Rating: 
Summary: Sphinx Stinks
Review: I did not enjoy this book. I was looking for a comprehensive review of Jefferson's life and theories. To his credit, the author makes an attempt at a balanced analysis of Jefferson's thoughts and influences. That is more than most other authors provide. The large and significant omissions of key events in Jefferson's life, however, are the biggest disappointment in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: What an Interesting Read!
Review: Although this book left me wanting more (not NEARLY enough coverage of Jefferson's 2nd term--this book needed 200 more pages), what was there was extremely interesting and well-written. Thomas Jefferson has to be the most interesting of all of the Revolutionary period figures (although not necessarily the most admirable). He could lie, cheat and back-stab and then be completely and honestly indignant when accused of doing the same. What an enigma! I cannot decide whether to praise or revile him (I'm closer to the latter), but I LOVE to read about him! I was looking for a recent, complete, single-volume biography of Jefferson and chose this one over the one by Randall Sterne for whatever reason. Although I am extremely glad that I read it, I still feel that I have not read a complete biography of Jefferson because so much of his presidency (especially the aforementioned second term) was given such short shrift. But for that omission, this was a 5-star book!
Rating: 
Summary: The Story of a Man
Review: Titles count, and one would be well advised to consider the sub title of American Sphinx, The Character of Thomas Jefferson. As it suggests, Ellis has focussed largely on Jefferson's personality and how it affected and was affected by the events in his life.This is not to suggest that this is a bad thing. Certainly Ellis does not ignore that Jefferson was primarily known in his time and ours as a political figure. I only point this out so that the reader will not be unpleasantly surprised, for the book does tend to move smoothly and quickly over political issues and what one might call hard core history. What Ellis does, he does well. Reading American Sphinx does bring the reader back into Jefferson's world with an engaging narrative and good eye for personal detail. The reader gets the sense of getting to know Jefferson, and that is what the book is about. That said, I should point out that the work is not flawless. Jefferson lived during a time of tremendous political debate and division, and was often central to it. Ellis could have spent more time talking about such things, since Jefferson's character was so defined by these issues. Another strange feature in the early pages was geographical, with Ellis expressing surprise that modern day Northerners would revere Jefferson over John Adams. I'm pleased that this did not continue long, but it was strange enough to be worth mentioning now. Of more important particular annoyance to me was the way Ellis would mention a particular issue or event by name, but not describe it for some pages. My own knowledge of the history of that era is fragmented, so a brief recap of some important events would have been helpful. An example would be the Jay treaty, on which I had to wait several pages to learn that it would, in fact, be described. A worse example would be the Supreme Court case Marbury vs. Madison, for which I will have to consult my old textbooks to learn just exactly what the case was. Having now identified flaws, I will state that in the context of what Ellis set out to do, he has done an excellent job reporting the elusive and sometimes baffling character of our third president. Though lacking one hundred percent perfection, it is still worth a solid five stars as a terrific read by a fine author.
Rating:
Summary: HONESTY IS NOT EXPENSIVE
Review: I love writers. I mean those who damn the consequences and pen-down the hard facts: whether the world likes it or not. J.J. Ellis is one of them; regardless of those nagging complaints that his pen attracted.
Right from the first page, this book was purposeful. Unlike most other 'Jefferson' authors, Professor Ellis refused to tuck-in his tail and dance to the gallery. He understands that honesty may hurt for a short while, but, costs nothing in the end.
Everything about his book is factual. No sycophantic element! Its portrayal of Thomas Jefferson was candid and conscientious.
Yes, Mr Jefferson might have been one of America's 'founding fathers', but that does not make him a saint. In fact, he was a pariah when the issue concerns true freedom. He failed justice and betrayed compassion. Yes, he did.
Among all the lies about his 'greatness', one thing is crystal-clear: Thomas Jefferson was a terrible contradiction, who never defended true freedom. Calling him an unrepentant racist may sound offensive, but that is what he was.
How can a man who consistently preached (to the English Monarch), that, "All men were created equal: with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; turn around and entrench a slave-holding society: one of the most cruel societies that humanity has ever known?
Good or bad, this biographer balanced his research well. He was more interested in the (bitter) truth than in pleasing sycophants.
Thomas Jefferson was by no means better than his 'British oppressors'. That he repeatedly raped Black women did not show that he believed in true justice. That he bought, sold, and enslaved men, women and children did not show that he believed in true freedom. That he even went as far as enslaving his own (coloured) children simply because their skin-colour were not as White as he would have liked them to be did not show that he believed in human rights. None these facts showed that he was sincere in citing that "All men were created equal", nor that he agreed that "All men are entitled to freedom and the pursuit of happiness".
It is time we abandon sectional bias and sentiments, and open our eyes. An evil-deed is an evil-deed, whether we like it or not: and regardless of who did it, or when and where it was done. Slavery is evil. It ruined justice; ruined freedom; ruined happiness; ruined love; and ruined lives. It is epitome of wickedness. Nobody who condoned and/or participated in it is truly great.
If we insist otherwise, then, what are we going to tell diehards who believe that Saddam Hussein is a great man? What are we going to tell fanatics who believe that Osama Bin-Laden is a champion? And the last but never the least, what are we going to tell Neo-Nazis who adore Adolf Hitler as their hero?
Mr Jefferson was only good at removing specks from the eyes of Britons, while refusing to remove the mahogany logs that blinded him and his co-founding 'fathers'.
He enslaved and maltreated people for life, and throughout his life. Even in death, he refused to free those slaves; instead, he willed them out (as slaves). No conscientious being will classify this act as that of a freedom-preaching great man.
This book was very kind to Mr Jefferson. It only called a spade by its real name.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible Misrepresentation
Review: I have read most of the major books on Jefferson, and have now finally finished this one. What an awfully misguided, opinionated, and prejudiced piece of work. This book misrepresents Thomas Jefferson. It gravely misses the mark. Shame, that those who select books for awards can obviously be so misled. There's no wonder its called "American Sphinx". I don't recommend it to anyone who does not wish to be wrongly disillusioned about America, especially during this time when terrorists and much of the world challenge American virtue. I recommend the Remick book here in Amazon.com's listings on Thomas Jefferson (called "West Point:...Thomas Jefferson") for a clear understanding of Jefferson, because it is drawn from what Jefferson himself read and wrote throughout his lifetime, not on opinions written about him.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Scholarly Work
Review: As you might expect from a professor, I found "American Sphinx" by Joseph J. Ellis to be a good, interesting, scholarly work. It may not be the easiest read for some, but I highly recommend it. Also recommended (and an easy read): "West Point:Character Leadership Education..From Thomas Jefferson" by Norman Thomas Remick.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting psychological study
Review: This book was interesting to read although it is tough to know if you can trust what you read in this book. Our book club had selected this book and then it was rejected because of the scandal surrounding the author. I chose to read it anyway, and funny, the author accuses Jefferson of some of the same things that the author is accused of--being a liar. The best remedy is to read it along with another respected bio on Jefferson to get a balanced perspective. If a scholar is caught fabricating all sorts of things to his students, can we believe in what he writes?
Rating:
Summary: The First American
Review: What does it mean to be an American? I suspect this question is what has been driving the proliferation in books on our founding fathers over the last few years. "American Sphinx", the author's subsequent "Founding Brothers" and David McCullough's recent biography of John Adams are all part of a larger trend to examine our identity as a country by looking at the men who created this nation some 226 years ago. You could even throw in Mel Gibson's film "The Patriot" as an effort to explore our nation's creation by Hollywood. (With all of the films on the Civil War, World War II and Vietnam, one would think that the Revolution would be ripe for Hollywood.) After 9/11 I suspect this interest to explore the birth of our nation has been enhanced by criticism at home (by a shrill minority) and abroad of America as an imperialist power. If you want to start by examining the soul of America start with Thomas Jefferson. I found "American Sphinx" to be an outstanding biography of our third President, drafter of the Declaration of Independence, first Secretary of State, tireless inventor, voracious reader and Virginia landowner. Complicated, brilliant, troubled, Jefferson might be one of the most interesting human beings to have ever lived. Ellis does a magnificent job exploring Jefferson's faults and abilities without resorting to hero-worship. In particular, I enjoyed how Ellis broke up the narrative of Jefferson's life to particular focal points: Philadelphia, Paris, his Presidency, his retirement, etc. The focus on how these times in Jefferson's life impacted him and show what sort of man he was is a welcome relief to a more exhaustive biography. One factor that continually impressed me about Ellis work is his treatment of the Sally Hemmings question. Our obsession with sex and the personal lives of our leaders (a focus thankfully on the wane these days) has led Jefferson's accomplishments to be marginalized by the odious speculation about whether or not he fathered children with Hemmings, a slave in his household. Mercifully, unlike the PC warriors who want to strip Jefferson of his standing in history (despite the murky historical evidence), Ellis is resolutely fair. He presents the evidence that the liaison did and did not exist and reflects about the meaning of the controversy. Thankfully, "American Sphinx" isn't 400+ pages of Hemmings material. It isn't dull either. This isn't the standard "President X signed the bill at a Rose Garden Ceremony on_____"-biography. Ellis has a keen sense of prose and has a knack for highlighting Jefferson's life and translating his thoughts and feelings to people 200 years later. Jefferson's grand vision of an America of rural farmers seems so vivid and powerful thanks to Ellis' writing. Unlike our current President, who seems to take pride in his limited intellectual capacity, Jefferson was an astonishingly intelligent and well-read man even for his day, when men prided themselves on their intellect. I think that people will gain a better sense of what a brilliant and original thinker Jefferson was after reading "American Sphinx". The Louisiana Purchase, for example, was a bold and aggressive decision that did more to end European dominance in the Western Hemisphere and make America into the leviathan it is today than any other decision made by any President since. Jefferson's bold thinking shows what bold, innovative thinkers our founding fathers were compared to their risk-adverse, poll-driven contemporaries. None more so than Jefferson. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the story of our past.
Rating:
Summary: American Sphinx
Review: American Sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis is a book about the character of Thomas Jefferson our third President of the United States. The book, as we read on, gives us a provocative and rather lively look at Thomas Jefferson. This book is a National Book Award winner. As we look back through history, we get a rather myoptic view, but searching out the man through his writing and deeds can be rather daunting task, especially a complex man such as Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's character is full of contradictions and can be rather enignatic at times. Complexities abound with Jefferson as do inconsistencies, but the author seems to bring light to Jefferson the man in this book. As the author takes us from the time Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence through to his retirement at Monticello, we get examples of Jefferson's perplexity and intricacy of thought that comprise the character of Jefferson. The book is cogent, lucid and has a lively narrative which keeps the reader well engrossed in the book. The scholarship is evidenced through well documented references. I found the book to be educational and informative, although, there are somethings that the author brings the reader that an ardent student of Jefferson might take exception to. The Jefferson that emerges in this book paints a picture of a flawed Jefferson, a man who combined massive learning with extraordinary naivete. Nevertheless, a well written book and the author does have a lively imagination, so, be careful to read the book with a discriminating eye, as all that is said in the book, may need to be proved. Insights into Jefferson and Sally Hemings, the Tom and Sally affair, are brought to light in this book. Discretion being the better part of valor, Jefferson's character will forever elicit adamant opinion. No one book will ever give us a true picture of Jefferson, as a man, had piercing insights into others to a point of self deception. Thomas Jefferson had utter devotion to great principles with a highly indulged presumption that his own conduct was not answerable to them. American Sphinx is a very readable book, the prose flows as we read on pealing one layer after another from Jefferson's enigma, until we see that he was a extraordinary individual... we only have the mythological Jefferson surviving through his letter and those of other to make our opinion... but with such interpretive excesses only reinforced the realization that Jefferson was the most potent and promiscuous of the Founding Fathers in American history.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth reading despite author's credibility issues
Review: I am not a fan of TJ, but I found this book to be very balanced--a "warts and all" type of biography. This book is not a biography in the strict sense, in that it does not attempt to cover every aspect of TJ's life. Instead Ellis uses several episodes in TJ's career to illustrate the many inconsistencies and hypocriscies that characterize this founder's life. Since the book was written pre-DNA, the treatment of Sally Hemmings is somewhat dated now, but I still found this to be an excellent read and an interpretive bonanza.
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