This is my review entry for the Captaind's 'Challenge Yourself 2007 Write Off', my first book review, and is being posted in Celebration of the Birth of America (yeah), and the Fourth of July.

http://www.epinions.com/content_5041201284

This is one of my favorite books about one of my favorite people in history. The inset says two things, 'this is an authoritative single volume biography that captures the public and private man, as well as the tumultous age in whcih he lived.' It also says of Willard Randall 'he has given readers the real flesh-and-blood Jefferson'.

Generally publishers tend to embellish the impact of their biographies, and the importance of the subject. In this case neither can be understated.

This is exactly what separates this book from many about Thomas Jefferson. There are many scholarly books which examine Thomas Jefferson's most famous and influential document 'The Declaration of Independence', there are books on his Presidency, books which talk about his position on slavery and the Sally Hemnings affair, there are books which discuss his dutiful dedication to Monticello, or his hand in the Louisiana Purchase, books which discuss his letters, and motivations. Many of these books on Thomas Jefferson go into excruciating detail about one facet of a life so incredibly rich that it does boggle the modern mind. They generally take on one of two tones, the first is so antiseptic, intellectual, and very often condescending and patronizing that you become patently bored with the material. Generally these become more about the authors feelings and machinations of 'our hero', than the subject matter. The second approach is to 'dumb down' the material or turn it into 'School House Rock' versions of what occurred, so that everything seems so black and white and easy to digest.

Well Thomas Jefferson and actually many of his contemporaries were not simple men, and certainly they were not easy to digest.

You would be amazed in our modern times if you were to meet a man with such a wide birth of knowledge, follow through, passion and vitality for life as Thomas Jefferson. What makes this book stand out is that much of it is punctuated with Jefferson's own words. He was a true man of letters, a man who at 75 wrote his own Autobiography. Jefferson himself wrote that 'I cannot live without books', he wrote about his father's education being neglected and how he improved himself through reading. A life lesson which Jefferson himself never forgot, and took to an even further degree.

This biography starts off not with Jefferson, but his father Peter. Not labriously so, just enough so that you understand that Peter Jefferson was a man of the land and a man of his word. He inherited a tract of land from his father, after his older brother passed away at sea. Because he was not the oldest, they did not bother to formally educate Peter. Peter's father lost almost all of his land, but a lawyer managed to hold onto the least desirable of his assets. An undeveloped tract of land in Nortwestern Virginia and two slaves. Peter headed west to clear the land, becoming a land Surveyor of the lands to the west. He also became Justice of the Peace and Sherif. He befriended a man named Isham Randolph who took a liking to Peter. His daughter Jane soon married Peter. The Randolphs were much more financially endowed than Jefferson, and the Patriarch determined that his grandchildren were to be educated by a tutor, not sent away to schools in Britain or other places afar. Thomas and his sisters were tutored in a one room school house. It is here that Thomas becomes initially aware of the disparity and differences between black and whites in society. His friends could continue to play day in and day out, while he was required to go to school. However his education did not end there. His father saw to it that he was also educated in penmanship, natural sciences, mathematics, fishing, swimming, map reading, and other endeavors on which he had self-educated.

All of these lessons go into producing an individual who was always seeking knowledge, and a way to better himself. As a truly self made man, Peter Jefferson was very well respected, and known for being a man of great courage and bravery. Thomas Jefferson had quite a role model to look up to and seems he tried to emulate his father's vivaciousness. Despite this his father died young, while Jefferson was still an adolescent. His mother had died while he and his sisters were very young leaving his father a widow with 8 children. Thomas being the oldest boy in a household of woman, received all of the attention he could want. His father determined that a good friend, a Rev. Shadwell was to tutor and raise his son post-humously. Peppered throughout this book are comments by friends, Jefferson's own recounts, and those of other family members. Giving a rich and full impression of Jefferson's life as a youth.

It follows him into manhood, and into the world of being a proper gentlemen. As a young man from the woods of Virginia he goes to the big city. By page 100 of this book in excess of 600 pages, Jefferson has become a lawyer and is defending people in Williamsburg. As a young lawyer and now a proper gentleman, Jefferson starts forging many of his life long associations.

He becomes well known as a defender of the land owner's rights against the King's rules and regulations. He is known to defend his friends with all types of lawyerly tricks. During this time, we get a full picture of who Thomas Jefferson is. He is constantly writing his opinions and revisiting themes which have piqued his interest since his young days. Issues such as what does real liberty mean, how does it affect the races, how free is life under the rule of the Crown, what made the Greeks and Roman great civilizations, how were they able to forge these great Democracies. What lead to their downfall and failures, how does the Monarchy differ. These were things about which he thought often. These are things which he wrote about often. His marriage at 28 to a woman he loved dearly, Martha Wayles Skelton was a great grounding force as well. Jefferson loved to play the violin, and she was gifted with the ability to sing, and play the piano.

He begins to increase his political cache both inside and outside of Virginia serving on the house of Burgess for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Also based on his writing of 'A Summary View of the Rights of British America' he comes to the attention of the equally great Benjamin Franklin. Franklin recognized that expansion on such a document and the underlying tenants could unify the colonies in his believe that there was a need for revolution against the crown. He asked the young Jefferson almost on a whim (and a great understanding as an editor and an innate ability to read people)to write up such a document, expressing a unifying idea for the colonies. Even he was surprised at the effectiveness and thoroughly thought through nature of the document Jefferson presented on such short notice. There was minor editing, as Jefferson had made reference to slavery, and censured the King for imposing it on the Americas, this was deleted, and there were minor changes to verbiage. However the document as was presented to Franlin, is how it appeared as 'The Declaration of Independence'.

Jefferson also made a life long friendship with John and Abigal Adams, who as Quakers and abolitionist from Boston, had an approach to life and the world entirely different from Jefferson's. Jefferson was a Virginia land owner with slaves (despite his writings and discussions against slavery). I read an account which indicated that Jefferson did at one point free his cook a well regarded french chef whom he took with him everywhere. He reportedly became an inconsolable drunk due to his treatment outside of the walls of Monticello and outside of Jefferson's direct employ. He was treated as were all black men, even the free men, which was very poorly compared to other men. He could only find work as a laborer, and returned to Monticello. This prompted Jefferson to believe that inside the walls of Monticello his slaves were in a better position than outside.

Jefferson designed Monticello and was involved in the building of it, he was also quite a naturalist, and during his many travels abroad, he bought back many species of plant not native to the US, including certain larger tomatoes, water crest, spinach, sprouts, cucumbers and peas. He planted over 70 types of vegetables, along with bringing in certain miniature fruit trees as well.

This book goes into the rich relationship between Jefferson and Maria Cosway, and their 'affair', or flirtation. The book never conclusive determines that they 'sealed the deal', however their letters are certainly beautiful and romantic.

Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State to George Washington, and developed a rather brutal feud with his longtime friend Adams over the Colonies and British policy. Jefferson hated the British, and Adams hated the French. Jefferson served as Ambassador to France, while Adams was Ambassador to England. Adams thought the French decadent and wasteful and self-indulgent, while Jefferson thought the British generally lacking in taste, and creature comforts. The book offers insight into their view of each country, and how each impressions reflected their own personal style. Much of this comes from their own mouths in the form of their own letters or writings. Which adds depth and credibility to many of the conclusions.

After much political wrangling Jefferson becomes President, you almost get the impression it is not really something he wanted. Particularly since racial and more specifically slave relations were becoming increasing public issue. Jefferson was demonized with the Sally Hemmings scandal, which may have been rooted in some fact, as she did travel everywhere with him. Additionally his contemporaries loved to admonish Jefferson for his decidedly publicly Unitarian stance. He basically believed in the church, however had seen many abuses both in the U.S. and abroad. Therefore he was particularly cynical about how much influence the 'Church' should have over affairs of state. This gave his opponents a way to say that he was anti-religion, and an atheist.

He himself admits he was not nearly as brave as George Washington, and when there are threats of war, there are also accounts that Jefferson was the first on a horse out of harm's way. The vivid descriptions in this book give life to so much that goes on. However many are descriptions of the participants themselves. Other are descriptions provided by close friends, or scholars who have traced back.

Then there is the fascinating relationship between Jefferson and Madison. They were friends, and Jefferson was more or less one of Madison's Mentors. It was through Madison and his relationship with the French, that he was able to affect the Louisiana purchase, and secretly help finance the Louis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Coast which paved the way for the purchase. Remember Jefferson's father was a surveyor, as a former land lawyer himself, he understood maps, and the value of knowing and claiming property rights. This almost doubled the physical size of the newly developed republic, as it included most of the land east of the Mississippi River. That includes Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, parts of Colorado and all states east of there.

However his relationship with Aaron Burr, which was an acromonious one, and is also interesting, as Burr is his Secretary of the Treasury during Jefferson's Presidency. Many of the people in Jefferson's Cabinet were clearly working against him, and tried to undermine his Presidency.

Thomas Jefferson toward the end of his life determined to give back by developing a formal independent (from the state or any religious affiliation) higher education method for the masses. This became the University of Virginia, and became the model for Universities throughout the union.

Although he and Adams had stopped speaking for several years, Jefferson began writing to his oldest and dearest friend John Adams. In an amazing confluence of fate, both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two men who signed The Declaration of Independence and had an incredible impact on what this country is, died on July 4 1826, 50 years after it's creation.

What Mr. Randall provides is a very readable down to earth, extremely comprehensive biography of a man who was at varying points a husband, father, lawyer, inventor, botanist, Governor, Ambassador, President, Legislator, scientist, Dean of University (and the first to create the University system), advocate of many things including public education, writer of the Declaration of Independence, and truly a great American.



Recommended: Yes