Jefferson: Brilliant & Enigmatic Founder
Explore the best books on Thomas Jefferson, America's brilliant and enigmatic founding father. Discover his legacy, writings, and secrets in these top reads.
Book
Thomas Jefferson
by R. B. Bernstein
In this definitive short biography, Bernstein deftly synthesizes the massive scholarship on his subject into an insightful, evenhanded account illuminating Jefferson's central place in the American Enlightenment. Book jacket.
Book
American Sphinx
by Joseph J. Ellis
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER Following Thomas Jefferson from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his retirement in Monticello, Joseph J. Ellis unravels the contradictions of the Jeffersonian character. He gives us the slaveholding libertarian who was capable of decrying mescegenation while maintaing an intimate relationship with his slave, Sally Hemmings; the enemy of government power who exercisdd it audaciously as president; the visionarty who remained curiously blind to the inconsistencies in his nature. American Sphinx is a marvel of scholarship, a delight to read, and an essential gloss on the Jeffersonian legacy.
Book
Thomas Jefferson
by Fawn M. Brodie
An ambitious, perceptive portrayal of a complex man, this bestselling biography breaks new ground in its exploration of Jefferson's inner life. "Brodie has humanized Jefferson without in the least diminishing him".--Wallace Stegner. Photos.
