I am not sure most Americans realize the real debt they owe to Thomas Jefferson. This book succinctly describes the roles he played in the political thought that led to the American War for Independence from Britain, his many public service roles as Governor of Virginia, representative to the Continental Congress, President and statesman in the new United States of America. However, most largely remember his as the author of the US Declaration of Independence from Britain and his other writings on the new American democracy.

The author briefly describes the environment, political, social and religious, that led up to the revolution in America and elsewhere as well as the early years in post-revolutionary America, and how Thomas Jefferson interacted with political philosophers and the movers and shakers of the day. For someone who learned all this years ago, like me, but probably needed a quick update, this book provides just that. However, the book does not go into a great deal of detail or history, so the reader may become a bit confused about things and events mentioned (which are probably long forgotten) and may need to go another source for clarification. One thing I found disconcerting were the bullet points listed at the start of every chapter (This is what you will learn….) and the questions at the end of the chapters—answers are given much later at the end of the section, and, by that time, any questions or doubts about the questions and/or answers will be long gone.

In the last section, the author describes those areas of Jefferson’s life that have become contentious, such as his life and role with women and his role as a slave owner. Including these give the reader a more complete picture of the man and who he was. However, they may just sidetrack the reader and/or student into areas that, while important, are not the main takeaways from the life of this American hero and statesman.

In conclusion, this is quick review of Thomas Jefferson, the man, and could serve well as a quick introduction to Jefferson or a quick summary of his life and accomplishments.

I received this from Higher Read to read and review. ( )