Jefferson the President: Second Term, 1805-1809 (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 5) [Hardcover]

Dumas Malone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 1974 | Series: Jefferson and His Time (Book 5)

The fifth volume of this Pulitzer Prize winning Jefferson series is a vibrant account of Jefferson's disparate activities, sponsoring the Lewis and Clark expedition, concluding the naval "war" with the Barbary pirates, engaging in a political duel with Chief Justice Marshall over the trial of Aaron Burr, attempting to impose an embargo on exports in reaction to the impressment of American seamen by foreign powers, and, finally, retiring to his beloved haven at Monticello.

--This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jefferson and His Time is a masterly achievement of scholarship, the finest biography of Jefferson we have or are likely to have, and a monumental triumph of the senior American historian. --New York Times Book Review

Malone illuminates with erudition and narrative skill. It would appear...that Malone has read and evaluated everything of consequence ever written by or about Jefferson. --New Republic --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

About the Author

DUMAS MALONE (1892-1986) taught history at American universities such as Yale and Columbia and served for seven years as director of the Harvard University Press before becoming the biographer-in-residence at the University of Virginia. His work as historian and biographer has earned him several honors, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Thomas Jefferson Award, the John F. Kennedy Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 704 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 2nd edition (March 30, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316544655
• ISBN-13: 978-0316544658
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.8 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jefferson: The President second term 1805 -1809, April 17, 2002

By 

Joe Zika "Khemprof" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jefferson the President: Second Term, 1805-1809 (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 5) (Hardcover)

Jefferson: The President second term 1805-1809 is the fifth volume in a series of six, by Dumas Malone and brings us into the last four years of Jefferson's Presidency. I found that the author worked harder to bring out Jefferson the man in this volume... maybe because of the actions of others, (Burr and Marshall), but it is apparent that the author worked hard on this volume.

Jefferson sponsors the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Congress gives Jefferson a little slack, but Arron Burr takes the domestic heat. The Barbary pirates are delt with, but the political views of Jefferson and Marshall heat up to a boiling point. But, Jeferson's second term seems to hit a nadir and he is longing for his Virginia mountain top home where he can finally retire after forty years of service to government.

I found the scholarship to be impeccable, balanced, seemly sympathetic. The overall narrative is detailed and at times engrossing and engaging. Even though we can see Jefferson's excitement with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, we also see heartbreak with Burr and vituperation with Marshall.

Overall, this volume brings us to one of the most interesting times of Jeferson's life... that of retirement. This is one of the most interesting of the volumes so far as we see Jefferson working out the problems that others have wrought upon him.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Difficulties, December 24, 2002

By 

M. A Newman (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jefferson the President: Second Term, 1805-1809 (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 5) (Paperback)

What can be said about this monument to Jefferson scholarship? I am sure that somewhere in universities around the United States there are "scholar squirrels who want to put down this invaluable resource in Jefferson studies. It is always the way that mice attempt to gnaw at lions. This is not a perfect work (and my remarks refer to all of the books in the series as a whole), there are somethings, namely Sally Hemmings references which are wrong and will not sit well with American 21st century mores. There is the issue of slavery which was handled much differently 50 years ago than it is now.
Jefferson is not worthy of our interest because of Sally Hemmings and because he kept slaves. Jefferson is great because of the Declaration of Independence and his fight for the rights of man. While it may have been hypocritical to preach liberty and keep slaves, it is doubtful that slavery ever would have been abolished if Jefferson had never gained the prominence that he did. This book and the others that follow show why we should continue to honor the public man even though his private side may have been wanting.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb Research, Stilted Prose, November 3, 2001

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jefferson the President: Second Term, 1805-1809 (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 5) (Paperback)

Dumas Malone (1892-1986) devoted his academic career to studying Thomas Jefferson, and this superbly researched volume reflects that lifelong scholarship. This book is one in a six-part series examining the life of our third President. I read this book for a college class and immediately grasped the unending pressures that President Jefferson faced in his second term. Malone examines the decision-making options available to Jefferson, usually (and perhaps too often) supporting the eventual route that the President decided upon. This volume's research and analysis is worthy of five stars, not to mention the 1975 Pulitzer Prize the series captured. Unfortunately, Malone's stilted prose - the weakness of most academic historians - produces a rather laborious read. Thus, four stars overall.