Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

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.

Indeed, many sources contemporary with Jefferson call him a great man. Meacham, however, avoids writing a hagiography. Instead, he advances the thesis that Jefferson's genius was that he both sought great power and used it effectively. He does not gloss over Jefferson's failure as governor to protect Virginia from the Redcoats during the Revolution. Indeed, he was pursued into the mountains by the vicious Tarleton, a fictionalized version of whom appears in Mel Gibson's The Patriot. This, however, appears to be a momentary glitch against the entire sweep of Jefferson's career. Member of the colonial Virginia House of Burgesses, member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence for the Continental Congress, long-serving minister to France (leaving only upon the storming of the Bastille in July, 1789), amateur scientist, accomplished linguist and friend of the classics, and, finally, only the second two-term President of the United States.In that role, Jefferson cemented the nation's course. Contrary to the wishes of Adams, his predecessor, and other Federalists, the United States would not again become a part of the British Empire--much less being ruled by a king or queen. The 1800 election was thrown into the House of Representatives, as Jefferson sought to deny his former friend John Adams a second term. It was not until February, 1801, that the election was decided in Jefferson's favor. Incidentally, Meacham chooses to open the book with a depiction of this fateful day before flashing back to Jefferson's origins as a son of privilege among Virginia planters. During those two terms, Jefferson presided over the Louisiana Purchase, pivotal to the new nation's future development. He managed to avoid war with England (it wouldn't come until 1812, when his protege James Monroe was president), even though the British insisted on boarding American ships in search of deserters from their own and occasionally impressing American citizens into the British Navy. Jefferson also dealt with a long-running battle against the Barbary Pirates, who raided commerce along the North African coast.Through it all, Jefferson worried constantly about the nation's viability. Even after he left the White House for his beloved Monticello, it was never far from his mind, As his own death approached, in 1826, he watched the ascendancy of Andrew Jackson with alarm. The backwoodsman from Tennessee seemed to him unsuited for leading the nation.Herein lies the contradiction of Jefferson's life. While advocating democracy with ever ounce of his considerable power, he was never far removed from his elitist origins. Jefferson may not have found royalty inviting, but he certainly believed that some men were created more equal than others. More equal than women, for instance. Bearing multiple children in just a few years led to his wife's death at a young age. Jefferson freely sought the bed of his slave, Sally Hemings, while all the time refusing to acknowledge the children she bore him. More equal than people of color: Jefferson was opposed to slavery in principle, but he could never bring himself to emancipate his own slaves or try to resolve the enormous contradiction from the founding of the Republic that would lead to civil war forty-five years after his death. One wonders what Jefferson would have thought of Abraham Lincoln, another westerner who faced down the issue Jefferson's generation ducked.Meacham kept me reading, sometimes until late hours, a narrative that both enthralls and educates. Under his pen, Jefferson lives and so do most of those with whom he came into contact. Meacham quotes freely from contemporary writings, but even their archaic language seems to soar and draw the mind to a different age. If the book has a flaw, it lies in the relatively sketchy way Meacham handles Jefferson's years in the President's House. One sometimes yearns for more details about, say, Lewis and Clark's Voyage of Discovery.For all of this, the hours required to delve into TJ:TAP will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of a formative character in our nation's origins and development. One will also be lifted up by the skillful use of language and the honesty of the author's approach.

Einfühlsam und erfrischend

Conteúdo fantástico. Não foge dos temas delicados e os trata com bom senso. As notas de fim de capítulo em si valem o preço do livro. Talvez a melhor biografia plena de Jefferson a aparecer neste século. Diagramação perfeita e acabamento primoroso.

Great picture of Jefferson!

Je le trouve clair et compréhensible. Il décrit le contexte, les expériences de l'homme. Les choix du leader sont donc plus logiques. Je le conseille vivement.

Great read, very interesting read. Originally read about Lincoln, then George Washington, Ulysses Grant. With Washington and Jefferson being political friends and foes, it made sense to read Jefferson’s story. Worth reading, would highly recommend it to history buffs.