Thomas Jefferson, by R. B. Bernstein

Summary

Title: Thomas Jefferson
Author: R. B. Bernstein
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195169115

Pro:
•  Clear writing that gets to the point and explains the facts well
•  Even-handed presentation of controversial issues in Jefferson's life

Con:
•  None

Description:
•  Concise biography of Thomas Jefferson
•  Attempts to balance various views of Jefferson's life and actions
•  Provides insight and information about the most important events in Jefferson's life

Book Review

Considering all of the books that have been written about Jefferson, one would imagine that we know quite a lot - and that there wouldn't be any need for yet another biography. The fact of the matter is, however, that Jefferson was a bit of a contradictory and enigmatic figure. Perhaps that is what has made him such a popular figure for historians and biographers - just about anyone can tell his story again, yet make the story seem new and fresh.

What's needed is some way to cut through all the fog and get at some basic facts about Thomas Jefferson's life, and that's just what R.B. Bernstein provides. It's a short book, considering the scope of Jefferson's life, but that's part of the point. Instead of elaborating on every little event, Bernstein focuses upon what are probably the most important and significant things Jefferson did - positive and negative:

"This book also explores the contradictions of his life, which bedevil all those who study him. Jefferson was an advocate of liberty who owned slaves; abandoning his opposition to slavery, he became a troubled apologist for the institution, justifying it by racial theories that, he claimed, were based on science. A champion of limited government who wanted power to rest with the states, he became a president who devised and created expansive uses of national power - in some cases bordering on tyrannical. A private man who claimed to loathe politics, he became his era's dominant politician. A man of aristocratic habits and tastes, he became a symbol of American democracy, and its most eloquent voice. A cultivated Virginian gentleman of the late eighteenth century, he became a timeless theorist of liberty, democracy, and the rights of man."

Thomas Jefferson, by R. B. Bernstein

All of this makes Thomas Jefferson a difficult man to discuss. Past historians have attempted to emphasize one or the other side of his character, but Berstein attempts a balanced and nuanced portrait, showing that he had his contradictions and problems like any human being. Jefferson portrayed himself to others as he wanted to be seen, but how many of his contemporaries knew the "real" Jefferson?

Bernstein's attempts at balance and fairness are very successful. He doesn't take sides in the many debates, but instead tries honestly to present the man as he most likely was. The writing is direct and clear, creating a book that flows smoothly. Even people already quite familiar with Jefferson's life will probably benefit from this as a concise summary of the most important things to know. Anyone who has already read a biography on Jefferson would do well to consider this; anyone who hasn't read a a biography of Jefferson should start here.