Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

By: Jon Meacham

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann, Jon Meacham

Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • Entertainment Weekly • The Seattle Times • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Bloomberg Businessweek

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power. Thomas Jefferson hated confrontation, and yet his understanding of power and of human nature enabled him to move men and to marshal ideas, to learn from his mistakes, and to prevail. Passionate about many things—women, his family, books, science, architecture, gardens, friends, Monticello, and Paris—Jefferson loved America most, and he strove over and over again, despite fierce opposition, to realize his vision: the creation, survival, and success of popular government in America. Jon Meacham lets us see Jefferson’s world as Jefferson himself saw it, and to appreciate how Jefferson found the means to endure and win in the face of rife partisan division, economic uncertainty, and external threat. Drawing on archives in the United States, England, and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson presidential papers, Meacham presents Jefferson as the most successful political leader of the early republic, and perhaps in all of American history.

The father of the ideal of individual liberty, of the Louisiana Purchase, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and of the settling of the West, Jefferson recognized that the genius of humanity—and the genius of the new nation—lay in the possibility of progress, of discovering the undiscovered and seeking the unknown. From the writing of the Declaration of Independence to elegant dinners in Paris and in the President’s House; from political maneuverings in the boardinghouses and legislative halls of Philadelphia and New York to the infant capital on the Potomac; from his complicated life at Monticello, his breathtaking house and plantation in Virginia, to the creation of the University of Virginia, Jefferson was central to the age. Here too is the personal Jefferson, a man of appetite, sensuality, and passion.

The Jefferson story resonates today not least because he led his nation through ferocious partisanship and cultural warfare amid economic change and external threats, and also because he embodies an eternal drama, the struggle of the leadership of a nation to achieve greatness in a difficult and confounding world.

Praise for Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“This is probably the best single-volume biography of Jefferson ever written.”—Gordon S. Wood

“A big, grand, absorbing exploration of not just Jefferson and his role in history but also Jefferson the man, humanized as never before.”—Entertainment Weekly

“[Meacham] captures who Jefferson was, not just as a statesman but as a man. . . . By the end of the book . . . the reader is likely to feel as if he is losing a dear friend. . . . [An] absorbing tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“This terrific book allows us to see the political genius of Thomas Jefferson better than we have ever seen it before. In these endlessly fascinating pages, Jefferson emerges with such vitality that it seems as if he might still be alive today.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

©2012 Jon Meacham (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A true triumph. In addition to being a brilliant biography, this book is a guide to the use of power. Jon Meacham shows how Jefferson's deft ability to compromise and improvise made him a transformational leader. We think of Jefferson as the embodiment of noble ideals, as he was, but Meacham shows that he was a practical politician more than a moral theorist. The result is a fascinating look at how Jefferson wielded his driving desire for power and control." (Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs)

"This is probably the best single-volume biography of Jefferson ever written; it is certainly the most readable." (Gordon Wood, author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution)

“Jon Meacham resolves the bundle of contradictions that was Thomas Jefferson by probing his love of progress and thirst for power. Here was a man endlessly, artfully intent on making the world something it had not been before. A thrilling and affecting portrait of our first philosopher-politician.” (Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life)

The Charming President

“Washington inspired awe, Adams respect. Jefferson inspired charm.” -Jon Meacham
Fantastic book on the man who laid out the foundations for modern America, and whose vision and curiosity of mind have trascended and spilled into the culture and spirit of the nation.

Easy Listen!

I cannot believe how quickly I knocked this book out! I think the biggest contributing factor was the performance of the late Edward Herrmann, it was like having an old friend tell you a story.

The book itself is a wonderful biography but given the title I expected the focus to be more about Thomas Jefferson’s actually political maneuvering than the birth to death and legacy biography the book actually is. I don’t think I really learned anything that I didn’t already know about Jefferson, but the way it was written just makes me wish Jon Meacham had dove deeper like Edmund Morris’ trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt. Wanting more is hardly a complaint though, definitely worth your time if you enjoy the American Revolution and the prominent figures in it!

powerful history from a powerful man

listened to the end but did strugle to finish.
many quotes that had powerful meaning, which was mostly over my head. someday I'll listen again
with better focus.
a very worthwhile book that I'd advise others to read.

Excellent Read (Listen)

Fascinating view of Thomas Jefferson. Always a fan, this is an in depth view of Jefferson's thinking and reasoning. No beating Edward Herrmann!! Loved it!!

Inspirational biography of a great president

Wonderful, inspiring, uplifting biography of a great leader. Having read McCollough's biography of john Adams, I especially enjoyed the parts about their relationship. There was nothing I did not like about this book, and I found myself overwhelmed with sadness at the end when he dies, sad at the loss of this great man, at the lack of such a leader today, and at the sorrow of parting with Meacham's book.

Informative and enjoyable

An excellently written biography and fascinating to listen to. Thematic as well as historical, it paints a wonderfully nuanced picture of the authentic Jefferson.

A Nice Surprise

This book turned out to be far better, far fairer, far more informative and far better told than I had expected.

Thomas Jefferson brought to life

Wonderfully written. If educators could bring past presidents to life as Jon Meacham does, our schools would be a better place for our youth. Not enough is taught for appreciation of where we are today. Wow. That's how I describe this author.

Great Book Narrated Greatly!

If you could sum up Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power in three words, what would they be?

Cannot oversell it!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power?

From start to finish one is entranced by Jefferson's ability to maneuver and see things play out before they actually occur.

Which character – as performed by Edward Herrmann and Jon Meacham – was your favorite?

Jefferson of course.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Mind of Machiavelli, Heart of David

Must read for history buffs!

I have recently completed Adams, Franklin & Washington's biographies as well. All were equally good, but in my opinion it is very important to read them all. The perspectives each author has of their own subject versus the others and how they all interrelate as advisaries and/or allies through the early years of our nation is important to garner. It paints the whole picture, instead of just one author's opinion. I plan on tackling Hamilton next. I find Edward Herrman's narration to be perfect; he is all over the History Channel so his voice is familiar and appropriate for a book of this type.