Customer Reviews

Jefferson and Monticello: The Biography of a Builder

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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This is a very informative and well written account about the 3rd President of the United States, the immortal Thomas Jefferson. This biography about the man and his passion for architecture are written down in easy to follow text that is difficult to accomplish about the complex man. The planning of Monticello and the labor of building and re-building are fascinating to think of, especially in the timeframe of which it was built. Jefferson was a true genious in his inventions and insight of how he wanted Monticello to work and function. People seem to forget that Jefferson was a gifted man of many talents, and in my opinion, one of his greatest gifts was architecture. In architecture of Monticello and the University of Virginia, Jefferson gives an insight to the man himself. Simple yet very complex. Jefferson enjoyed simplicity on the surface, but peel away the layers of the man, you found a very complex and intellectual person. The way Monticello was built and rebuilt due to Jefferson changing tastes and ideas says alot about the mans personal life himself. The only disturbing thing about Monticello was the human cost of labor that was used in it being built. The African-American slaves was the backbone of building to Jefferson's whim. This must of took a heavy toll of labor and lives, due to the magnificence of Monticello. This by the man who wrote that "all men are created equal". An interesting point to ponder. Overall, this is an excellent read and highly recommended to any history enthusiasts and enthusiasts of early American architecture.

Reading this book before a recent visit to Monticello tremendously enhanced the experience. The book provides so much detail on the design and construction of this beautiful home that you almost feel as if you have been there. A wonderful combination of biography and architectural writing. Highly recommended.

This is much more than a discussion of Jefferson and his home. Interwoven throughout the narrative are threads of colonial life. Slavery, Jefferson's personal relationships, the lower class white aristsans of Monticello are all discussed in detail. This makes the book a good biography, and a great social history.

Having just toured Monticello, I was intrigued to learn more about the man that conceived and built this home and the many clever mechanisms within it. The book more than fulfilled my hopes of giving substancial insight into Jefferson's mindset and rationale for the many changes he made to it. If you like learning how and why unique structures like this come to be, you'll love this book. It was as satisfying as a similar book, The Builders Behind The Castles by Taylor Coffman which covers a similar reflection on the building and constant changes to Hearst's San Simeon.

This is a masterly work which was interesting not only to the amateur or professional architect but to the historian in each of us. Anyone who has visited Monticello is struck by what I can only call an 18th century "laboratory of ideas." His incessant tinkering, updating, adding, replacing demonstrate a vibrant and open mind. I was struck that Jefferson did not consider his being President, Sec of State or the Declaration of Independence author as the REALLY important facts of his life. They were the design of a new nation, founding the Univ of Virginia and last, but certainly not least, as a builder/architect. A wonderfully illustrated, vivid portrait of the man and his times. Jefferson was and is a hero not because of but in spite of his faults.

Well worth the price. May have to go back to Monticello and take my time this time.

This book was easy to read and understand. It went into a lot of detail about Thomas Jefferson and his passion with building Monticello. I found it to be very interesting and a book that should be read by all Jefferson enthusiasts.

It was not the Monticello we admire today. The architectural influence of Andrea Palladio was unmistakeable, however. The double porticoes on the east and west front--one order of doric columns on the lower level topped by four Ionic columns on the upper level--was copied directly from Palladio's "The Four Books of Architecture."

Having returned from Paris in 1789, after four years as minister to France, Jefferson walked around the exterior of his house and noted several signs of neglect during his four-year absence. A few repairs, and a fresh coat of paint, and the house he had designed would be finished. Instead, he decided much of the house would have to be torn down and rebuilt. His European experience had given him the opportunity to see for himself several of the most stylish examples of French Palladianism. One residence in particular had caught his attention: the Hotel de Salm. It was a wide rectangular structure with a central, semicircular columned bay, capped with an intriguing dome. When Jefferson remodeled Monticello into the house we know today, the image of this stylish rectangular building with the unique dome was foremost in his mind.

It's information such as this that makes "Jefferson and Monticello: the Biography of Builder" by Jack McLaughlin, an important and worthwhile book. We live in an age where Jefferson slamming has become fashionable among book writers. McLaughlin reminds us that Jefferson, despite being all too human, was also a genius and an artist. Monticello was his passion, and he spent most of his life perfecting it. Work began in 1768, with the clearing of a mountaintop, and was never really finished until 1823, three years before Jefferson's death.

McLaughlin is a fine writer and did his homework. He offers up mountains of information, perhaps more than the average, curious reader expects or wants. I enjoyed McLaughlin's book but found myself wading through the details at times. A student of architecture might enjoy the many details; I didn't. I like a book that keeps things moving. Nonetheless, I found the story of Monticello fascinating if a bit boring at times. I give it four stars.

Readers who enjoyed "jefferson and Monticello" may be interested in my newest book, a piece of historical fiction based on Colonial Williamsburg: "Williamsburg, Virginia on the Eve of Revolution." It is available on Amazon.com under its title. See also my website:
williamsburgthenovel.com

I bought this book after visiting Monticello and after reading it I would like to visit Monticello again. This book is very informative on Jefferson's life and the building of Monticello. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Jefferson's life.