Thomas Jefferson

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
Cover of the book Thomas Jefferson by R. B. Bernstein, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: R. B. Bernstein ISBN: 9780199758449
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: September 4, 2003
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: R. B. Bernstein
ISBN: 9780199758449
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: September 4, 2003
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Thomas Jefferson designed his own tombstone, describing himself simply as "Author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." It is in this simple epitaph that R.B. Bernstein finds the key to this enigmatic Founder--not as a great political figure, but as leader of "a revolution of ideas that would make the world over again." In Thomas Jefferson, Bernstein offers the definitive short biography of this revered American--the first concise life in six decades. Bernstein deftly synthesizes the massive scholarship on his subject into a swift, insightful, evenhanded account. Here are all of Jefferson's triumphs, contradictions, and failings, from his luxurious (and debt-burdened) life as a Virginia gentleman to his passionate belief in democracy, from his tortured defense of slavery to his relationship with Sally Hemings. Jefferson was indeed multifaceted--an architect, inventor, writer, diplomat, propagandist, planter, party leader--and Bernstein explores all these roles even as he illuminates Jefferson's central place in the American enlightenment, that "revolution of ideas" that did so much to create the nation we know today. Together with the less well-remembered points in Jefferson's thinking--the nature of the Union, his vision of who was entitled to citizenship, his dread of debt (both personal and national)--they form the heart of this lively biography. In this marvel of compression and comprehension, we see Jefferson more clearly than in the massive studies of earlier generations. More important, we see, in Jefferson's visionary ideas, the birth of the nation's grand sense of purpose.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Thomas Jefferson designed his own tombstone, describing himself simply as "Author of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." It is in this simple epitaph that R.B. Bernstein finds the key to this enigmatic Founder--not as a great political figure, but as leader of "a revolution of ideas that would make the world over again." In Thomas Jefferson, Bernstein offers the definitive short biography of this revered American--the first concise life in six decades. Bernstein deftly synthesizes the massive scholarship on his subject into a swift, insightful, evenhanded account. Here are all of Jefferson's triumphs, contradictions, and failings, from his luxurious (and debt-burdened) life as a Virginia gentleman to his passionate belief in democracy, from his tortured defense of slavery to his relationship with Sally Hemings. Jefferson was indeed multifaceted--an architect, inventor, writer, diplomat, propagandist, planter, party leader--and Bernstein explores all these roles even as he illuminates Jefferson's central place in the American enlightenment, that "revolution of ideas" that did so much to create the nation we know today. Together with the less well-remembered points in Jefferson's thinking--the nature of the Union, his vision of who was entitled to citizenship, his dread of debt (both personal and national)--they form the heart of this lively biography. In this marvel of compression and comprehension, we see Jefferson more clearly than in the massive studies of earlier generations. More important, we see, in Jefferson's visionary ideas, the birth of the nation's grand sense of purpose.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Communism Unwrapped: Consumption in Cold War Eastern Europe by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Guardians of the Revolution:Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Genius Unmasked by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Crossing Hitler:The Man Who Put the Nazis on the Witness Stand by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Soul Searching : The Religious And Spiritual Lives Of American Teenagers by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book This Life Of Sounds : Evenings For New Music In Buffalo by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Counterinsurgency by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment:A Guide to Maximizing Brain Health and Reducing Risk of Dementia by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Dive Deeper:Journeys with Moby-Dick by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Taking Our Country Back: The Crafting of Networked Politics from Howard Dean to Barack Obama by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Washington's Crossing by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The New American Militarism : How Americans Are Seduced By War by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Who Controls the Internet? : Illusions of a Borderless World by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Boardwalk of Dreams:Atlantic City and the Fate of Urban America by R. B. Bernstein
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy