The Family Letters of Thomas Jefferson

Rating:
Summary: A good book, but hard to recommend it.
Review: Next to journal reading, a compilation of personal letters is a good way to really get to know someone. This book is a collection of letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and his children & grandchildren over a long period of time. The book starts when the kids are young and he is away on his government duties. We find that times really hasn't changed that much as Jefferson constantly nags them to write him letters. As the kids grow older, they become much more prolific writers. The book becomes most interesting whenever the grandchildren mature and begin to write him during his presidency. In these letters, he shares tips and philosophy on life, economics, and general principles- even though we know he may not have put all of these into practice himself.

My rating reflects the disappointment that the editors failed to structure the book in a way that fills in the blanks for the reader. As an example, the death of his daughter only triggers a footnote to one of the letters since the event caused a lapse in letter writing between the family during his return visit to Monticello. To find out what had happened, I had to consult other material. This book could be greatly improved if a revised edition would include dialog that would explain the events mentioned in the letters.

In spite of this, you will like this book if you are a follower of Thomas Jefferson. This shouldn't be your first book or even your second volume on Jefferson, but if you are well versed on the history of this important man- then you will find much enjoyment within the pages.

Rating:
Summary: A good book, but hard to recommend it.
Review: Next to journal reading, a compilation of personal letters is a good way to really get to know someone. This book is a collection of letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and his children & grandchildren over a long period of time. The book starts when the kids are young and he is away on his government duties. We find that times really hasn't changed that much as Jefferson constantly nags them to write him letters. As the kids grow older, they become much more prolific writers. The book becomes most interesting whenever the grandchildren mature and begin to write him during his presidency. In these letters, he shares tips and philosophy on life, economics, and general principles- even though we know he may not have put all of these into practice himself.

My rating reflects the disappointment that the editors failed to structure the book in a way that fills in the blanks for the reader. As an example, the death of his daughter only triggers a footnote to one of the letters since the event caused a lapse in letter writing between the family during his return visit to Monticello. To find out what had happened, I had to consult other material. This book could be greatly improved if a revised edition would include dialog that would explain the events mentioned in the letters.

In spite of this, you will like this book if you are a follower of Thomas Jefferson. This shouldn't be your first book or even your second volume on Jefferson, but if you are well versed on the history of this important man- then you will find much enjoyment within the pages.