I was incredibly impressed with this book. This very short book if full of information, not only about Jefferson's life, ideals, and impact on American history, but of every major political controversy and figure in the early days of the Republic. Obviously, such a brief book cannot give the amount of detail that you'll find in thicker volumes, but this is certainly the best comprehensive introduction to Thomas Jefferson available.

The very thing that made this book so good, also left me wanting more. It is written as a concise, non-opinionated biography of Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States. Thus, often throughout the book things would be stated about Jefferson's actions or opinions, and I was left wanting more detail. Of course, had the detail been provided, the book would ultimately have had to span several volumes, rather than its modest 200 pages. And to be sure, the book is well researched, with a 30 page bibliography offering the source for every quote and statement.

The resulting picture this book paints of Jefferson is very complex. A brilliant writer, authoring the Declaration of Independence when only thirty three years old, and spending hours a day exchanging letters with colleagues and friends. A soft spoken man, not comfortable speaking in front of people, instead relying on his writing abilities. A revolutionary, who described revolution as the compost necessary for healthy governments. A politician who, as the second vice-president and third president of the United States, often seemed to work behind the backs of his friends to achieve political ends, sometimes becoming what he spoke out against. At times in his life he wrote against slavery and unsuccessfully pushed laws to abolish it or limit it in various ways, yet his life and livelihood was built on slavery, and it is very likely he fathered several children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves. An outspoken advocate for the freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state. An inventor, and an architect. An inspiration to Abraham Lincoln, who referenced the Declaration of Independence instead of the Constitution in his 1863 Gettysburg Address.

In the end, the book proved to be an excellent read, providing a good background into the time period and events shaping Jefferson's life. Though very far from perfect, Jefferson was clearly brilliant.

He wrote his own epitaph in the final year of his life, explaining that he was listing the things he most wished to be remembered for. It states, "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, April 2, 1743 O.S - July 4, 1826, author of the Declaration of Independence, and of the Virginia Statute for religious freedom, and father of the University of Virginia."

This is an excellent short biography of Jefferson. It moved well and covered everything I wanted to know about Jefferson. I recommend it to anyone wanting to know the basics about Jefferson's life. It probably isn't a classic, but for what the author sets out to do, it is outstanding.

I probably liked it more like a 3.5. But quality wise it might deserve at 4 or so. I'm no expert in biographies and have only read a few, and not many recently.

This biography is accessible and doesn't say in one place or get bogged down in details or what some may see as trivialities--for better or worse. The composition wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Again I'm not sure about the standard procedure is for bios, but there are a lot of years/dates that are referenced in the bio and at times I found them hard to track. It is chronologically arranged over all (starting with his youth and ending with his death, but in the micro it is arranged in a topical fashion, so there is some jumping around both forward and backwards in time. It's not a big deal, and may be better than a straight chronological telling.

Another negative thing about this book is that in his attempt to be accessible some passages came off really lame. A big point or objective that Bernstein was trying to get across was a holistic view of Jefferson, not just the good or bad. But I think that he went overboard in pointing out the contradictions/ambiguities/inconsistencies in Jefferson's life. For instance he again and again referred to Jefferson's relationship with slavery. And even though it may have been only a half dozen times, it was just plain annoying. Maybe Bernstein just isn't a good commentator and should stick even more closely to straight history.

I enjoyed reading and learning about Jefferson and also the other characters of his time. Washington, Adams, Madison, the British and French, were all talked about as they were relevant. And as I know jack about history it was great to finally get a pretty solid rundown of happenings. :D It was also neat to read about Jefferson because he was an INTJ the same personality type I am. And even though it was another person's telling of his life, those characteristics were still seen.

This is a brilliant, masterful examination of the character, history and impact of Thomas Jefferson. Bernstein has captured all of the contrast and anomalies of our 3rd President. The author tracks Jefferson’s intellectual development and documents his incredibly diverse set of intellectual pursuits. That portrait is incredibly attractive, but Bernstein does a careful and accurate portrayal of his foibles—his judgment that the negro race is inherently inferior, his espousal of human freedoms and governmental constraint while he denigrates blacks, native Americans and women as well as making executive decisions which horrified his strict constructionist brethren and his aversion to governmental debt while he drowned in his personal financial obligations and more. The Sally Hemmings- Thomas Jefferson relationship is well proven on several different levels. Bernstein does not condemn this Founding Father for his apparent hypocrisy; he just lays out the facts for the reader to use to form her/his assessment.

This is a well written biography that supports its contentions with an impressive compendium of Facts without halting the flow with inordinate footnotes and references. A GOOD READ!!

A well-written short biography of Thomas Jefferson. It really is short and there were many times that I would have liked a little more information on one aspect or event of his life or another. I will likely seek out a longer biography of Jefferson in the future. He was a riddle of a man with many contradictions regarding his views on freedom and the ideal agrarian lifestyle set up against his own decadent debt-ridden life of a slaveholder. This is a good read for someone who would like to know more about Jefferson but isn't necessarily ready for a 400-page biography they'd find elsewhere. It IS well-researched and well-written, so perhaps kudos to Bernstein for being able to be brief.

In my effort to read a bio or memoir on every US president, I would say that Jefferson is my least favorite president so far. But Bernstein's short (200 page) biography might be my favorite biography so far. He presents a fair and balanced portrait of Jefferson as a man, thinker, and politician. This book really helped me connect some of the puzzle pieces of the revolutionary era. Especially helpful was Bernstein's description of the Federalist and Republican parties. I only wish the book were longer. It was hard to put down!

Jefferson is such a revered character in American history, but it is so easy to know the basics of his involvement in the American Revolution without learning any other facets of his life. He is such an enigmatic character and so interesting a man that in order to fully understand where so many of our nation's ideals came from, one must study Jefferson's life a bit further.

Anyone interested in American politics today should read this book for insights into the history of relevant issues, from partisan rancor and obstructionism to states' rights. Besides being a thorough and fascinating discussion about American history, this Thomas Jefferson does what any great biography should do—provides the reader with more insight into the subject of the story than we generally ever have into our acquaintances, coworkers, or even (sometimes) friends and family.

Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand or intelligently discuss the original values of the USA and its founding fathers.

This was a good introductory biography of Jefferson. Well written and easy to follow, and more importantly, Bernstein took a more balanced approach to the controversies surrounding the third president. So far what I've read about Jefferson in other presidential biographies has given me a very bad impression of him. This book didn't completely change that opinion, but it did give me a more well rounded view.

Succinct and readable, this is a great introduction to Thomas Jefferson. Start with this volume and dig deeper if you still need to know more.

It's a relief to have such a succinct but quality book in the world of academic history and biography. Too often professors write only for other professors and lose some of us non-professors in extraneous, inane, scholarly details, often right around page 200 or so. Luckily, that's about where this book leaves off. Now I'm not saying I'm just lazy (I may well be, but that's not what I'm trying to say). I'm saying this book serves its purpose. It presents the major exploits and issues of Jefferson's times in a brief fashion, enough to give readers a good foundation as well as entice them to learn more, while not boring them by relying on a textbook-style detached narrative. That is, there is actually quite a bit of analysis, opposing viewpoints, and primary sources included besides "just the facts." It could be the history nerd talking, but it's interesting. I especially enjoyed reading about the lesser known Jefferson after he was a state representative-Declaration writer-governor-Congressman-foreign minister-Secretary of State-Vice President-two term President. Retiring at Monticello, his exploits included the "drudgery" of hours of letter writing every morning, genteel hospitality to travelers that passed through, attempts to shape historical memory of the early republic, and his efforts to discipline unruly 19th century college frat boys at his beloved University of Virginia.

Finally, the book seems to be fair and objective on the seeming contradictions and controversies of Jefferson's life. My only complaints are that the fairness and objectivity make for somewhat blander reading than a bold, argumentative history, but that's not what this one is about. Again, it fits its niche as an introduction to serious study of Jefferson if you feel so compelled after reading it. If you don't, and you've had enough, you didn't invest too much time and effort into it. So it's good for busy or lazy people. Okay, I'm tired. I'm done here.