Rating: 
Summary: More than a historic landmark
Review: "Saving Monticello" kept me enthralled as I read of the estate's long road back from near ruin. Mr. Leepson's research is matched only by his ability to bring alive the story of Mr. Jefferson's masterpiece and its roller coaster ride to historic and architectural prominence.
Rating:
Summary: A Forgotten Chapter of History, Rightly Restored
Review: Everyone who knows the basic history of Monticello knows about Jefferson bringing his young bride to his "little mountain"; the evolution and growth of the house he was continually tearing down and putting up; his mostly happy retirement there, shadowed by his battles with debt; and finally the end of that magnificent life there on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the young republic had declared its independence with the words from his pen....And we know the magnificently restored estate of today, a beacon for millions of visitors who want to draw closer to that man of countless gifts..... But there's been a missing chapter in the Monticello story for too long; the years from Jefferson's death to its opening to the public have been passed over in most histories with at best, a few paragraphs. "Saving Monticello" fills that gap perfectly. Here we learn of the estate's decline after Jefferson's death, only arrested with the intervention of the Levy family, who are given their rightful due as stewards of this magnificent property. What happened to Monticello during the Civil War? What were some of the odd uses proposed for it? For answers to these questions and many more, read this well-crafted book.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Story
Review: I am a big Thomas Jefferson fan and I love Monticello. I've visited there many times. And yet I didn't know the story of what happened to that amazing place after Thomas Jefferson's death on July 4, 1826. Now I know thanks to this fascinating, fact-filled book. Mr. Leepson tells a fascinating story and he tells it very well. I learned about an amazing cast of characters, the post-Jefferson owners of Monticello: James Barclay, Uriah Levy, Benjamin Ficklin and Jefferson Levy. And I learned that all of us who admire Jefferson and Monticello owe a large debt to both Levys for saving the house when it was close to ruin twice. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: This Family Owned Monticello Longer than the Jeffersons
Review: I am an admirer of Thomas Jefferson and of his magnificent mansion, Monticello. I thought I knew a good deal about both, but was amazed to learn that I had no idea that a family, the Levys, owned Monticello for 89 years, longer than the Jefferson family did--and that the Levys saved it from ruin twice. That's the story this remarkable book tells. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Almost Lost
Review: I have just finished reading "Saving Monticello" and want to say just how much I enjoyed it. I am a long-time fan of Jefferson and particularly his architectural endeavors (the subject of my master's thesis) so I go out of my way to find new items on the subject. It was great to learn about those "lost years" of Monticello that up until now have barely been touched on and I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in American history. The author has clearly delineated what a tenuous hold we sometimes have on important landmarks and how easily they can be lost to future generations if we are not careful.
Rating:
Summary: "Saving Monticello" is a much needed book!
Review: I highly recommend Marc Leepson's book 'Saving Monticello' because it gives credit to the Levy family without whose help and stewardship Monticello may have been erased forever.
His detail and insight of story serve to hold the reader's interest of not only Thomas Jefferson, but of the history of the time. Mr. Leepson very patiently educates us about the Levy family and their unwavering loyalty to Monticello. I had often wondered what had happened to Monticello during the years after Jefferson's death until the Memorial Foundation took it over and now is supplied to us a fascinating history, a thread which we must all be tempted to follow and remember as part of our own history. I cannot imagine looking at Monticello in the same way as I did before I read Mr. Leepson's, "Saving Monticello".
Rating:
Summary: "Saving Monticello" is a much needed book!
Review: I highly recommend Marc Leepson's book 'Saving Monticello' because it gives credit to the Levy family without whose help and stewardship Monticello may have been erased forever.
His detail and insight of story serve to hold the reader's interest of not only Thomas Jefferson, but of the history of the time. Mr. Leepson very patiently educates us about the Levy family and their unwavering loyalty to Monticello. I had often wondered what had happened to Monticello during the years after Jefferson's death until the Memorial Foundation took it over and now is supplied to us a fascinating history, a thread which we must all be tempted to follow and remember as part of our own history. I cannot imagine looking at Monticello in the same way as I did before I read Mr. Leepson's, "Saving Monticello".
Rating:
Summary: An Eye-Opening Story
Review: I learned a great deal about something I thought I knew, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, in this eye-opening book that tells the amazing story of Jefferson's house and how Uriah Levy and Jefferson Levy saved it from ruin on two different occasions. The book is exceptionally readable and deeply researched. Anyone who has an interest in Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Jewish American history or American historic preservation should read this most excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book
Review: I never knew Monticello was owned by the Levy family, much less for 89 years. I found that out and much more in this first-rate book. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in historic preservation--or who just wants to read a well-written, fascinating history of Monticello.
Rating:
Summary: Saving Monticello
Review: If six rating stars were available, Saving Monticello would merit each one of them. As an American, I have long admired Mr. Jefferson. As a Jew, I had absolutely no idea "my people" saved and protected Monticello. The Levy's did so at great sacrifice overcoming every barrier, from anti-Semitism to outright ignorance, put in their path... Had it not been for Marc Leepson's precise, thoroughly researched and most readable story I would have never known...
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