false 22680 6 Well timed to coincide with Ken Burns's documentary (on which the author served as a consultant), this new biography doesn't aim to displace the many massive tomes about America's third president that already weigh down bookshelves. Instead, as suggested by the subtitle--"The Character of Thomas Jefferson"--Ellis searches for the "living, breathing person" underneath the icon and tries to elucidate his actual beliefs. Jefferson's most ardent admirers may find this perspective too critical, but Ellis's portrait of a complex, sometimes devious man who both sought and abhorred power has the ring of truth. 1704815 1997 American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson total:866|5:174|4:416|3:211|2:57|1:8| 866 3289 1508 132 4 1 true false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Dec 26 23:29:12 -0800 2007 Tue May 20 21:00:44 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 2 false false Tue Mar 04 19:39:44 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 04 19:39:44 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Aug 29 07:56:13 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 29 08:13:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 1 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jun 14 07:41:50 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 14 08:27:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Mon Aug 10 17:38:50 -0700 2009 Sat Jan 03 15:52:43 -0800 2009 Mon Aug 10 17:38:50 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Sep 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 20:19:08 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 20:22:20 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jun 15 09:41:14 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 10:14:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 14 09:34:15 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 18:45:18 -0700 2009
It is particularly relevant because Ellis was one of the first to recognize the facts regarding Sally Hemings, and clearly fully appreciated how much that circ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 08:26:06 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 08:34:56 -0700 2009 We find that these men, while not perfect with benefit of 20/20 hindsight, were true to their convictions, Jefferson perhaps more than most.
...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 11:45:40 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 11:48:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 18 14:11:56 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 00:09:03 -0700 2009 American Sphinx is this: I picked it up after reading McCullough's sympathetic John Adams, which left a terrible taste in my mouth whenever I even formed the words "Thomas Jefferson." OK, I thought, I need to give this man -- this founding father and...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed May 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 00:17:40 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 14:27:34 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Fri Sep 19 12:21:26 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 19 12:22:37 -0700 2008 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 14:42:44 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 05 09:38:45 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 14 19:36:32 -0700 2008 Fri Nov 21 18:27:23 -0800 2008
While this is an excellent look at the author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, what keeps ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat May 10 23:06:47 -0700 2008 Fri May 30 06:10:32 -0700 2008 For me, the value of this bo...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Aug 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 16 21:15:42 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 18 08:08:04 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Tue Feb 12 23:20:56 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 12 23:26:28 -0800 2008 I've only read one other book about Jefferson but I've read several others about the founding fathers and I'm absolutely convinced that this is the best I'll ever read about Thomas Jefferson.

Ellis writes incredibly well- poetic, detailed, erudite as all hell, and smoothly- with gra...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Sep 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Feb 06 08:05:08 -0800 2008 Wed Sep 30 08:11:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jul 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jan 29 08:23:21 -0800 2008 Tue Jul 07 10:38:50 -0700 2009
Philadelphia (1775 to 1776) – jefferson’s important early writings, authorship of declaration of independence, lack of ...more...]]>