Thomas Jefferson: Author of America

"A balanced, readable portrait. A refreshing perspective.” —New York Times Book Review

With intelligence, insight, eloquence, and wit, bestselling author Christopher Hitchens gives us an artful portrait of a complex, formative figure in American history and his turbulent era.

In this unique biography of Thomas Jefferson, leading journalist and social critic Christopher Hitchens offers a startlingly new and provocative interpretation of our Founding Father—a man conflicted by power who wrote the Declaration of Independence and acted as ambassador to France yet yearned for a quieter career in the Virginia legislature. A masterly writer, Jefferson was an awkward public speaker. A professed proponent of emancipation, he elided the issue of slavery from the Declaration of Independence and continued to own human property. A reluctant candidate, he left an indelible presidential legacy.

In this unique biography of Thomas Jefferson, leading journalist and social critic Christopher Hitchens offers a startlingly new and provocative interpretation of our Founding Father—a man conflicted by power who wrote the Declaration of Independence and acted as ambassador to France yet yearned for a quieter career in the Virginia legislature. A masterly writer, Jefferson was an awkward public speaker. A professed proponent of emancipation, he elided the issue of slavery from the Declaration of Independence and continued to own human property. A reluctant candidate, he left an indelible presidential legacy. With intelligence, insight, eloquence, and wit, Hitchens gives us an artful portrait of a complex, formative figure and his turbulent era.

“Hitchens . . . offers a balanced, readable portrait. A refreshing perspective.” - New York Times Book Review

“The acidic British political commentator is a perfect biographer for the disputatious Founding Father.” - Time magazine

“Hitchens . . . levels the Monticello of cant that has been written about our third president and offers a balanced, readable portrait. A refreshing perspective.” - New York Times Book Review

“Masterful . . . Hitchens sets out to debunk not so much Thomas Jefferson as his biographers.” - New York Sun