About the Book
Over the course of more than six decades as an author, journalist, and professor, Max Lerner studied and assessed many presidents, yet Thomas Jefferson received his most sustained attention. To Lerner, Jefferson came closest in the American context to Plato's "philosopher-king," the ideal thinker and leader. Because of his keen sense of Jefferson's virtues and his unique place in United States history, Lerner began work on a book about Jefferson in 1957, rewriting it several times throughout his life, always with the intention of introducing general readers to "a thinker and public figure of enduring pertinence."
In this volume, Lerner uses the facts of Jefferson's life and work as the springboard to insightful analysis and informed assessment. In considering Jefferson, Lerner combines biographical information, historical background, and analytical commentary. The result is a biographical-interpretive volume, a primer about Jefferson that not only describes his accomplishments, but discusses his problems and failures.
As political figures have declined in esteem in recent decades, the media has probed deeper into previously private lives. Historians, biographers, and others have revealed personal details about deceased prominent figures. Two centuries after he helped create America, Jefferson remains a figure of enduring fascination within academic circles and beyond. Max Lerner helps explain and clarify not only this unending fascination, but the timeless relevance of the nation's devoutly democratic yet singularly authentic "philosopher-king."
Table of Contents:
Preface and AcknowledgmentsIntroductionJefferson Chronology1. The Making of a Revolutionary, 1743–17842. A Diplomat in Europe, 1785–17893. The Struggle for National Mastery, 1789–18004. The Practice and Theory of Foreign Policy, 1789–17955. The Two Revolutions6. A Party Leader's Path to the Summit, 1789–18007. Jefferson in Power: The Jeffersonian Revolution and the Presidency, 1801–1805 8. Jefferson in Trouble: Conspiracy, Embargo, and Civil Liberties, 1805–1809 9. Twilight of a Life—And a Great Correspondence, 1809–1826 10. Reformer, Educator, Humanist: The Rounding Out of a Mind and Will, 1809–1826 11. Jefferson's Cosmos as a Frame for His Thought12. Last Days and Death, 182613. The Shadow of Jefferson: Legend, Image, Idea14. Ambiguity and Unity in Jefferson's ThoughtAppendix: Jefferson as a Man of LettersIndex
Review :
-[T]he eloquence, compactness, and grace of Lerner's essay can still be read to advantage as one of the best short introductions to Jefferson currently available.-
--J. C. A. Stagg, The American Historical Review
-Lerner's reflective examination of Jefferson's entire career holds up amazingly well. . . . [T]his work stresses the contradictions and ambiguities in Jefferson's character. Though an admirer of Jefferson, Lerner provides balanced analysis. He believes that one reason for Jefferson's greatness was his ability to combine thought with action. Thus despite his distaste for Plato, Jefferson exemplified Plato's ideal of the 'philosopher-king.' An excellent introduction to Jefferson for general readers; recommended for public libraries.-
--Thomas J. Schaeper, Library Journal
"[T]he eloquence, compactness, and grace of Lerner's essay can still be read to advantage as one of the best short introductions to Jefferson currently available."
--J. C. A. Stagg, The American Historical Review
"Lerner's reflective examination of Jefferson's entire career holds up amazingly well. . . . [T]his work stresses the contradictions and ambiguities in Jefferson's character. Though an admirer of Jefferson, Lerner provides balanced analysis. He believes that one reason for Jefferson's greatness was his ability to combine thought with action. Thus despite his distaste for Plato, Jefferson exemplified Plato's ideal of the 'philosopher-king.' An excellent introduction to Jefferson for general readers; recommended for public libraries."
--Thomas J. Schaeper, Library Journal
"[T]he eloquence, compactness, and grace of Lerner's essay can still be read to advantage as one of the best short introductions to Jefferson currently available."
--J. C. A. Stagg, The American Historical Review
"Lerner's reflective examination of Jefferson's entire career holds up amazingly well. . . . [T]his work stresses the contradictions and ambiguities in Jefferson's character. Though an admirer of Jefferson, Lerner provides balanced analysis. He believes that one reason for Jefferson's greatness was his ability to combine thought with action. Thus despite his distaste for Plato, Jefferson exemplified Plato's ideal of the 'philosopher-king.' An excellent introduction to Jefferson for general readers; recommended for public libraries."
--Thomas J. Schaeper, Library Journal
"[T]he eloquence, compactness, and grace of Lerner's essay can still be read to advantage as one of the best short introductions to Jefferson currently available."
--J. C. A. Stagg, The American Historical Review
"Lerner's reflective examination of Jefferson's entire career holds up amazingly well. . . . [T]his work stresses the contradictions and ambiguities in Jefferson's character. Though an admirer of Jefferson, Lerner provides balanced analysis. He believes that one reason for Jefferson's greatness was his ability to combine thought with action. Thus despite his distaste for Plato, Jefferson exemplified Plato's ideal of the "philosopher-king." An excellent introduction to Jefferson for general readers; recommended for public libraries."
--Thomas J. Schaeper, Library Journal
