Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (Eminent Lives)

by Christopher Hitchens

Paperback, 2009

Call number

BIO JEFFERSON

Collection

Publication

Harper Perennial (2009), Edition: 1, 208 pages

Description

Hitchens brings the character of Jefferson to life as a man of his time and also as a symbolic figure beyond it. Conflicted by power, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and acted as Minister to France yet yearned for a quieter career in the Virginia legislature. Predicting that slavery would shape the future of America's development, this professed proponent of emancipation continued to own human property. He negotiated the Louisiana Purchase with France, doubling the size of the nation, and authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition, opening up the American frontier. The Barbary War, a lesser-known chapter of his political career, led to the building of the U.S. Navy and the fortification of America's reputation regarding national defense. In the background is the fledgling nation's struggle for independence, formed in the crucible of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and, in its shadow, the deformation of that struggle in the excesses of the French Revolution. --From publisher description.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Kade
A great biography by an outside but not unsympathetic Briton. Christopher Hitchen's style of analyzing people, events, and places within a historical context, tying them to events that came before or come after their passing gives it not only a relevance but a fresh take on what can usually be a
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stale piece on a Founding Father, and Hitchens' acerbic wit makes you want to read it simply to hear his opinions interwoven into the text ("The Declaration of Independence was one of the only poetically powerful documents to ever emerge from a committee.") Special commentary is given to Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence and its mention of slavery, a refutation of the classical take on Sally Hemmings, and Jefferson's involvement with French revolutionary politics.
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LibraryThing member rmckeown
This slim and interesting volume has Hitchens’ peculiar voice with occasional strident undertones leaking through. I don’t mind, because he is one of the best writers around today who criticizes the religious excesses our country founders in at this point in history. While most of the biography
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had a dry tone, the first chapter dealing with religion had the most meat for me. Four stars.

--Jim, 5/28/2010
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LibraryThing member delta351
I thought it was a pretty fair treatment of Jefferson. I enjoyed the information regarding his formative years, and found some concepts quite thought provoking.

#1- Hitchens, who does not cite any passages in the book, discusses the concept of separation of church and state. He says that pre
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revolution Virginia had state funded and sanctioned Episcopalian? church, which had full power over all citizens of the state. Resentment of this power resulted in TJ declaring secular government.

#2 Without citing a source, Hitch tells us that TJ noted a lack of poetic and artistic creativity amongst black people (slaves). He believed this could be solved by a transfusion of white blood into the black person. 21st century readers will find this utterly ridiculous and racist, even if it was thought up 230 years ago. My logical extension of that idea is to inject myself with the blood of Albert Einstein or heaven forbid Michael Jordan, and I could be a "superman."

#3 Hitch speaks to a clash of cultures between Saxon England and the post battle of Hastings Norman conqueror influence. I never explored the situation with any depth, being an American. I would like to explore that concept further. My present interpretation is thatthe anglos were a relatively undeveloped and perhaps tribal society, the the Normans were more sophisticated.

I was also struck by the relative freedom that the early presidents had to make executive decisions like the Louisisana Purchase without the approval of Congress. It is intersting how government has progresses to the point where everything has to be discussed at length and approval granted by the legislative branch.

Hitch provides a continetal view of the birth of the US, with obvious insight from the English side. He uses some pretty fancy words also, and I had to keep my dictionary nearby.
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LibraryThing member dtn620
In this brief biography of Thomas Jefferson, Christopher Hitchens describes how Thomas Jefferson shaped (or authored) America. From the writing of the Declaration of Independance to his involvement in the Louisana purchase and the educating of Lewis and Clark for their formidable journey west
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Hitches leaves no major detail out. Due to it's briefness, at 188 pages, there are plenty of details that are left out. We don't get much talk of Jefferson's youth nor much of his personal life. I didn't miss the details while reading this book because it clearly wan't Hitchen's plan to tell us everything of Jefferson. Hitchen's suceeds in showing us the impact that Jefferson had on the formation of American and it's transition from a country of colonial origin to a modern country able to operate widely.
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LibraryThing member amillion
Having just visited Monticello and gone on the "extended tour", I was again intrigued by TJ. Picking up Hitchens (short, though compact) review of Jefferson's political career and his driving philosophies (as well as his personal deviances from these), was an interesting though incomplete and
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opinionated view of an incredible and flawed man. It primarily focuses on his (reluctant) political career from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, his representation in France as the American Minister, his tenure as Secretary of State, and his Presidency. It is a great rambling summary of his political leanings (Republican as opposed to Federalist) and his interactions with his political adversaries and his great friends. Hitchens picks certain achievements as "America changing" and argues why. I was less familiar with his decision about the Barbary pirates and the creation of the US Navy and enjoyed learning this. While I've long been a fan of TJ and especially his focus on education, reading this only made me re-realize how human and brilliant and focused he was in so many directions. Not a perfect man, in many respects, but definitely one worthy of study and appreciation. Now onto his book on Gardening...
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LibraryThing member amillion
Having just visited Monticello and gone on the "extended tour", I was again intrigued by TJ. Picking up Hitchens (short, though compact) review of Jefferson's political career and his driving philosophies (as well as his personal deviances from these), was an interesting though incomplete and
Show More
opinionated view of an incredible and flawed man. It primarily focuses on his (reluctant) political career from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, his representation in France as the American Minister, his tenure as Secretary of State, and his Presidency. It is a great rambling summary of his political leanings (Republican as opposed to Federalist) and his interactions with his political adversaries and his great friends. Hitchens picks certain achievements as "America changing" and argues why. I was less familiar with his decision about the Barbary pirates and the creation of the US Navy and enjoyed learning this. While I've long been a fan of TJ and especially his focus on education, reading this only made me re-realize how human and brilliant and focused he was in so many directions. Not a perfect man, in many respects, but definitely one worthy of study and appreciation. Now onto his book on Gardening...
Show Less

Pages

188

ISBN

0060837063 / 9780060837068
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