RECOMMENDED READING – ‘American Sphinx’ by Joseph J. Ellis
Posted by Chris on Saturday May 3, 2008
Posted by : Chris Corley
I just finished a pretty fascinating book about Thomas Jefferson called American Sphinx. It was written in 1996 by Joseph J. Ellis, a professor of history at Mount Holyoke College and a National Book Award Winner.
The book takes us through 5 distinct intellectual segments of Jefferson’s life, through both his public and private moments and correspondences …
Philadelphia : 1775-1776
Paris : 1784-1789
Monticello : 1794-1797
Washington, DC : 1801-1804
Monticello : 1816-1826
The thrust of the book is to delve into Jefferson’s mind to attempt to understand how he developed his fascinating views on individual freedoms and governance of men. The author also speculates how Jefferson reconciled some seemingly contradictory viewpoints that he held. For instance – how Jefferson reconciled his views of individual freedoms with his ownership of slaves and how he reconciled his essentially unilateral actions in the procuring of the Louisiana Purchase while at the same time opposing that kind of unilateral power for a government official.
The book is extremely well written, fluidly and intelligently, and portrays Jefferson as an extremely complex, erudite and somewhat solitary man. It is a somewhat provocative book that any American history buff will be sure to enjoy.
Hi Chris,
I have been in contact with your father over the past few days in what began as a quest for more information on Corley roots. I believe we are ancestrally related, and you can talk to your dad to get the details.
I am responding to your “recommended reading” blog. Yes, I have read both books — 1776 by David McCullough, and I recently read Thomas Jefferson: American Sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis (he’s a William and Mary graduate, by the way, like Jefferson). Apparently, our reading tastes run similar — yes, there’s a genetic connection there somewhere. I teach American History and West. Civ. at a nearby 2-year college. My bookshelves are stacked with relevant books, and many that are not so relevant, but interesting and enlightening anyway. Your reading choices are superb. I was carried away by the authors’ treatments of both personages. John F. Kennedy made the following remark at a dinner at the White House in which he honored the nation’s Nobel Laureates. He told his guests that this was “probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except perhaps for those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.”
While Ellis’s biography of Jefferson might be frowned upon as revisionism by some (I’m all for factual revisionism, however), he captured quite accurately the nuances of Jefferson’s personal side while not undercutting his vast intellect and his contribution to this country as one of its Founding Fathers.
For the book on George Washington, I can never read too much about our first president. He will always be my favorite Founding Father. As with everything else that McCullough authors, his book on Washington’s 1776 and the crossing of the Delaware leading up to the Battle of Trenton is so well-done. What a bold undertaking on behalf of Washington. McCullough tells the story well.
Gwen C. Shealy
Hi Gwen,
Sorry it took me a while to get your comment posted. I was on a summer road trip South of the Border with my kids and didn’t have internet access for a week or so. I’ll have a chance to talk with my dad about our ancestral connections tomorrow as we’re headed to the Giants-Cubs game in SF (I’ll be wearing a Giants cap, he’ll have a Cubbies Jersey!).
I imagine that, with your background and credentials in American History and West Civ, you are much better read than I on the subject, but I am fascinated by what these men accomplished, in most cases against great odds. Their intellect and perseverance was clearly strong enough to overcome some of the obstacles that were presented to them.
I love the quote from JFK, it’s both humurous and likely accurate. I’m looking forward to reading some of McCullough’s other books (my wife and watched the HBO adaptation of ‘John Adams’ recently which was really good). My Dad has got the Dumas Malone set on Jefferson that I’ll hopefully tackle in the winter after harvest. Leading up to vintage, my reading material has shifted to wine-oriented subjects.
On a recent sales trip to New Jersey, we visited the site where Washington crossed the Delaware. Great visit after just finishing ’1776′ …
Thanks for your comments. As always, our doors at Monticello are open and we welcome you to visit us anytime …
Cheers,
Chris Corley