He was responsible for some of the major landmarks which shaped the course of what was a crucial period for the history of North America: the acquisition of the state of Louisiana, the Lewis and Clark expedition, or the mythical colonization of the American West. Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States of America, and since then he has been considered one of the fathers of the nation, the author of the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the person who to a great degree is responsible for the historical conception of the United States as “the empire of freedom”. Gold Star: “His is a big, grand, absorbing exploration of not just Jefferson and his role in history but also Jefferson the man, humanized as never before.”ĭemerit: “…Meacham’s Jefferson is cast in an overly golden light.The renowned biographer Jon Meacham ( Pulitzer Prize 2009 ), has published a new book in which he portrays one of the greatest political leaders of all time: Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson’s critics still have something valid to say, even if their voices here are stilled.” Gold Star: “Meacham’s is a fine work, deserving a place high on the list of long biographies of its subject…”ĭemerit: “But in the end, as fine a rendering of the nation’s third president as this book may be, it comes too close to idolization. Surely there is not a significant detail out there, in any pertinent archive, that he has missed.” Even though I know quite a lot about Jefferson, I was repeatedly surprised by the fresh information Meacham brings to his work. Gold Star: “…Meacham, despite his subtitle, accomplishes something more impressive than dissecting Jefferson’s political skills by explaining his greatness, a different task from chronicling a life, though he does that too - and handsomely.
“ Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power guides us through the entire life, but without much color or drama.” Demerit: “His new book lacks the conceptual boldness of those by Ellis and Gordon-Reed…”
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