A life worth reading Thomas Jefferson
934866
I just finished reading the e-book "A life worth reading Thomas Jefferson" 168 pages. It reminded me of the textbooks I used in school it even had study questions at the end of the chapters. All in all I really didn't learn that much about Thomas Jefferson that I hadn't already known. It may be a good study guide for someone in junior high or high school though. I have another book in this series about JFK on my wishlist, but I think I will delete it and look for another book instead.
3182100
Having read Martha Jefferson Randolph, Daughter of Monticello: Her Life and Times by Cynthia A. Kierner  in 2012, I was excited to examine the research and new stories that Stephanie Dray would introduce in this portrait of Thomas Jefferson's oldest daughter Martha (Patsy). It is easy to understand how Jefferson manipulated the life of his daughter, and yet she gave her father her utmost devotion after the death of her mother. Dealing with the domesticity of her role at Monticello, in France, and at the President's House, Martha Jefferson displayed a remarkable intelligence and social skill as her father's hostess. She knew first-hand of the relationship between her father and Sally Hemings. Even though her later marriage to Thomas Randolph was difficult, she and her 11 children lived through privation and war at Monticello. Her charm and strength followed her into the Washington society after her father died. She shaped much of what we know of that period and of her father in her careful sorting of her father's papers. Perhaps those she destroyed were as compelling and of as much historical importance as the ones she chose to keep, but we can only surmise.
3688706
The author researched his subject extremely well.  He had so much detail in the book.  Also, I liked that it covered Jefferson's entire life - or from his first memory.  It contained information I had not found in other books I have read on Jefferson.  I continue to re-read portions of the book.
3867857
Crawford's narrative is balanced, filled with realism, and acutely aware of the controversies and legacies that it engages.  Twilight at Monticello is not meant to give an overview of Thomas Jefferson's accomplishments or philosophy.  Instead, it's a portrait of his later years encompassing (but not limited to) his declining health, domestic issues pertaining to his large family of descendants, founding of the University of Virginia, concerns about legacy, and battles with debt.

However, Crawford does spend the first 1/6 to 1/5 of the book providing a generalized/rushed biography. While mostly well done and providing the right level of detail, it's questionable whether such a lengthy aside was necessary. At minimum it brings all readers (who may have not read of Jefferson for years) up to speed - although it's not quite sufficient for the wholly unacquainted-with-Jefferson reader.

Well known for his contradictions, Jefferson could avoid dealing with their realities during his years of national prominence and public service. This volume lays out the period when those contradictions came to bear on Jefferson's everyday life. Crawford compellingly lays out Jefferson's triumphs, tragedies, and interesting happenings during his very eventful retirement. He makes good use of primary source documents and the chosen quotations from such are highly illuminating.

A minor note and criticism is that the otherwise chronological narrative seems to largely skip over the period of 1821 to 1824. Were these just uneventful years? No indication is given.
3844555
I'm an admirer of Jefferson and his Monticello house.  This book is another "real" story about his life, his love for all plants and those he brought to the US.  Very detailed.  Excellent book.
1678414
An excellant book on Jefferson. It is complementary of him but it also exposes his faults. It is hard to find biographies of great people that can do that. Most biographies are either for or against. This is especially true of modern writers who are writing after many others have written. So they are trying to find something new. This book takes a slightly different turn using Jefferson's life not as a biography but as an example for the use of power good & bad. That makes it a good read. It is well researched and well written. I didn't learn much about Jefferson I didn't already know but I learned a lot about government & power & how they work & can impact lives & history RAG
3556698
Once again Joseph Ellis does not disappoint with this intriguing look at Thomas Jefferson's years between 1775 and post presidency years. If you want the entire TJ story read someone else, this book is for someone who wants a good substantial read on this man, who although a slave owner, against big government and anything Hamilton, provides us with a fascinating insight into an American's purpose in this world.
1635299
I have always been a fan of Christopher Hitchens. His way with the English language is unsurpassed, perhaps since Churchill. To write a complete biography of a man like Jefferson in about 150 pages is an amazing feat. But Hitchens does it very well indeed. Something I had never considered before was what Hitchens points out as the three greatest achievements of Jefferson's presidency. These are, according to Hitchens: Sending the navy and marines to the Mediterranean and the "Shores of Tripoli," The Louisiana Purchase, and The Lewis and Clark Expedition. Hitchens obviously admired Jefferson immensely, but that did not prevent him for pointing out our third president's shortcomings. If you don't have time or interest in reading one of the huge biographies on Jefferson, do yourself a great favor and pick up a copy of Hitchens "Thomas Jefferson."
4633397
I am fascinated the person Thomas Jefferson. Sally Hemings must have been also an extraordinary woman, having kept the affection and quasi-wedding with such a high spirited statesman.
Puzzling is the position of slave/master/lover/mother, as well as Jefferson's ambiguity concerning slavery within the context of the Revolution.
My only reservation about the book is its length, due to a lot of details, some of which are speculative.
A great contribution to history of America.
Michel Debost
1580144
I enjoyed reading this biography of Thomas Jefferson.  While it is not a comprehensive history of Thomas Jefferson, it is a good summary and the author tackled the onerous task of defending some of the charges made against his character.  He did an excellent job of that, using credible sources (which is better than many of the attackers use).  I recommend it for anyone to read for a fair (meaning not mean-spirited) review of one of the founding fathers' lives.
3655908
Over the last several years I've read about 40 presidential biographies, usually relying on Amazon reviewers to point me towards the best and most comprehensive works.  I struggled in my choice of a Jefferson biography, but I'm glad I opted for Peterson's work.  First, it is a massive 1,000 pages, and it`s not for the faint of heart.  While Peterson writes well, he certainly doesn't have the breezy style of a David McCullough or a Robert Dallek.  Even hardy readers will feel a bit spent with the complex content from time to time, and I'd doubt most high school readers' ability to wade through the material.

Despite these cautions, I give Peterson's book a very high rating.  Peterson captured Jefferson's personality, accomplishments, and flaws.  With as complex a guy as TJ, this is not easy.  Peterson also describes the conflicts between Jefferson and the various Federalists as well as anyone I've read thus far.  Jefferson saw this conflict as more treacherous for the US than the Revolutionary War (and his concerns are highly relevant is viewing today's politics).

The emphasis is on Jefferson and his public life, and to a somewhat lesser extent on Jefferson's private self.  It was written many years prior to the DNA testing of Sally Hemmings' heirs, and while Peterson  briefly discusses the accusations of a Jefferson - Hemmings relationship, he dismisses it in favor of another Jefferson relative.  But Peterson does not overlook Jefferson's conflicts about slavery, manumission, liberty, etc.  As with other aspects of Jefferson's life, Peterson presents a comprehensive view and he is willing to point out Jefferson's mistakes.  Does Peterson's probable error regarding the Hemming's controversy diminish this biography?  Well, maybe, but with a man like Jefferson, this is but one facet of a very thorough and well-reasoned look at a extremely complex man who played a major role in several of the US's most challenging eras.
618020
In 1776 when Thomas Jefferson wrote all men are created equal he owned over 200 slaves. Later, as a widower and US Minister to France, he began his relationship with Sally Hemings, his wifes half-sister, who was enslaved by him. He and his wife had 2 children who lived to adulthood and with Hemings he had  6 children, 4 who lived to adulthood. Members of the two families lived together at Monticello at various times over many years. How did he feel about his families and these contradictions?

In this book, Annette Gordon-Reed extends her research on the Hemings family, and along with Peter Onuf discusses the factors that went into Jeffersons character: his early life, his relationship with the other patriots, his time in Paris and experience in governing.  They draw heavily of his own writings, particularly Notes on the State of Virginia. They weigh his public and private lives from letters and narratives of those who knew him.

Jefferson saw himself a patriarch a father/leader.  He similarly viewed each family in a republic, free under its own patriarch, each state and finally the country as one family with a patriarch at its head. Other planters did not live on hill tops: hauling water and the long upward access were impractical, but at Monticello he was free to pursue his happiness. That this pursuit depended on the work of those with limited or no choices: women (whom he saw as natural helpmates to men) and slaves (whom he felt later generations would alleviate their unjust condition) is not acknowledged.

While a social person with refined tastes, he regularly retreated to a very private life. Was the need for privacy a way to control what people thought of him as a slave owner and partner to a women who was his slave?  Did he pay his slaves in Paris because knew the opinion of slavery held by those he respected?  Why is it that none of the many guests at Monticello (a few of whom saw children who looked like Jefferson) reported any engagement with his children? Did Jefferson not free Sally Hemings in his will because it would call attention to their relationship? The authors describe Jeffersons manners and the way he steered conversations; was he avoiding unpleasant notices of his situation? His appreciation of the opera, the symphony and folk music of Scotland, Ireland and Virginia is well documented, but did he hide an appreciation for the music of those living closest to him? Did he pursue privacy and did he leave incomplete, and perhaps obfuscated, records in order to hide his private life?

There was a huge backlash in the 1970s when Fawn Brodie introduced the Sally Hemings to the general public.  Its taken two generations, DNA testing and black and female scholars crossing the glass ceiling to have a book like this presented to the public for thought and discussion with far less mention of it as an attack on Jefferson.  I recommend it for those with some background on Jefferson (this is not a bio) and an interest in issue of slavery.
789413
Having read a lot of :"Jefferson" before most of the facts were not new to me but Meacham's package is a pure delight to read.  It was truly hard to put down.
1816136
For students studying American history --even intermediate grade 4th and 5th grade students--Rosenstock's story about Jefferson's fascination with books provides a different, closer-to-home, real person view of Jefferson. There's a great quote from Jefferson in the author's notes that reveals his wish to be at home with family and books versus working in politics. This would be worthy of posting and discussing the tensions our "Founding Fathers" felt between the call of a new nation and their personal passions. The same could be said for Ben Franklin and George Washington, I'm sure.

This could also be read to much younger students, too, to get across the idea that books have evolved, how they were valued in this time period because of their expense and so forth, and that throughout history there have been passionate readers.

Very interesting note by the author at the end -- "Thomas Jefferson, Slaveholder" as if we want to glorify Jefferson for his book reading, but we want to keep in mind he was a man of his time and there were clear contradictions between his beliefs and actions.

Rosenstock has written several biographical stories based on primary sources--her work is worthy of an author study and could serve as a writing mentor for intermediate grade students.
249100
A well-written and balance biography of Jefferson that addresses some of the negative issues about the third president, leaves some as have previously been told, but corrects the record on others.  Jefferson was a very complex individual, undoubtedly a genius, but also had his weak spots, as do all of us.  His contributions to the building of this great nation cannot be underestimated.  We all know about the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase, which are enough to put any person at the top of any list of historic achievements.  But he also laid the groundwork for religious freedom, now embodied in the First Amendment, was primarily responsible for founding the University of Virginia, and he helped unify the country after the contentious Adams presidency.  We all know he owned slaves, which is impossible to reconcile with his beliefs about freedom and tolerance.  However, it was the way the economy was organized in Virginia in his lifetime.  That is why several of the early presidents were also slave owners.  It is an undeniable black mark on an otherwise great life, and does not change the good he accomplished.
4207518
If one truly wants to know what our Founding Fathers actually said about themselves it is best to read it in their own words.  You will quickly find that they had a deeper relationship with the Creator than is popularly reported in modern times - even Thomas Jefferson.  Benjamin Franklin's autobiography is replete with thankful references to God for the blessings on his life.

For those interested in true American history, I recommend this as well as Benjamin Franklin's autobiography.
2678750
An interesting and compelling read. The history and the story went together flawlessly. I am pleased my friend recommended this read. What a strange man Thomas Jefferson was. What a hard yet interesting life his daughter lived.