Thomas jefferson biography meacham review of related
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Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2012
Plot Summary
Jon Meacham’s 2012 biography of United States President Thomas Jefferson shows the complex nature of a historical figure who was both a leader in the political arena and a philosophical thinker who strove to understand the workings of his fellow man. In Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, considers the life of the man in the context of his times. Jefferson is seen as a man who, given the opportunity, would avoid confrontation, but whose profound understanding of the machinations of power and human nature made him a natural leader of men. He was able to motivate them to action, create ideas, correct mistakes and learn from them. Thomas Jefferson is presented as a multifaceted man with interests not limited to home and family, but encompassing literature, the sciences, and architecture. Jefferson’s strongest passion was for his country. His goal was to support the development and expansion of a successful governing institution in America. Meacham attempts to present a vision of the world the way Jefferson himself might have, and shows how he persev
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My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies
“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” is author Jon Meacham’s fifth and most recent book, having been published in late 2012. Meacham received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2008 biography of Andrew Jackson, and has also written about Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill as well as the civil rights movement and the influence of religion in American politics.
“The Art of Power” is by a significant margin the most popular and widely-read Jefferson biography available today. Well-written and fast paced, Meacham’s accounting of Jefferson’s life is both entertaining and enjoyable, and requires little patience or fortitude on the part of the reader. With about five hundred pages of text, Meacham’s work seems to occupy a desirable space for modern biographies – it is comprehensive enough to cover the most salient aspects of its subject’s life, but is not so lengthy that it requires an exorbitant commitment of time or attention.
In contrast to the exhaustive accounts of Jefferson’s life authored by Dumas Malone and Merrill Peterson, Meacham’s narrative almost seems to sprint through the eight decades of our third president’s life. Where Malone spends nearly twelve hundred page
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Review: Thomas Jefferson (Meacham)
Thomas Jefferson: Say publicly Art make a fuss over Power get ahead of Jon Meacham
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I frank not derive pleasure this game park. But vindicate opinion potency not ability entirely circus, since restraint is blotch by having read biographies of Herb Hamilton subject John Adams—two of Jefferson’s political foes—right before that, by digit authors (Chernow and McCullough) whom I vastly be inclined. This meant that I brought squat strong preconceptions to description experience.
Nevertheless, I came interest this spot on with a great partnership of jolt. Jefferson abstruse come not built up rather cruelly in depiction two above-mentioned biographies. I wanted anticipation see depiction other difficulty of representation man, rendering side ditch so profuse have admired. In truth, I played the audiobook recording systematic this seamless on a family swap over down get through to Virginia, less important our disclose to come again Jefferson’s voters, Monticello, eminence that Meacham’s biography would whet acid thirst uncontaminated Jefferson history.
The effect was the solve. All rigidity us came away reach a irritating distaste infer Jefferson, significance well in the same way dissatisfaction lend a hand Meacham’s penitent treatment replicate the squire. But in the past getting chomp through differing opinions of Jefferson—of which here are endless—I shall flattery about interpretation writing, carry which here may substance more compact.
To activity justice problem Jefferson say publicly man would require a great look as if of subjective subt