Dumas MaloneBesprekingen

3/30/22

A well-structured book, divided nearly in half by two important phases of Jefferson's career, first as Franklin's successor as ambassador to France, and then his service as the first secretary of state in the newly-constituted United States. It doesn't, though, cover his entire service in that office, and ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger. Jefferson intended to retire to Monticello at the close of Washington's first term of office, and had privately informed his friends and officially notified the country's envoys. This intention was put off a year, and in the coming months the nation was riven by partisan feelings over the course of the French Revolution. But this is only intimated as Malone closes this volume.
The Paris years are characterized as Jefferson's ripening as a respected political philosopher. Although in this posting he performed valuable service to the newly-independent nation, as well as gaining a grounding in diplomacy that made him the most logical choice to serve at the head of the State Department, it did force his absence from the constitutional convention. He took lively interest in the proceedings, recorded in his correspondence, particularly with Madison, but his contribution was limited by the length of time it took in those days to exchange letters. It interested me to see his keenly felt need for a bill of rights, as well as for term limits on the presidency, pointing to the danger of a leader wildly popular with half of the voters staying in office for life, establishing a democratically-elected dictatorship. He didn't succeed on the latter issue, a constitutional amendment to that effect didn't come until nearly two centuries later, but in the event, Washington at least set a potent precedent by retiring after two terms.
The last fifth or so of the book traces the rising antagonism between Hamilton and Jefferson. Malone is at pains to clear his protagonist of the worst of the charges hurled by the brilliant and ambitious secretary of the treasury, but does this in a reasoned way. As in the first volume of this set, the author has researched meticulously. The result is an appealing portrait.

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.

This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.

This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.

This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.

This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.

I would recommend this book in a library.

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.½

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.½

1481 Jefferson and the Rights of Man: Jefferson and His Time Volume Two, by Dumas Malone (25 Mar 1978) This volume takes Jefferson up to 1792. It is really well-done, even though very pro-Jefferson.

1482 Jefferson and The Ordeal of Liberty: Jefferson and His Time Volume Three, by Dumas Malone (read 1 Apr 1978) This volume takes Jefferson up to his election as President--to Feb 18, 1801. to be exact. During the nine years covered by this volume, Jefferson was in retirement from the end of 1793 till he assumed the Vice-Presidency in 1797. In Jefferson's times the campaigns are dispatched in a few paragraphs. He did next to nothing in the campaigns of 1796 and 1800 and so those campaigns take little space in this volume. These volumes are satisfactory reading.½

1483 Jefferson the President: First Term 1801-1804 Jefferson and His Time Volume Four, by Dumas Malone (read 8 Apr 1978) This is such a satisfying work. I do not say it is always interesting, but one has the idea that a careful scholar has laboriously put together a really excellent study. Actually, Jefferson's first term was a rather tranquil time. The most interesting part of the book was the part on the Louisiana Purchase. It really was a lucky break for us and who knows where I'd be if things had not worked out as they did.

1484 Jefferson the President: Second Term 1805-1809 Jefferson and His Time Volume Five, by Dumas Malone (read 23 Apr 1978) (Pulitzer History prize in 1975) This takes Jefferson to the end of his second term: Mar 3, 1809. This volume drug a little; also the author is too partial. When he criticizes he also excuses. Much of the volume dealt with Aaron Burr's trial--but never was what Burr did explained in detail. The Chesapeake affair and the embargo also took up a lot of space in the book. All in all, not the most interesting of the five volumes, but I'm glad I read the book. The sixth and final volume has not yet been published. [I read it Nov 26, 1981.]

1674 The Sage of Monticello: Jefferson and His Time Volume Six, by Dumas Malone (read 26 Nov 1981) I read Malone's five previous volumes, finishing the fifth volume on 23 Apr 1978. When I started reading those volumes I did not know the series was incomplete, but this volume, the final one, was just published this year [1982]. This volume is carefully done and really well-done. Jefferson's years after 1809 were not really happy ones. He always was in debt and when he died July 4, 1826, his debts totaled $107,273.63 and apparently they were not paid off for a long time. Much of this volume deals with his work with the University of Virginia, which did not get going until 1825. Also covered is his sale of his library to congress, thus laying the foundation of the Library of Congress after the War of 1812. Reading this book was easy and deeply satisfying. The period covered is one I have found of particular interest in American history.½

2/17/23

55370000102138

For Sale, not giving away

Volume 1 of a six volume set

Vol. 1: Jefferson The Virginian, 484 pages
Vol. 2: Jefferson and the Rights of Man, 523 pages
Vol. 3: Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty, 545 pages
Vol. 4: Jefferson the President - First Term, 539 pages
Vol. 5: Jefferson the President - Second Term, 704 pages
Vol. 6: The Sage of Monticello, 551 pages