallis' invasion, for which Jefferson would face criticism for decades to come. It does not neglect his ownership of slaves or the relationship with one of them, Sally Hemings.

The author only touched some events in the telling: I would have liked more on his negotiations with Napoleon over the Louisiana Purchase, and his dispatch of the Louis and Clark expedition. I would have liked more on his creation of the Act for Establishing Religious Freedom in Virginia -- he was in France when his friend James Madison won its passage, but even so, it was one of three things, along with the Declaration of Independence and his founding of the University of Virginia, that he wished to be remembered for. I would have liked more on his architecture, and he was, arguably, the nation's first major architect.

Even so, it's a useful new introduction to Jefferson and one that is warm to read, an introduction to the man, his tastes and his work. Says the author, "Jefferson is the founding president who charms us most. George Washington inspires awe: John Adams respect. With his grace and hospitality, his sense of taste and love of beautiful things -- of silver and art and architecture and gardening and food and wine -- Jefferson is more alive, more convivial."

The author has given us that. It's a good introduction to one of the country's founding intellects, a country gentleman who bequeathed us much. Highly recommend. (less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Cynthia Archer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this to be an interesting biography of Thomas Jefferson, as well as a great perspective of history from the time of the American revolution through the early years of the nation. The author did a great job of giving you a feel for what the real Jefferson might have been like. He uses many of Jefferson's own words as well as those of people around him to make the time come alive. Mr. Meacham portrays Jefferson as a resolute man who was willing to give so much of himself to preserve the ri...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: 12. THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER - CHAPTERS 43 - EPILOGUE (477 - 493) ~ February 4th - February 10th - No Spoilers, Please	36	44	May 10, 2013 07:01am
Goodreads Librari...: Please merge: Thomas Jefferson...	3	15	May 08, 2013 07:46pm
The History Book ...: 3. THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER - CHAPTERS 7 - 10 (76 - 113) ~ December 3rd - December 9th - No Spoilers, Please	75	146	Apr 24, 2013 07:36am
The History Book ...: 4. THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER - CHAPTERS 11 - 14 (117 - 146) ~ December 10th - December 16th - No Spoilers, Please	75	58	Apr 24, 2013 07:32am
opinion	12	29	Apr 22, 2013 08:38pm
The History Book ...: 9. THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER - CHAPTERS 31 - 34 (324 - 371) ~ January 14th - January 20th - No Spoilers, Please	85	55	Apr 21, 2013 09:57am
The History Book ...: 10. THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER - CHAPTERS 35 - 38 (372 - 424) ~ January 21st - January 27th - No Spoilers, Please	90	60	Apr 20, 2013 04:34pm

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