Helpful Score: 2
This book focuses on sex to a point of vulgarity, but if you can get past that there is a great deal of good information here. I do like the information about Jefferson's youth,friendships,marriage and family. Halliday discusses Jefferson's relationship to a married woman, Maria Cosway as an affair but offers evidence of merely flirtation. He also discusses the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemmings and their family. Finally the book gets into some of Jefferson's accomplishments such as the Louisana Purchase which included eigth states and part of five others. He gets into the former Presidnt's feelings about race and slavery. He refers to Fawn Brodie's book Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History quite often. He mentions Jefferson's love of literature, art and fine things. This book gives you insight to what Jefferson thought his accomplishments were: The Declaration Of Independence, The Statute of Virginia For Religous Freedom and Father Of the university of Virginia.
