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A review by mrchandler
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
4.0
This is my second foray into the world of Thomas Jefferson. My first book, Thomas Jefferson by R.B. Bernstein, was fine, but nothing to write home about. While it was an excellent book for someone who had not studied their history in years, personally, the book was filled with context about the American Revolution that I already knew. Therefore, I gave it a two out of five, because I would forget about it in a month, and gave it to my local bookstore, where someone else would find it, and appreciate it more than I did.
Ever since then, I have been looking for another book that I could read on Jefferson that provided me with a more detailed look at the man and his accomplishments. Thanks to a colleague of mine who kindly gave me a gift card, I was able to purchase it from Barns and Noble, and I began reading, excited to see what Meacham had to say on the man. Did I learn a lot about Thomas Jefferson and about his era and times? Yes…and no.
When it comes to Jefferson biographies, Meacham’s is by far the most read of the bunch and it is easy to understand why. He explores every major accomplishment of Jefferson’s with a fine-tooth comb. Everything from Jefferson’s early days in school to his work on what would become the University of Virginia is gone over with detail that gives the reader a complete look at the accomplishments and the times in which they were made. No stone is left unturned in the regard for the who, where and why, Jefferson developed his various accomplishments in history. This makes the book far more comprehensive in terms of studying Jefferson and is something I enjoyed.
Meacham also takes the opportunity to explore the more negative aspects and contradictions to Jefferson’s legacy. There is the exploration on Jefferson’s relationship with slavery. Jefferson was a man who hated the practice of slavery, calling it a serious blot on America, yet he profited and benefited from the practice literally all his life. This also includes his relationship with Sally Hemmings. Meacham does not shy away from these topics, nor tries to excuse the practice at all, but simply finds an explanation for what Jefferson believed. Meacham, in the grand scheme of things, states that Jefferson valued control (or as some may say, power) in all aspects of his life. Even if he hated the practice of slavery, he was not willing to give up the power it afforded him in his domestic life. Meacham does well to acknowledge this fact, and does not excuse it, saying that Jefferson, for all his strengths and progressive ideas, is a man of his time, and cannot escape the trappings of a rich land owner of the South in Virginia.
However, for all the balanced look at Jefferson, other aspects of the time period are noticeably absent, as though Meacham is focused strictly on what Jefferson accomplished, and little else. Take for example, The Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III in 1775. Meacham says only that it was sent to the King, and nothing came of it, as though it was barley worth mentioning, as it has little to do with Jefferson himself. On the one hand, if you are a reader of the Presidents, and have already read books on Washington and Adams, then this is nothing new to you, and can be skipped. On the other, if you choose to just randomly pick this book up, you may be scratching your head at this mention of a document. In the grand scheme of things, I do not really see this as any kind of a negative, just something to keep in mind for the reader going into this book. For all the brilliance of Meacham’s writing, he focuses strictly on Jefferson, and anything else is mentioned in passing, if not largely ignored.
Still, I believe that this text was well done, and offered me a more comprehensive view of the times that Jefferson lived in, as well as the relationships Jefferson had not only with the people around him, but also the politics of the era. Jefferson’s Presidency, his lasting legacy and how he is viewed today are also explored well. In short, I can understand why this is such a revered biography of the Third President. I give it a four out of five.
Ever since then, I have been looking for another book that I could read on Jefferson that provided me with a more detailed look at the man and his accomplishments. Thanks to a colleague of mine who kindly gave me a gift card, I was able to purchase it from Barns and Noble, and I began reading, excited to see what Meacham had to say on the man. Did I learn a lot about Thomas Jefferson and about his era and times? Yes…and no.
When it comes to Jefferson biographies, Meacham’s is by far the most read of the bunch and it is easy to understand why. He explores every major accomplishment of Jefferson’s with a fine-tooth comb. Everything from Jefferson’s early days in school to his work on what would become the University of Virginia is gone over with detail that gives the reader a complete look at the accomplishments and the times in which they were made. No stone is left unturned in the regard for the who, where and why, Jefferson developed his various accomplishments in history. This makes the book far more comprehensive in terms of studying Jefferson and is something I enjoyed.
Meacham also takes the opportunity to explore the more negative aspects and contradictions to Jefferson’s legacy. There is the exploration on Jefferson’s relationship with slavery. Jefferson was a man who hated the practice of slavery, calling it a serious blot on America, yet he profited and benefited from the practice literally all his life. This also includes his relationship with Sally Hemmings. Meacham does not shy away from these topics, nor tries to excuse the practice at all, but simply finds an explanation for what Jefferson believed. Meacham, in the grand scheme of things, states that Jefferson valued control (or as some may say, power) in all aspects of his life. Even if he hated the practice of slavery, he was not willing to give up the power it afforded him in his domestic life. Meacham does well to acknowledge this fact, and does not excuse it, saying that Jefferson, for all his strengths and progressive ideas, is a man of his time, and cannot escape the trappings of a rich land owner of the South in Virginia.
However, for all the balanced look at Jefferson, other aspects of the time period are noticeably absent, as though Meacham is focused strictly on what Jefferson accomplished, and little else. Take for example, The Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III in 1775. Meacham says only that it was sent to the King, and nothing came of it, as though it was barley worth mentioning, as it has little to do with Jefferson himself. On the one hand, if you are a reader of the Presidents, and have already read books on Washington and Adams, then this is nothing new to you, and can be skipped. On the other, if you choose to just randomly pick this book up, you may be scratching your head at this mention of a document. In the grand scheme of things, I do not really see this as any kind of a negative, just something to keep in mind for the reader going into this book. For all the brilliance of Meacham’s writing, he focuses strictly on Jefferson, and anything else is mentioned in passing, if not largely ignored.
Still, I believe that this text was well done, and offered me a more comprehensive view of the times that Jefferson lived in, as well as the relationships Jefferson had not only with the people around him, but also the politics of the era. Jefferson’s Presidency, his lasting legacy and how he is viewed today are also explored well. In short, I can understand why this is such a revered biography of the Third President. I give it a four out of five.