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Understanding Thomas Jefferson
E.M. Halliday Book Review

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Plot Summary of Understanding Thomas Jefferson
"This is a refreshingly slim (250 pages), highly readable, and nicely illustrated short bio of a man who has inspired great admiration, considerable puzzlement, and plenty of much heftier books. The author, a longtime senior editor of "American Heritage" magazine, makes Jefferson humanly comprehensible and handily summarizes his achievements and shortcomings (including the man's racism and male chauvinism). Some final assessment chapters make especially tidy work of the big gun historians who tried so hard to ignore and refute the Sally Hemings embarrassment, but Halliday makes the relationship understandable and very much of a piece with the rest of this great man's life."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Understanding Thomas Jefferson
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - politician
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Politician story? - Politician trying to reform
Period of greatest activity? - 1700's

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
Age: - long lived adults
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 ()
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Europe Yes
European country: - France
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion
Century: - 18th century

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel? - thoughtful
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - race - decency - justice system - religion
Writer's slant towards subject: - favorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of nearly entire life
Pictures/Illustrations? - A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
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