American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson [DECKLE EDGE] (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Well timed to coincide with Ken Burns's documentary (on which the author served as a consultant), this new biography doesn't aim to displace the many massive tomes about America's third president that already weigh down bookshelves. Instead, as suggested by the subtitle--"The Character of Thomas Jefferson"--Ellis searches for the "living, breathing person" underneath the icon and tries to elucidate his actual beliefs. Jefferson's most ardent admirers may find this perspective too critical, but Ellis's portrait of a complex, sometimes devious man who both sought and abhorred power has the ring of truth.

From Publishers Weekly

Penetrating Jefferson's placid, elegant facade, this extraordinary biography brings the sage of Monticello down to earth without either condemning or idolizing him. Jefferson saw the American Revolution as the opening shot in a global struggle destined to sweep over the world, and his political outlook, in Ellis's judgment, was more radical than liberal. A Francophile, an obsessive letter-writer, a tongue-tied public speaker, a sentimental soul who placed women on a pedestal and sobbed for weeks after his wife's death, Jefferson saw himself as a yeoman farmer but was actually a heavily indebted, slaveholding Virginia planter. His retreat from his early anti-slavery advocacy to a position of silence and procrastination reflected his conviction that whites and blacks were inherently different and could not live together in harmony, maintains Mount Holyoke historian Ellis, biographer of John Adams (Passionate Sage). Jefferson clung to idyllic visions, embracing, for example, the "Saxon myth," the utterly groundless theory that the earliest migrants from England came to America at their own expense, making a total break with the mother country. His romantic idealism, exemplified by his view of the American West as endlessly renewable, was consonant with future generations' political innocence, their youthful hopes and illusions, making our third president, in Ellis's shrewd psychological portrait, a progenitor of the American Dream. History Book Club selection.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (February 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679444904
• ISBN-13: 978-0679444909
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,454 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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232 of 255 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant but not a Good Introduction to Jefferson. A Great Second Book, September 25, 2004

By	T. Carlsen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (Paperback)

"American Sphinx" by Joseph Ellis is an excellent book about Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and a man of astonishing achievements. However, it is not a standard biography of Jefferson and it is not a good introduction to Jefferson, because it does not tell some of the most important history involving Jefferson. Instead, "American Sphinx" is a well-written critique of Jefferson.

For a good introduction to Jefferson I strongly suggest R. B. Bernstein's concise, yet excellent, "Thomas Jefferson." Also consider Dumas Malone's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Jefferson (six volumes), Merrill Peterson's massive "Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation," or Joyce Appleby's brief book about Jefferson's presidency. So many important things about Jefferson are missing from "American Sphinx."

Ellis previously wrote a fine biography of John Adams to revive the reputation of Adams (deservedly so), overshadowed by Jefferson. Adams and Jefferson bitterly disagreed on some issues, and Ellis admittedly agrees more with Adams. Therefore, it is no surprise that readers come away with a less than impressive opinion of Jefferson after reading "American Sphinx".

Ellis states, "My approach is selective... to focus on the values and convictions that reveal themselves in these specific historical contexts... Our chief quarry, after all, is Jefferson's character, the animating principles that informed his public and private life." Ellis selectively emphasizes Jefferson's contradictions.

"American Sphinx" struck me as the equivalent of a book about Mozart's public persona. Would that be a representative account of the life and music of Mozart, as well as the historical impact of his work? Jefferson should be judged by his achievements, and he achieved so much.

Ellis even writes that some people recorded that Jefferson's eyes were clear blue, while others (and portraits) suggest that they were hazel or green - a contradiction! So? Jefferson's achievements and how he achieved them - sometimes through wily political maneuvers - are more important.

Thomas Jefferson was an architect (including Monticello), inventor, musician, prolific writer, scholarly lawyer, and observant scientist (in several fields). He once said, "I cannot live without book." He achieved the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which really matched his keen interest in natural science, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which embodied Jefferson's deep convictions about religious freedom. Yet Ellis hardly covers these fascinating aspects in detail. Jefferson was a planter farmer, author, governor of Virginia, foreign diplomat (and celebrity abroad), secretary of state, president, co-architect of Virginia's constitution, founder (and architect) of the University of Virginia, political philosopher, vice president, and much more.

Jefferson believed in the enlightened rights of man as reflected in the Declaration of Independence, and he advocated the Bill of Rights to ensure that they were specifically expressed in the Constitution. Jefferson more than any other leader of the Revolution believed in those lofty ideals, which were radical for the time and which Ellis correctly points out could be naively optimistic. Jefferson was a revolutionary and a dreamer.

He also was a legal reformer, supporter of the arts, and a public education advocate - far ahead of his time. He believed in equal opportunity, although he could be quite arrogant towards those of lesser achievement. As president, he was a truly splendid head of state. Yet these details are hardly covered by Ellis.

Jefferson's most enduring achievement is the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson borrowed from ideas circulating in the colonies, Ellis writes generously that "The vision he projected in the natural rights section of the Declaration of Independence, then, represents yet another formulation of the Jeffersonian imagination. The specific form of the vision undoubtedly drew upon language Locke had used to describe the putative conditions of society before governments were established. But the urge to embrace such an ideal society came from deep inside Jefferson himself... The American dream, then, is just that, the Jeffersonian dream writ large." Jefferson was a man of ideas and ideals.

Jefferson sincerely introduced a radical measure into Congress to completely ban slavery in any of the non-original states. Unfortunately, the measure fell short by just one vote. Devastating! Think about what history would have been like had Jefferson achieved that goal. Few people in American history did more to further the long-term cause of freedom than Jefferson.

He articulated the American creed of "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" and then worked diligently to ensure that it was cemented into the fabric of America's political tradition.

Abraham Lincoln was deeply motivated by Jefferson. When the Missouri Compromise unraveled and the south began to export slavery westward, Lincoln was livid. He was willing to accept slavery in the southern states, but he would not tolerate slavery expanding westward. Lincoln's position was Jefferson's position (or what Lincoln believed to be Jefferson's position). Lincoln borrowed from Jefferson's own words to define the meaning of the Civil War. Lincoln said, "Four score and seven years ago, our founding fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal.... this nation shall have a new birth of freedom." Read a good biography of Lincoln.

Some of Jefferson's ideas were bad. Fortunately, his advisors talked him out of many of his bad ideas.

He quit his fight against slavery once he experienced a severe collapse in his financial condition and realized that slavery was a lost cause. He tried his best and then moved on. Why destroy yourself socially and financially for something that has no chance of success? He later became paranoid and feared a slave rebellion, which caused him to become a rigid advocate of states rights.

The brilliant Jefferson learned to be a cunning politician. He could tell one person one thing and another person a different thing. To survive in the very nasty political arena, he had to be clever. Mobs would tar and feather people. Thousands died in the revolution. Economic interests had considerable power. Other founding fathers had strong wills and very different ideas.

Alexander Hamilton praised the virtues of monarchy and resisted a Bill of Rights. Under a fake name, Hamilton savaged Jefferson with vile and false newspaper commentaries.

John Adams disagreed with Jefferson's democratic vision for America. Adams held a dim view of human nature (not without some truth) and thought that Jefferson's democratic ideas were radical. The Federalists, such as Adams and Hamilton, wanted America ruled by a small group of elites. This caused a break between Jefferson and Adams, who had been good friends.

Thomas Jefferson was George Washington's secretary of state, the most prestigious position besides president. But Jefferson resigned after sharply disagreeing with the Federalists in Washington's administration, especially Hamilton. Hamilton's financial ideas were brilliant (read "An Empire of Wealth" by John Gordon Steele) but Jefferson the revolutionary was suspicious of Hamilton's motives and ruthless tactics.

When Vice President John Adams became president and turned into an autocrat through the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson's worst fears were confirmed. So he ran for president and defeated Adams in a very nasty campaign by both sides. It was a bitter political struggle and Jefferson won.

Ellis skips this explosive era of the Adams administration, and he only passively refers to the outrageous Alien and Sedition Acts. Ellis passively attributing them to the Federalists and not specifically to Adams. This works to the advantage of Adams and against Jefferson. Ellis is brilliant but not complete. You really need to read another Jefferson biography first.

Once Jefferson became president, he worked diligently to entrench his Jeffersonian democratic ideals and to wipe out the Federalists. Some historians call this the Second American Revolution. First Jefferson worked hard to establish his ideal of the separation of church and state. Then he used the symbolism of the presidency to promote democratic government for the people. Jefferson hated the corrupt aristocratic order that dominated the European powers, including both the clergy and the aristocracy. (Read Sean Wilentz's Bancroft Prize-winning "The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln" or Joyce Appleby's biography of Jefferson.)

Within a short time the Federalists were completely extinct. Briefly there was only one party - the party of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson the politician was completely dominating - a truly remarkable achievement. His craftiness must be put into this context. He was results oriented - and just look at the results he achieved!

Jefferson also came very close to acquiring Florida, later acquired by James Monroe, his former aid and fellow Virginian. Despite Jefferson's rhetoric about limited federal power, he actually acted to strengthen the federal government considerably.

"American Sphinx" is a brilliant book and would be a good 2nd read about Jefferson. However, I recommend first reading Bernstein's brief "Thomas Jefferson."

One last thought. Ellis is one of the greatest writers on the American Revolution period, and I very much enjoy his books. I highly recommend his books. I simply recommend that you read a standard biography of Jefferson before your read "American Sphinx."

79 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Sphinx No More, February 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (Paperback)

Undoubtly a first class piece of work, in spite of the author's own character flaws. But, having taken the recommendation of another review ("Sphinx?, November 4, 2001), I ordered the book, "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick, and found it brought Jefferson's character into clear focus. Whereas, you can't beat Joseph J. Ellis' books for scholarship, I would say that anyone who is interested enough to be reading this review should read the Remick book after finishing "American Sphinx".

82 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jefferson: Sphinx, Clear Focus, March 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading "American Sphinx" by Joseph J. Ellis. It's a well written description of Thomas Jefferson as an enigmatic, sphinx-like figure of American history. I recommend it. I also recommend "West Point: Character, .... Thomas Jefferson" by Norman Thomas Remick. It brings Thomas Jefferson into clear focus.