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Jefferson's Great Gamble: The Remarkable Story of Jefferson, Napoleon and the Men Behind the Louisiana Purchase
Looks at the Louisiana Purchase, the largest recorded real estate deal in history, in which the United States doubled its size in one day.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 31, 2014
I complained about the last book because I found one factual error in the text and a misplaced city on the map. Well. This book was FULL of errors. It claimed that Britain made "false" claims that the United States was violating the Treaty of Paris 1783. It applauded Hamilton and Madison for putting aside their longstanding rivalry to get the Constitution written, even though their rivalry didn't even begin till after the Constitution was ratified and in effect. It repeatedly confused Edmund Randolph (an important federalist governor of Virginia from the Revolutionary through Washington Administration periods) with John Randolph (a firebrand congressman from the anti-Jefferson wing of the Democratic-Republican Party during the 1800s-1820s). It was also rife with copyediting errors, many of which introduced factual mistakes: when the sentence says "Madison's instructions to Madison and Livingston", I can tell that the second "Madison" should actually be "Monroe"; but when that happens repeatedly in contexts that are easy to spot, I don't know how many more times it's happening where it ISN'T easy to spot.
I have the hardback (or trade cloth, as we used to say in the biz), published in 2003. Maybe it was rushed through edits in order to get it out in time for the two hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, in which case it's perfectly possible that subsequent editions have all these errors corrected.
I have the hardback (or trade cloth, as we used to say in the biz), published in 2003. Maybe it was rushed through edits in order to get it out in time for the two hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, in which case it's perfectly possible that subsequent editions have all these errors corrected.
August 15, 2018
If you enjoy American history, this is a must read! Charles A. Cerami goes into great detail about the events leading to the Louisiana Purchase, and the men responsible for it. Jefferson faces many challenges with his young and hungry nation, but overcomes the odds. From Pierre Clement (French Politician) being handed the keys to Louisiana by Spain, to America purchasing the 800,000+ square mile behemoth, Cerami keeps the story interesting and well written.
November 5, 2007
Thomas Jefferson never ceases to amaze me. What hasn't he accomplished? Charles Cerami provides the reader with extensive research in bringing together a time in American history of tremendous magnitude. The vision that TJ had for America was genius. The balance between Northerners, Southerners, Easterners, Westerners, French, British, Spanish, and Native Americans was beyond futuristic!
August 18, 2021
Wow, what a fascinating story. I guess I have never really delved into the story of the Louisiana Purchase. It is such a critical piece of history. I loved the last two paragraphs of the book:
“The Louisiana Purchase must be counted as a principal reason that many admiring or envious non-Americans have quipped “God protects fools, drunks, and the United States of America.” But for a country that, in 1803, had already made a noble start towards good government and blazing growth to have been given such an imperial gifts as the Louisiana Territory must have convinced many seriously faithful that nature’s design for the planet included a special place for America.”
“Short of that, one must credit the success of the negotiation to a long list of events that somehow all fell into place as if by design: Napoleon’s growing need for money, the mosquitos that brought death to Saint Dominque at a critical moment, Spain’s baffling closure of Mississippi shipping, the perfect way that Congress unwittingly played its part, and the interaction among nine remarkable men who did indeed do “the noblest work” of their lives.”
I pray God is still protecting us.
“The Louisiana Purchase must be counted as a principal reason that many admiring or envious non-Americans have quipped “God protects fools, drunks, and the United States of America.” But for a country that, in 1803, had already made a noble start towards good government and blazing growth to have been given such an imperial gifts as the Louisiana Territory must have convinced many seriously faithful that nature’s design for the planet included a special place for America.”
“Short of that, one must credit the success of the negotiation to a long list of events that somehow all fell into place as if by design: Napoleon’s growing need for money, the mosquitos that brought death to Saint Dominque at a critical moment, Spain’s baffling closure of Mississippi shipping, the perfect way that Congress unwittingly played its part, and the interaction among nine remarkable men who did indeed do “the noblest work” of their lives.”
I pray God is still protecting us.
October 17, 2025
This is a lively look at the politics behind the Louisiana Purchase, from early dreams of going west to the aftermath of the War of 1812. President Jefferson set his sights on those territories to the west. With Spain and then France claiming the broad undefined lands from New Orleans northward, the small new country of America was faced with the being surrounded by foreign powers on the continent. This brought about crucial negotiations with Napoleon conducted by a series of American negotiators who acted in the absence of timely clear communication from President Jefferson. Well, we all know what happened. But as the subtitle indicates, this book analyzes the individuals and decisions that made a difference. In fact, character analysis is a large part of this narrative, exploring the motivations of the various players and their outcomes as well. I agree with reviewers who found the book a bit rushed and wandering, but I enjoyed the history.
June 17, 2022
What we read in a history book is just a snippet of what happened during two critical years between France and the United States. The fact is that Napoleon needed money to fight his war with England and the United States was land hungry. The French had suffered incredible losses fighting the Haitians in Dominique (now Haiti) and they were desperate for money and saving face. Jefferson was faces with a populace not intent on staying within the borders of the United States. So, soothing bruised egos and getting to an agreement took time and a lot of patience. But, in the end, it was a great victory for Jefferson and expanded our nation well beyond its original borders. Cerami tells a fascinating tale.
September 27, 2019
I found the book informative, but almost with too much repeated information. I can say that I learned from this book. I can't say that the knowledge is useful or that I particularly enjoyed gaining it.
July 23, 2017
Great if you like lots of details.
June 13, 2019
Chose this myself for our history book club, great discussion, great success.
June 13, 2023
A fantastic deep dive into the circumstances and characters surrounding the Louisiana Purchase.
May 17, 2014
Pretty good, overall. It’s definitely more of a story, with the author meandering through the personal backgrounds and character traits of the men involved as much as the events of the Louisiana Purchase. This adds a lot to an event that takes up little more than a couple paragraphs in most people’s grade school U.S. History books.
The book talks about a lot of the main issues though: the reasons Napoleon decide to sell the entire territory rather than just New Orleans, how the U.S. benefited greatly from tension between France and Britain, the importance of New Orleans to the U.S., the role of the slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, Jefferson’s agony over whether what his administration had done was constitutional, and the personal and political rivalries between the main players on both the American and French sides. Most importantly, the book makes you understand that the U.S. would’ve been a very different kind of nation if the Louisiana Purchase didn’t happen the way it did. It also does a good job of explaining that westward expansion was a hotly contested issue in early America; not all supported it
The main downside of this book is that, as a story, it’s heavily slanted toward the author’s personal biases. So you get a lot of praise of Jefferson and Madison at Livingston’s expense. If anything, Livingston comes across as more human and the book does make me want to learn more about him.
Also, he doesn’t ever explicitly explain why Napoleon needed to raise cash by selling the territory to the U.S. instead of just borrowing it from European bankers, which is exactly what the U.S. needed to do in order to raise the funds for the purchase. Marbois makes clear to Napoleon that France's finances were a mess, and Cerami mentions that the French saw the U.S. as a good credit risk, so that seems to be it.
The book talks about a lot of the main issues though: the reasons Napoleon decide to sell the entire territory rather than just New Orleans, how the U.S. benefited greatly from tension between France and Britain, the importance of New Orleans to the U.S., the role of the slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, Jefferson’s agony over whether what his administration had done was constitutional, and the personal and political rivalries between the main players on both the American and French sides. Most importantly, the book makes you understand that the U.S. would’ve been a very different kind of nation if the Louisiana Purchase didn’t happen the way it did. It also does a good job of explaining that westward expansion was a hotly contested issue in early America; not all supported it
The main downside of this book is that, as a story, it’s heavily slanted toward the author’s personal biases. So you get a lot of praise of Jefferson and Madison at Livingston’s expense. If anything, Livingston comes across as more human and the book does make me want to learn more about him.
Also, he doesn’t ever explicitly explain why Napoleon needed to raise cash by selling the territory to the U.S. instead of just borrowing it from European bankers, which is exactly what the U.S. needed to do in order to raise the funds for the purchase. Marbois makes clear to Napoleon that France's finances were a mess, and Cerami mentions that the French saw the U.S. as a good credit risk, so that seems to be it.
January 16, 2009
After recently finishing Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis, which covered various major events in post-revolutionary American history through the 1800 election of Thomas Jefferson as president, I was interested in continuing my reading through the next several years of Jefferson’s administration. The Louisiana Purchase was an obvious next step – and arguably the next event of any significance after Jefferson’s election – in a reading of early American history.
I was disappointed by the narrative, though I think the subject matter was generally interesting. In the hands of a more accomplished author/historian, the story could have had the pop, the suspense and the intrigue of a historical novel. It didn’t. Cerami’s narrative was plodding and often dull. He backtracked and zig-zagged to provide context to his principal narrative to such extent that there was no real story to follow.
There’s so much history available to read and so much good scholarship from original source material that narrative skills separates the mediocre works from the great ones. I would put this book in the former category.
(12/20/05) I remember reading this book on the Mississippi trip and particularly Bay Saint Louis. The bed and breakfast where we stayed was leveled by Hurricane Katrina. We want to stay there again after the owners rebuild it.
I was disappointed by the narrative, though I think the subject matter was generally interesting. In the hands of a more accomplished author/historian, the story could have had the pop, the suspense and the intrigue of a historical novel. It didn’t. Cerami’s narrative was plodding and often dull. He backtracked and zig-zagged to provide context to his principal narrative to such extent that there was no real story to follow.
There’s so much history available to read and so much good scholarship from original source material that narrative skills separates the mediocre works from the great ones. I would put this book in the former category.
(12/20/05) I remember reading this book on the Mississippi trip and particularly Bay Saint Louis. The bed and breakfast where we stayed was leveled by Hurricane Katrina. We want to stay there again after the owners rebuild it.
October 16, 2016
We enjoy history and the story behind the news . . .
Read this to Winston as we traveled this marvelous country and marveled at the men who had the foresight and ability to negotiate this purchase. So many things we simply take for granted and accept as a 'fact of history'. I had never before wondered about the "HOW" regarding the Louisiana Purchase . . .hmmm. . . .???
However, once again, there are great men, great decisions, so many personalities/agendas AND chances that things might not have gone so well in the formation of this incredible country. Traveling hither and yon throughout these areas puts powerful punctuation to how blessed we are and to my gratitude to be able to travel with ease and ability to experience all the grandeur of the geography and the peoples of this my beloved nation.
We enjoyed the author's presentation that presented not only 'the facts', but well done interpretation.
Once again, this book begets several others that we'll need to read !
Read this to Winston as we traveled this marvelous country and marveled at the men who had the foresight and ability to negotiate this purchase. So many things we simply take for granted and accept as a 'fact of history'. I had never before wondered about the "HOW" regarding the Louisiana Purchase . . .hmmm. . . .???
However, once again, there are great men, great decisions, so many personalities/agendas AND chances that things might not have gone so well in the formation of this incredible country. Traveling hither and yon throughout these areas puts powerful punctuation to how blessed we are and to my gratitude to be able to travel with ease and ability to experience all the grandeur of the geography and the peoples of this my beloved nation.
We enjoyed the author's presentation that presented not only 'the facts', but well done interpretation.
Once again, this book begets several others that we'll need to read !
November 19, 2013
Hell of good story.
I never realized how tenuous the links were that bound the Thirteen original states, nor how divided the frontier became from the more heavily populated Eastern coast. From these tensions came the party politics, and signs of the divisions that led to the Civil War were already showing. The hurdles that prevented new states from forming really took me by surprise, as did the degree to which the US faced constant tensions with Britain, France, Spain and the Indians of various tribes. Definitely a great read for anyone interested in American history.
My only gripe is the author's tendency to indulge in that sort of history writing that purports to take us inside the minds of historical figures; it's a very popular and readable approach, but I am always uneasy with such presumed intimacy.
I never realized how tenuous the links were that bound the Thirteen original states, nor how divided the frontier became from the more heavily populated Eastern coast. From these tensions came the party politics, and signs of the divisions that led to the Civil War were already showing. The hurdles that prevented new states from forming really took me by surprise, as did the degree to which the US faced constant tensions with Britain, France, Spain and the Indians of various tribes. Definitely a great read for anyone interested in American history.
My only gripe is the author's tendency to indulge in that sort of history writing that purports to take us inside the minds of historical figures; it's a very popular and readable approach, but I am always uneasy with such presumed intimacy.
January 26, 2021
I saw this book in a used book store and bought it for $1. I enjoyed it. I knew little about the Louisiana Purchase and gained a lot of insight by reading the book.
Per his title, the author does analyze and evaluate each person involved in the Louisiana Purchase on both the American and French sides. He looks at the transaction in terms of historical perspective and of the perspective of those involved. His narrative style moves the story along, highlighted by uncertainties that give the book a sense of rising action. He does take some license in interpreting the character's thoughts and motives, but I didn't mind it. It added to the storyline.
He has many pages of endnotes, most of which I never read. I wasn't in it for an academic exercise. I just wanted to take some time for fun reading and it was.
Per his title, the author does analyze and evaluate each person involved in the Louisiana Purchase on both the American and French sides. He looks at the transaction in terms of historical perspective and of the perspective of those involved. His narrative style moves the story along, highlighted by uncertainties that give the book a sense of rising action. He does take some license in interpreting the character's thoughts and motives, but I didn't mind it. It added to the storyline.
He has many pages of endnotes, most of which I never read. I wasn't in it for an academic exercise. I just wanted to take some time for fun reading and it was.
March 12, 2013
As an in-depth examination into the inner workings of the Louisiana Purchase, this book accomplishes its goal of outlining lucidly and enjoyably not only direct and indirect characters involved, but also the shenanigans and shrewd methods of manipulation employed from both competing countries. Mr. Cerami writes with great ease and undertakes an oft-forgotten but monumental issue in American history and brings it to full illumination through his careful and assiduous application of vigorous research and notable elucidation. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
October 31, 2011
I purchased this at Mount Rushmore bookstore in 2008. Being from Louisiana, I look forward to reading this one. It didn't draw me in at first, but is interesting, none the less. I found the 2nd half much more interesting and an easier read. In fairness to the author, perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a non-fiction when I started it. Great account of an exciting time in our history. 3.5 stars
February 26, 2015
This is a terrific book that covers all the players and events in the time leading up to the Louisiana Purchase and afterwards. You understand how the Americans felt about New Orleans and the areas west of the Mississippi and also why France was willing to sell it. This book is well written and easily understood. If you want to know about this event, this is an excellent start.
September 3, 2008
Good read for students of Early American History and Plitical Science. Not exactly a page turner but if youwant to understand more of the struggle our founding fathers faced in building our nation, you'll enjoy this book.
March 17, 2009
It is always wonderful to bone up on my history and re-learn or discover new things. A wonderful read-not dry at all. Jeff,Mad, Nap, Livingston and Talleyrand are depicted in a way that makes clear how their characters created the conditions that made the Louisiana Purchase a reality.
January 24, 2011
What I found interesting was how far Monroe had to stick his neck out to get this real estate deal done. The title is too short it should be "Jefferson's Great Faith in Madison and Monroe in securing the Louisiana Purchase". Subtitled; "Livingston's Shortcomings"
July 13, 2013
I had high hopes for this book, but I struggled to get through it. I found it slow. It wandered back and forth, and the author made a lot of conjectures. The last two pages were a succinct, good summary of the book.
May 25, 2014
This seemed like one of those books that should have just been a long essay. The author tried to add drama by analyzing all the players in the Louisiana Purchase, but the narrative just became a bit confusing and drawn out.
August 28, 2007
Sometimes hard to get through because of the style of writing but really interesting.
January 16, 2008
Although dry at times, one can't help but come away with a greater appreciation for this pivotal even in American history.
January 17, 2008
One thing Jefferson did right.
July 4, 2009
Great book. Looking back, that decision was one of Jefferson's two greatest accomplishments.
November 19, 2009
25pt #8
April 24, 2017
Great story of the history and people involved with the Louisiana Purchase. The importance of this event in American history is played out by Cerami in a narrative that is interesting and exciting. I didn't realize the enormous weight of the decisions that would be made by so few people in shaping the future of not only America, but in effect the entire world (Monroe and Bonaparte). I learned a lot and highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews