Rating: 
Summary: Insightful Biography of an American Icon
Review: This biography of Thomas Jefferson downplays the often sensationalized aspects of his life (like the Sally Hemmings question) and delves into the mindset and philosophies of one of the revolutionary generation's biggest "heros". It treats fairly the sometimes conflicting beliefs and actions of Jefferson and analyzes them for what they are. I enjoyed reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Biography Bogged Down from the Beginning
Review: After visiting Monticello and watching the Ken Burn's Special on Thomas Jefferson I was eager to read this biography but was sorely disappointed in this one, as it starts off slow and is an uphill read from there. Sorry but I have to give this one two thumbs down!
Rating: 
Summary: The reader can better understand Jefferson's legacy.
Review: Ellis account of Jefferson stimulates considerable thought. For example, between 1775 and today why did his stature sore? As Ellis notes, Jefferson, the year before he drafted the Declaration of Independence, joined an elite now known as the Founding Fathers, but just barely. Meanwhile, Washington took on a god-like stature after his military successes. Ellis allows us to clearly see that in those early days, Washington's stature dwarfed that of Jefferson's. But the author helps us see that Jefferson's marginal rise in stock over the last two centuries outpaced that of Washington's.
Ellis gives the reader some ammunition as for the reason--for those who seek it. One reason is that Jefferson addressed issues head on that matters a lot to a broad cross section of Americans today. But perhaps most important, his actions--some incredibly unique--matched his words.
One such match in this book relates to limiting the national government. For instance, as President, he abolished tax collectors and nearly eliminated the national debt. Then in addition, he not only minimized the government, he minimized himself too. For instance, he read his inaugural address in such a low voice, only a handful of people could hear him. Later, rather than verbally trumpet the successes of his administration during the annual state of the union address, he submitted it only in writing with very little fanfare.
Despite his current popularity, his legacy is hotly debated. Some readers will say that his legacy, such as in relation to limited government, is in tatters by pointing to the Great Depression, for instance, and the resulting need for big government. Others might conclude that the Jeffersonian ideals are alive and kicking and will be well into the future. But it is exactly such divergence of opinion coupled meanwhile with his appeal to diverse audiences that makes the book stimulating.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading, BUT
Review: FYI => Keeping history accurate ... and the truth about Jefferson's motives. Lately, there has emerged a kind of anti-Thomas Jefferson chic by questioning his character; visa vis his "contradictory" and "ambivalent" attitude towards slavery. After all, didn't he keep slaves? The facts are that Jefferson was stuck in the midst of a slave-owning society. He inherited human property along with a very large debt; he never had the choice of emancipating his slaves because of this bizarre circumstance. That is, before having the possibility of freeing his inherited human property (which means giving EACH slave free and clear title to himself!) FIRST Jefferson would have had to retire ALL of his debts. But the Revolutionary War made that impossible. So Jefferson made the best of a bad situation. HOWEVER, lately all kinds of writers who NOW question Jefferson's good character (because of the slavery issue) point to his not putting an anti-slavery statement in the Declaration of Independence, which he wrote. This especially galls me ... because anyone who even superficially reads American history can't help but know this is wrong. Recently, Terry Gross had one such "prize-winning" writer on her nationally broadcast radio show. I couldn't take it any more, and so I wrote the following to her. FS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dadsweet wrote: December 14, 1997 Terry Gross Fresh Air, National Public Radio Re: Thomas Jefferson on Slavery On a recent Best of Fresh Air program, Joseph Ellis missed many chances to correct the record for Thomas Jefferson while publicizing his book, "American Sphinx: A Character Study of Thomas Jefferson." The tragedy of Jefferson's life is, 220 years after attempting to include his graphically ANTI-SLAVERY position in the FIRST draft of his Declaration of Independence, award-winning writer Ellis would make a mystery out of it. After their committee expurgated ALL references to slavery in the first draft, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin returned the Declaration to Thomas Jefferson. He reportedly became furious, and then went into a deep depression. Jefferson lamented, he had given them a perfect document and they ruined it. However, at least NOW the record can and should be corrected ... for Jefferson's sake. The first draft of the Declaration as originally written by Jefferson contains the following, scathing indictment of the British monarchy and slavery. It leads into the anti-slavery section from the still intact lines: " ... He [i.e., King George III] has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontier ..." The missing section on slavery comes next --- **** " ... He [i.e., King George III] waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN [sic, emphasis] king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN [sic, emphasis] should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the LIBERTIES [sic, emphasis] of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the LIVES [sic, emphasis] of another. " The Declaration continues with the lines still intact: "In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned ... " Clearly, Jefferson considered the African slaves MEN and also PEOPLE, entitled to the same natural rights which he penned into the first few lines of the Declaration of Independence. While Ellis was writing his book on Jefferson, he must have been thinking of someone else. ________________________________ **** SOURCE: "Jefferson: Writings, Autobiography, Notes on the State of Virginia, Public and Private Papers, Addresses, Letters." Literary Classics of the United States, Inc. (1984) New York, pp 21-23 ISBN 0-940450-16-X distributed in the United States by Penguin Books AVAILABLE THORUGH AMAZON.COM
Rating:
Summary: An interpretation of Jeferson's importance
Review: Ellis is a graceful writer with genuine insights into the character of a very complex man. Ultimately Jefferson remains a puzzle, and would be even if he were here today to respond to our questions. This book makes clear that his importance in history is part his doing and part Americans' understanding of themselves and their dreams.
One criticism: Ellis makes much of Jefferson's self-contradictory nature. The passionate champion of liberty and rebellion was a slaveowner, as we are reminded again and again. This may not be the blatant hypocrisy that it seems--I insist that all human beings harbor mutually antagonistic thoughts and convictions. Surely in two hundred years our greatest statesmen will be judged for their spotty moral principles, as Jefferson has been for his. We are all at least partly the products of our times; that would include the abolitionists of the eighteenth century, who, if they could be interviewed today, might appear to us to be morally flawed in areas outside their oppostion to slavery. When Jefferson was alive, slavery was still becoming an issue; it had not yet consumed the national consciousness. Like most thoughtful men of his time, he chose to avoid rather than confront the dilemma. We can be critical of him if we choose, but ultimately we might be wise to exercise some restraint. If liberty was to be secured for all human beings, it had first to be achieved for the favored few, and that task was daunting and perilous. As Ellis points out, no one had ever attempted it, and most felt it was either improper or impossible. I was disappointed that Ellis failed to grasp the significance of that fact.
Today we look beyond our borders and question how militant we should be in the defense of liberty in Burma, China and other nations; future generations may call us hypocrites for our reluctance to press the issue. Jefferson was less an atypical puzzle than Ellis thinks...all human beings are seldom compelled by mathematically precise deductive logic and geometrically perfect ethical principles.
Rating:
Summary: A Dry, Slow Presentation
Review: I hate to take exception to the glowing reviews of this book
posted by others, but I would summarize it thus: " Took off
in water, cruised in molasses, and landed in tar". The more I read,
the more it dragged. I found that it left more questions unanswered
than answered, and provided an incomplete view of some of the
more interesting aspects of Jefferson's social and political life.
I was looking for a good all-round, comprehensive book on Jefferson
when I heard of and read this book. I still am
Rating:
Summary: "I TOO ONCE DWELT IN ARKADY"
Review: The Thomas Jefferson discussed in Joseph Ellis' "American Sphinx" continues to be a subject to be debated for decades to come. Whether you agree with Ellis' (mainly critical) interpretation of Jefferson's motivations, his book cannot but help you clarify your own interpretation of a man who saw clearly a vision of his country that was at odds with many of the citizens he wished to reach.
Readers should note that this book is not a biography; for instance, his second presidential term is scarcely touched upon, except to note its weaknesses and disappointments. "American Sphinx" allows the reader to view Jefferson as a man with human foibles and the more commonly known image as a "Founding Father." I recommend it to you
Rating:
Summary: A Most Informative Work
Review: This is an excellent book on one of the most important statesman of this country. Easy to read, well balanced portrayal of a very complex man living in very complex times. A must for any Jefferson followers
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: In this book, Elling describes and discusses the moments in history that shed light on the "historical Jefferson", and those moments that allow us to question Jefferson's motives, such as his fascination with French culture while serving as the American amassador to France in the 1780's. The last chapter of the book attempts to frame Jefferson's character in terms of modern politics. I believe that Jefferson would not have been as prominent a politician in a modern setting, given his awkward public appearances eluded to in other historical references. However, overall this is a brilliant biography of Jefferson that will easily allow comparisons between "modern" concepts of government and belief in the American system, and the views of one of the most complex characters in American history
Rating:
Summary: By One Who Has Read All The Reviews
Review: This is an excellent piece of scholarly work in which an esteemed professor analyzes Thomas Jefferson by means of gathering certain ascertainable facts and expounding on them through use of the scholars' tools of opinion, interpretation, and speculation. You will derive much appreciation from this book if you are not too adament about requiring provable facts to form historical conclusions. If you like to deal with raw facts, I must say I finally got myself to try the book by Remick called West Point: Thomas Jefferson: Character Leadership Education that I saw several previous reviewers recommend as one that accomplishes bringing the thinking mind of Jefferson into clear focus by understanding the interrelationship of simple facts by him and about him. It's not a scholarly work having the greatness of Joseph Ellis, but, one I certainly recommend to compliment American Sphinx as both light and enlightening.
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