American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (Audiobook)

from Josh_Hanagarne

This was an interesting look at a peculiar and, in most ways, an inspiring man. American Sphinx doesn't assume that the reader comes to the table with voluminous knowledge, which is refreshing; the book fills in the gaps in clear language and there is very little slow-going. It's hard to believe ...

from mybucketlistofbooks

Good review of Thomas Jefferson's character. Not a chronological look at Jefferson's life. Rather the author looks at various times in Jefferson's life and the incidents that occurred during them, to elucidate his political and world view.This book contains a fair amount of what some deride as hi...

from rivkat

Thomas Jefferson again! The man had an enormous capacity to write beautiful sentiments and then not live up to them, that's for sure. Ellis, writing before the DNA testing became definitive, expresses doubt about the Sally Hemings story as inconsistent with Jefferson's fear of race mixing, but he...

from jonfaith

A provocative survey of an enlightenment thinker and statesman who could never outdistance his contradictions. My friend Mark Prather selected this for samizdat and a number of us read such and with a formality of discussion. The passage of a couple decades would likely have adjusted those younge...

from michaelhattem

Despite my own personal inclinations towards Jefferson, it is not the criticism of America Sphinx that I find slightly disturbing but, rather, the somewhat disingenuous pose that Ellis assumes. A quick reading would almost make Ellis look sympathetic to Jefferson and this, I believe, is by design...