Understanding Thomas Jefferson
by E. M. Halliday
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Description
Recent biographies of Thomas Jefferson have stressed the sphinxlike puzzles of his character--famous champion of freedom yet lifelong slaveholder, foe of miscegenation yet secret lover of a beautiful slave for 30 years, aristocrat yet fervent advocate of government by the people. E. M. Halliday's absorbing and lucid portrait recognizes these and other puzzles about this great founder, but shows us how understandable they can be in light of his personal and social circumstances. Halliday show more takes readers deep into Jefferson's private life--exploring his childhood, his literary taste, and his unconventional religious thinking and moral philosophy. Here, too, are his adamant opinions on women, the evolution of his ideas on democracy and freedom of expression, and fresh insights into his relationship with Sally Hemings. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The author took an interesting approach to Jefferson in this book. Instead of focusing on many of the major events that Jefferson participated in, Halliday focused primarily on the various influences that affected the founding father. Different aspects of his beliefs were also examined. Overall, I found the book to be very interesting, as it attempts to highlight the "why" of what Jefferson did.
Halliday's biography of Jefferson covers all the bases thematically. Hemings, Cosaway, etc. Halliday does make a few old-fashioned leaps, the worst: Jefferson=Awesome Freedom-loving Democrats, Hamilton=Dictatorial Republicans.
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Author Information
12+ Works 366 Members
A longtime senior editor of American Heritage, E. M. Halliday is the author of a memoir of the poet John Berryman and an account of the Allied invasion of Soviet Russia in 1918-19, as well as a number of articles for The New Yorker. He lives in New York City
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Thomas Jefferson
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 973.4 — History & geography History of North America United States Constitutional period (1789-1809)
- LCC
- E332 .H183 — History of the United States United States Revolution to the Civil War, 1775/1783-1861 By period 1789-1809. Constitutional period Jefferson's administrations, 1801-1809
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 190
- Popularity
- 171,405
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.69)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 3
