|
Thomas Jefferson: Man on a Mountain | 
| Author: Natalie S. Bober
Publisher: Rebound by Sagebrush
Category: Book
Buy New: $22.20
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 3766677
Media: Library Binding
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 0785709428
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.46092
EAN: 9780785709428
ASIN: 0785709428
Publication Date: October 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Hardcover book Brand NEW. Cover has minut shelf scuffing from being handled at the store. BD 2276 %
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
"Using Jefferson's own writing, quotations from contemporaries, documents, and historical data, (Bober) has constructed a marvelously readable, and informative biography that breathes life into an 'American hero' and shows him as the person he must have been."--School Library Journal, starred review. 32 photographs.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Well written, but selective history November 17, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a life long Jefferson fan, I enjoyed this book immensely, but am concerned that Bober does not offer a critical analysis of her subject. She says that one of her goals in writing this book is to make Jefferson appear more human. While she goes into great detail about Jefferson's family values and other interests aside from politics, she omits any mention of his mortal flaws which are exactly what make him human. Any reader can tell that Bober reveres Jefferson like a Revolutionary God (and indeed he was one), but she is unable to maintain any degree of impartiality as a biographer.
For instance, Bober enthusiastically discusses the various ways Jefferson tried to bring an end to the peculiar institution of slavery through his writings, but she never questions why if this was so important to him, he failed to take advantage of his executive power as president to ensure that the Louisiana territory he purchased in 1803 remained slave free? Why didn't he fight harder to retain the clause prohibiting slavery in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence? The Jefferson of Bober's imagination is not capable of such double standards or inconsistencies in character.
Bober only briefly mentions that while Jefferson professed to be against slavery, he owned several hundred slaves at Monticello and his other plantations. Why was his rhetoric inconsistent with his actions? Bober conveniently ignores the fact that Monticello was built entirely by slaves. (This I know because I have a degree in history, but a less informed reader would be misled). Jefferson may have thought that ending slavery was a good idea, but he did not pursue this cause with the same passion with which he fought for the freedom of white Americans from the British.
Bober dismisses the notion that Jefferson had an affair with his slave Sally Hemings and instead suggests that the president's nephew was the father of Sally's children, yet Bober's evidence to support her argument is scant. In fact, she spends as little time as possible on this topic, preferring to discuss Jefferson's contributions to his country. While this approach is refreshing when compared to the massive number of volumes out there on "Jefferson's scandals," Bober has neglected an important part of Jeffersonian history. Recent DNA testing has proven that Sally Heming's children were fathered by a Jefferson male which could be Thomas or possibly someone else.
All this said, Bober does an excellent job of bringing Thomas Jefferson to life and articulating his accomplishments in a meaningful way. It's a shame that her work is decidedly unbalanced and therefore irresponsible from an historical point of view.
The Most Lively Biography On The Market July 11, 2000
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
Thomas Jefferson is to me: one of the most admirable people in history.This book has an amazing fictional aproach but yet it is still factual and educational and you can still be one of the biggest Jefferson buffs out there and not have to do years of studying.This book is to me the most animated biography that mosturizes dry facts to fertile entertainment.
My Review January 26, 2000
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was really intreged by this book because it was understandable, interesting, and filled with facts about this amazing man that I've never read or heard about before.
Exceptional August 24, 1999
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
Probably one of the best books I've ever read- it is very informative, but I was able to read it like I would a novel- a rare trait in nonfiction literature. It was written in a way that even one who is not a history buff can enjoy it. It shows that Jefferson was quite ahead of his time, but he was not superhuman as some sources lead us to believe.
Excellent May 24, 1999
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
A magnificent book for an incredible man. Told in story book fashion, as all history should be, Bober's writing style is a mesmerizing tribute to the subject.It is a shame that a man of Jefferson's character and vision would probably be unelectable in today's visionless sea of pluralism and status quo where the details of the day outshine the necessities of tomorrow.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
