Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

De: Jon Meacham

Narrado por: Edward Herrmann, Jon Meacham

Duración: 18 h y 46 m

Resumen del Editor

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 Drawing on archives in the United States, England, and France, as well as unpublished Jefferson presidential papers, Meacham presents Jefferson as the most successful political leader of the early republic, and perhaps in all of American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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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)

A Man and Biography Relevant to Our Day

With this biography, Meacham appears to continue to float in that narrative sphere between popular journalist-historians (Alter,Woolfe) and popular academic-historians (Ellis, Kearns Goodwin, Morris). His writing most closely resembles (in many, many ways) Walter Isaacson and David McCullough. They write similar types of biographies and seem to inhabit a similar clumped intellectual range.

That said, while Meacham's style will never perfectly thrill academic historians, this biography is interesting and paced-well and shouldn't trouble too many presidential history buffs. Meacham has never had a real boat-tipping agenda with his biographies. He certainly wants to make Jefferson's life, times and experiences (told largely through secondary sources, anecdotes and at times brilliant story-telling) relevant to our current political and social setting. He did this wonderfully with FDR and Jackson and has continued his record with this excellent bio of Jefferson.

As far as narration goes, Hermann seems to have a talent for reading big books. He was blessed with one of those voices that don't make you want to drive your car off the road after listening for a couple hours straight. This quality makes him perfect for long narrative histories and biographies. He reads with clarity, but also manages to largely float behind the text. Also, his voice works well for Audible's 1.5 & 2x speed, but 3x speed was just a little much.

Use History as Your Guide for the Times We Live In

This beautifully read book is a thoroughly enjoyable journey through the tumultuous early days of the republic. Certainly, Jefferson is a flawed man, we all know that - but aren't we all flawed? He was a staunch believer and defender of the fledgling nation, and his writing, read so wonderfully, is full of character. You feel transported to his life, and a part of the pressures and decisions.

This book was suggested to me to give context for our current political climate. The passions were certainly as high as they are now. Through this book, I learned far more than I ever knew about the founding of our nation, and the rich early history. I thoroughly recommend it!

Excellent portrait of Jefferson

This is not a Ron Chernow bio, not that level of detail, but more of a survey of Jefferson. I think it a somewhat glosses over some of the more negative aspects of Jefferson’s life and his hyper partisan tendencies. That being said, I think it is overall an excellent bio, beautifully read by Mr Herrmann.

Interesting and enjoyable

Excellent biography, easy read and balanced view point. Recommended reading to anyone interested in high level political leaders.

Very good and factual

the story of Jefferson is told interestingly and thoroughly from thorough research. The epilogue is excellent. We would like more summary and evaluation as the story unfolds. what happens when a certain action is taken. why was that action taken.

Excellent

It seems the author truly understands Jefferson better than most. Also a stellar audio performance!

Great read!

insight into the motivation, personal experiences and struggles of one of the key contributors on early America. this story helps you walk a mile in his shoes and learn.

the real Thomas Jefferson

enjoyed this book. I felt it was a good representation of this founding father.

Amazing book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version so I cannot make that assessment.

What did you like best about this story?

How much I learned about Thomas Jefferson. I always knew he was very impressive and accomplished, but I learned so many things about him, the Founding Fathers, and early America that I had never known.

What does Edward Herrmann and Jon Meacham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Edward Hermann did an amazing job narrating the book! It would not have been the same without him. Jon Meacham did such a stellar job researching and writing this book. It is told almost completely from Jefferson's point of view because it is told through letters he wrote. You also get a good idea of what others thought about him, good and bad, because of their correspondence. Fantastic book!

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

Tommy J is here to save America.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful book, so well written and researched. I am very happy I made this purchase. Will look for more books from this author.

Extremely informative

I learned so much in this audiobook. The story is great, the reading/writing style fits the narrative and the content feels all encompassing about the life of Thomas Jefferson. I rather enjoyed the journey through his life and parts of the lives of his contemporaries.