This book is more of a portrait collection than a biography. It doesn’t tell Jefferson’s storey in a linear fashion, but rather highlights key moments in his life. This approach works well for Ellis ( see: Founding Brothers) , most likely because the wider perspective helps him to compose more lyrically than a fact-based biography would.
The portraits of Jefferson reveal a man with exceptional self-delusion abilities. These abilities allowed him to lament slavery while owning slaves, deny ambition while seeking high office, and defame contemporaries while claiming innocence and friendship. Most people are aware of Jefferson’s hypocrisies, but this book brings them to life.
Ellis isn’t just concerned with Jefferso.