Overview

For a man who insisted that life on the public stage was not what he had in mind, Thomas Jefferson certainly spent a great deal of time in the spotlight, even in his retirement. In his twilight years, Jefferson was already taking on the luster of a national icon, which was polished off by his auspicious death on July 4, 1826. In American Sphinx, Ellis sifts the facts from the legend to find the heart of the man who, at the grass roots, is no longer liberal or conservative, agrarian or industrialist, pro- or anti-slavery, privileged or populist. A man who sang incessantly under his breath; who spent ten hours a day during his presidency at his writing desk; and who sometimes found his political sensibilities colliding with his domestic agenda; who exhibited great depth and great shallowness, combined massive learning with extraordinary naivete, and should neither be beatified nor forgotten.

Full Product Details

9781441717535

Table of Contents

Reviews

The richly documented life of Jeffersonholds endless fascination...This set should be a lasting favorite in popular biography collections, especially in the South. Warmly recommended. -- Library Journal Ellis does not have an agenda to promote; he has a story to tell, and he tells it well. In a book that reads like fiction, he combines exciting plot turns with information. -- School Library Journal [A] serious, rigorous analysis [of] Jefferson's importance and meaning to contemporary society. -- Booklist (starred review) Penetrating Jefferson's placid, elegant fa ade, this extraordinary biography brings the Sage of Monticello down to earth without either condemning or idolizing him. -- Publishers Weekly This elegant book on Jefferson sets a standard--history at its best. -- Chicago Tribune, editor's choice Erudite and illuminating...he writes so intelligently...that it's impossible to read this book and not reconsider Jefferson's role as a thinker, writer, and politician...An important and highly readable contribution. -- New York Times [Ellis] is a remarkably clear writer, mercifully free of both the groveling and the spirit of attack that have dominated the subject in the past...American Sphinx is fresh and uncluttered but rich in historical context. -- New York Times Book Review Lively and provocative...first-rate. -- David McCullough, New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

This elegant book on Jefferson sets a standard--history at its best. -- Chicago Tribune, editor's choice The richly documented life of Jeffersonholds endless fascination...This set should be a lasting favorite in popular biography collections, especially in the South. Warmly recommended. -- Library Journal Penetrating Jefferson's placid, elegant facade, this extraordinary biography brings the Sage of Monticello down to earth without either condemning or idolizing him. -- Publishers Weekly Lively and provocative...first-rate. -- David McCullough, New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Erudite and illuminating...he writes so intelligently...that it's impossible to read this book and not reconsider Jefferson's role as a thinker, writer, and politician...An important and highly readable contribution. -- New York Times Ellis does not have an agenda to promote; he has a story to tell, and he tells it well. In a book that reads like fiction, he combines exciting plot turns with information. -- School Library Journal [Ellis] is a remarkably clear writer, mercifully free of both the groveling and the spirit of attack that have dominated the subject in the past...American Sphinx is fresh and uncluttered but rich in historical context. -- New York Times Book Review [A] serious, rigorous analysis [of] Jefferson's importance and meaning to contemporary society. -- Booklist (starred review)

Author Information

Joseph J. Ellis is the Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College. Educated at the College of William and Mary and Yale University, he served as a captain in the army and taught at West Point before coming to Mount Holyoke in 1972. He was dean of the faculty there for ten years. Among his previous books is Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. He lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts, with his wife, Ellen, and three sons. Susan O'Malley (a.k.a. Bernadette Dunne) is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available