This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal. ( )

1483 Jefferson the President: First Term 1801-1804 Jefferson and His Time Volume Four, by Dumas Malone (read 8 Apr 1978) This is such a satisfying work. I do not say it is always interesting, but one has the idea that a careful scholar has laboriously put together a really excellent study. Actually, Jefferson's first term was a rather tranquil time. The most interesting part of the book was the part on the Louisiana Purchase. It really was a lucky break for us and who knows where I'd be if things had not worked out as they did. ( )