A review by mtcronin
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

3.0

Meacham draws a portrait of a leader walking the line between idealistic philosophies and pragmatic realities, highlighting his accomplishments while acknowledging his complexities and shortcomings. There are dry spots, but the epilogue in particular is beautifully done. An interesting aspect of this journey through presidential bios is seeing how the authors draw contrasts between the founding fathers, and Meacham does a nice job of detailing the rivalries and giving a sense of Jefferson's thoughts on his colleagues without necessarily endorsing his viewpoints.