You might also want to read a general history of America during the Revolution and the Early Republic years just to get a sense of historical context to Jefferson’s actions.Your note & observation underscores one of the numerous reasons I’m now glad I didn’t initially choose “just one” biography per president to read – different authors with differing styles, often from different eras themselves, with access to different information each create a uniquely informative view of their subject. Don’t we all know people like that? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In his biography of Jefferson, Merrill Peterson acknowledged being mortified in confessing he still found Jefferson “impenetrable” after years of study. Adept at marrying his ideals to the realities of the times in which he lived, Jefferson was a skilled manipulator of those around him, and had an innate understanding of the fledgling political process he helped fashion.
If you read it let me know what you thought! I am interested in Meacham’s “The Art of Power,” But I’ve also seen good reviews of the 2017 bio “Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty” by John B. Boles.Most posts above were made prior to the latter’s publishing. I am equally unsurprised he could profess politically correct views on various topics, yet seem to violate those principles when it was convenient. His Presidency was not emphasized as much, but there are plenty of other great books that do that as you have pointed out. In my opinion the Meacham book reads like a collection of chronological facts about Jefferson with not much attempt to provide any insight into Jefferson or any context for his actions. To have it ignored in a TJ bio seemed disingenuous, to put it nicely. In his biography of Jefferson, Merrill Peterson acknowledged being mortified in confessing he still found Jefferson “impenetrable” after years of study.Part of what seems to make Jefferson so complex is that he is not merely a two-dimensional figure. With limited time I don’t think you can go wrong with Chernow (Wash), McCullough (Adams) and Meacham (Jefferson) but the Flexner, Smith and Malone series on those three really provide penetrating, readable depth that’s hard to find in single-volume biographies. The set of internal rules governing his behavior resembles a multi-variable differential equation whose output seems maddeningly inconsistent at … (* In 2013, I read four single-volume biographies of Jefferson and the six-volume series described above.
At times it is thoroughly engrossing and contains its own interesting perspective on Jefferson’s life. In 1784, Jefferson and Hemings travelled to Paris, where the president studied vinticulture, and his slave studied French cooking, learning techniques from master chefs and bringing home recipes to recreate in the White House. I think Boles’s book was definitely more on the “informative” side of the scale, as compared to Meacham’s, which is more on the “entertaining” side. LOVED them. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy “American Sphinx” is to first read either Malone’s series or Peterson’s biography. (Full reviews: Without a doubt, no serious library would be complete without a copy of Peterson’s classic. (Like each of Ellis’s works I’ve read so far, this book is not quite a biography and should not be read as such.
In this biography, Craughwell describes the fateful trip that eventually won Hemings his freedom, and won the country a new appreciation of the art of fine dining It is an understatement to say that Jefferson was a man of contradictions. One of the first to make the list was Alexander Hamilton (I’ve owned the Chernow bio of Hamilton longer than I’ve owned his book on Washington!) I suggest Alexander Hamilton by Chernow.That is the very first “non presidential biography” I’m planning to read once I get through Obama…!I would love some advise on choosing a single-volume biography on Jefferson. Bernstein. The focus is more on his early life and his years in France. Nonetheless, as my next-to-last book on Jefferson, it was perfectly timed and absorbingly provocative. I believe you are a bit easy perhaps on Malone re: the Hemmings issue with “and perhaps for not addressing the Hemings controversy with evidence that has only recently come to light.”Malone, of course did not have DNA, however, if you look closely at the evidence he did have, he systematically approached what was available to reach a preconceived conclusion. Bestpresidentialbios.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. In this biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ellis seeks to uncover the true character of the Founding Father, a man who both hated public acclaim and sought it out, who worked alongside his slaves at Monticello yet believed blacks and whites could never live together, who could be petty and selfish, and also generous and wise. 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 …
I have not read Willard Sterne Randall’s bio of Jefferson – if you have, let me know what you thought. It wasn’t awful, just not terribly well written or compelling. Because they seem rarely read, I haven’t come across any particularly insightful reviews (not that I’ve looked all that hard) so I’ve got these sitting in a list that’s the literary equivalent of purgatory – I’m not sure whether to make them part of the my follow-up list or whether to avoid them altogether. Summed up nicely by the final sentence comparing Jefferson’s Idealism v Adams’s Realism: “That’s why we honor Jefferson and not Adams.”How would you rate Mapp’s books? Given that, and given that I want to stick to one volume, would Meacham be your recommendation here?
With opinion of Jefferson being so varied and he being so complicated a person, I am looking for the most “fair” and informative bio.For what it’s worth, I’m also looking forward to hearing from anyone who has feedback on Boles’s biography. He sent the U.S. Navy and Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status.