Detailed, sympathetic, and surprisingly readable.
Malone doesn't shy away from Jefferson's ambivalent attitudes toward slavery, but the net impression is that he was about as enlightened as one could expect a person of his station and time to be. In other areas, Jefferson is presented as, next to Franklin, the leading Enlightenment figure in the British colonies. One reason I was glad to read this was for the detailed investigation of Jefferson's conduct as governor of Virginia toward the close of the revolution. Malone clears Jefferson of the most serious partisan charges made against him, yet the episode remains the least glorious of an otherwise distinguished career. This volume ends with his preparations to travel to France; I'm looking forward to reading further volumes of the series. ( )

A standard biography for a good reason - well researched with many many footnotes and great sources. It's easy to read and can be picked up by anyone who is used to reading non-fiction. My person problem is that it is not very critical. Malone loves Jefferson and while he provides good reasons why you should too, he either glosses over or out right ignores many of the criticisms more recent scholars have of Jefferson. Not a bad place to start, but not a complete picture. ( )

1480 Jefferson the Virginian: Jefferson and His Time Volume One, by Dumas Malone (read 15 Mar 1978) I long wanted to read Malone's multi-volume biography of Jefferson and finally read the first volume. It covers his life up to the time he left for France--his first venture out of the colonies. The work is thorough, but a little more laudatory than I would like. Jefferson certainly was an extraordinary man, but some of his philosophical ideas are not enthusiasms of mine. Jefferson's governorship of Virginia for two years added no particular laurels to his brow. ( )

Volume 1 of a six volume set