Thomas Jefferson

Much has been written about Thomas Jefferson, the public man, and with good reason: he was the architect of our democracy and a visionary who expanded the nations physical boundaries to unimagined lengths. But the intensely private Jefferson joined in a conspiracy to make himself unknowable to the public. Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets is a new and unprecedented examination of the intimate Thomas Jeffersonfrom his return to Monticello after two terms as president until his death. Author William G. Hyland Jr. pierces Jefferson's private family veil and reveals little-known, poignant scenes of the relatives closest to Jefferson in his last years. Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets is the first biography to uncover the dynamic relationship Jefferson had with his adult grandchildren. With a novelists skill and a scholars meticulous detail, Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets explores new ground in Jeffersons autumn years as a waning patriarch, enduring physical illness and family strife. These glimpses of Jeffersons inner character will change the way readers think about this American icon: as a flawedbut benevolentman.