This is one of those books I considered quitting multiple times; ultimately, I'm glad I didn't...but just barely.

It's Mapp's writing style that bothered me the most. He's a name-dropper, often without context. A rather arrogant style that assumes you know all the references he supplies and if not, well, you should; it keeps him from putting things in context. At the same time, when he introduces John Quincy Adams, he makes it a point to remind the reader that JQA is John Adams' son.

I also discovered about halfway thorough that this isn't a complete biography; it ends just as Jefferson ascends the Presidency. When a book's title doesn't make that obvious, I feel it's a little disingenuous.

Finally, I've read a lot of books about the Founding Fathers, the Revolution, our early Republic etc. and can't remember a book dependent so much on its subject's quotes. I'd wager at least 80% of the text in the book is comprised of quotes. Parsing Mapp's academic writing style along with 18th century prose can be demanding. And the book offers very few breaks in rather long chapters.

Having said all that, however, most of the content about Jefferson is good. There were several things I learned that I'd not read before. He's a decedent of the Angelo-Saxon king Alfred the Great, whom I've learned quite a bit about being a fan of "The Last Kingdom." I also think Mapp makes it very clear why Jefferson made the decisions he did as governor when the British were attacking in Virginia. Jefferson is often accused of cowardice but Mapp shows this isn't the case.

It isn't until the last chapter that we understand the book's subtitle, "A Strange Case of Mistaken Identity." Here, Mapp tries to explain why 20th century liberals and conservatives (the book was published in 1987) use Jefferson quotes to support their ideology. This I found quite interesting and is why I said I'm ultimately glad I didn't quit the book. ( )

A pleasant read, but not a scholarly one. More for popular dissemination. No new ground or prospective, just the same old doubts raised about this enigmatic American hero. ( )

A look a Mr. Jefferson through his letters, though few were from or to the Adam's. ( )

$5. Very Good condition.

2/17/23