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Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham - 4* - My Review

Well-written and informative biography of Thomas Jefferson. It is a cradle to grave account that hits the highlights while not getting bogged down in detail. It describes the factors that shaped his life, and how he used a combination of idealism and pragmatism to make decisions he believed were in the best interests of the country. We learn about his successes, failures, public persona, and family life. We get a feel for his personality. It reveals his love of learning, sensitivity to criticism, conflict avoidance, and desire for control.

Jefferson comes across as a complex, intelligent person with the ability to compromise and balance his philosophical views with his political opinions. This book provides a great overview of Jefferson’s Life. You will find all his well-known accomplishments here, such as writing the Declaration of Independence, representing the US in France, orchestrating the Louisiana Purchase, and sending Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. It also explores his contradictory views on slavery. I was hoping for more about his presidency. If you have not read a biography of Jefferson, this is a good place to start. It is written in an engaging manner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“Jefferson had a remarkable capacity to marshal ideas and to move men, to balance the inspirational and the pragmatic. To realize this vision, he compromised and improvised. The willingness to do what he needed to do in a given moment makes him an elusive historical figure. Yet in the real world, in real time, when he was charged with the safety of the country, his creative flexibility made him a transformative leader.”

4.5