Praise for Thomas Jefferson - Revolutionary:
"For those who think that everything has been said about Thomas Jefferson, Kevin Gutzman’s remarkable new book proves them wrong. Gutzman offers striking new insights into Jefferson’s views on federalism, the freedom of conscience, race relations, primary and secondary education, and the University of Virginia. Arguing that Jefferson was “the most significant statesman in American history,” Gutzman nonetheless points out what he believes are some of the critical flaws in Jefferson’s thoughts and actions. Written in a clear and direct style, Thomas Jefferson—Revolutionary will be of interest to historians, legal scholars, and students of American political thought." - James W. Ceaser, The University of Virginia
"Perhaps no figure has cast a longer shadow across the American political landscape than Thomas Jefferson; and the political thought and legacy of few figures have been the subject of more debate. In his engaging examination of Jefferson’s public life, Kevin Gutzman takes his readers on a rip-roaring ride through the contests and controversies of the founding era and early republic, inviting readers along the way to challenge conventional interpretations of history and reconsider first principles. Brimming with keen insights, Thomas Jefferson — Revolutionary focuses on Jefferson’s often radical views on federalism, the rights of conscience, race, slavery, and public education, casting light on the great political controversies that have long roiled the republic." - Daniel L. Dreisbach, American University, and author of Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State
"No statesman of the United States’ founding years has suffered a more precipitous decline in his reputation than Thomas Jefferson. He has been one of the principal victims of our era’s small-minded rage against the very idea that imperfect men can still be heroes. It is time for a spirited corrective to this folly, and Kevin Gutzman has provided one in this book, reminding us of Jefferson’s astounding range of accomplishments, and his steadfast confidence in the dignity and unrealized potential in the minds and hearts of ordinary people. Whenever we search for the core of what is greatest in the American democratic experiment, we find the towering figure of Jefferson, and the abundant evidence of his influence." - Wilfred M. McClay, G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty, University of Oklahoma
“When Jefferson wrote the inscription for his tombstone, he ignored the many offices he'd held and instead listed as his signature achievements the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the University of Virginia. Kevin Gutzman's important new book connects the dots between these and other contributions to make a compelling case that Jefferson was neither an enigma nor a paradox. Instead, he was an American Revolutionary with a consistent and coherent agenda to make America a land of liberty and opportunity the likes of which the world had never seen.” - Robert M. S. McDonald, Professor of History, United States Military Academy, author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson's Image in His Own Time
"Kevin Gutzman's Thomas Jefferson—Revolutionary offers a provocative and original perspective on the great Virginian's radical vision of America's—and Virginia's—future. Sharply focused, powerfully argued, and engagingly written, Gutzman's book is sure to generate the kind of controversy that will guarantee Jefferson's continuing relevance." - Peter S. Onuf, University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, (Monticello), co-author, with Annette Gordon-Reed, of Most Blessed of the Patriarchs: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination
"Kevin Gutzman has written a learned and combative book about one of the central figures in a transatlantic age of democratic revolution. In attempting to fathom the mind of Thomas Jefferson, his fears as well as his aspirations, Gutzman has fresh things to say not only about Jefferson himself, but on an entire period of American history." - Robert L. Paquette, Executive Director, Alexander Hamilton Institute
"In this lively and clearly written book, Kevin Gutzman makes a compelling case for the broad range and radical ambitions of Thomas Jefferson's commitment to human equality." - Alan Taylor, Pulitzer Prize winning author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804
Praise for James Madison and the Making of America:
Gutzman's meticulous disquisition on the proceedings of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention ... will most profit scholars. His perspective on an important Founder, and his minute examination of the Federalist Papers, will ... appeal to serious readers. —Library Journal
A well-considered and written biography of this gifted Founding Father's many contributions to the early republic. —Kirkus
With James Madison and the Making of America, Kevin Gutzman has raised a glorious standard to illustrate and illuminate the importance of Madison and why he may be unfairly overlooked and buried in the shadow of Jefferson. On the whole, [it] is an impressive book. Gutzman makes history easy to read and keeps the expected dry boredom of reliving the 1700s at bay, making them vibrant and exciting, as they no doubt were to the people who lived them. With this book, the foundations of America are laid open for examination, and the specific work Madison undertook to bring about the glorious new nation with a republican-style government gets the attention it properly deserves. —Book Reporter
Kevin R. C. Gutzman, relying for the most part on primary sources, gives us an authoritative, vivid and wide-ranging exploration of Madison's public career in James Madison and the Making of America... a solid and insightful biography that should appeal to both those readers who know a lot about Madison and those who want an introduction to him. —BookPage
11/15/2016
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) had an undeniably large influence on the United States in many ways. Here, Gutzman (James Madison and the Making of America) picks five key issues Jefferson fought for during his long political career and dedicates a chapter to each. First and foremost is the concept of federalism (what we now call "states' rights"), which Jefferson understood as the limiting of federal government and considered the keystone of the Revolution. Following this are "freedom of conscience" (made famous by Jefferson's desire for a "wall of separation" between church and state); the ill-fated plan to establish a colony for emancipated slaves to avert racial strife and end slavery in the United States; the assimilation of Native Americans, whom Jefferson deemed superior to blacks, into European-style civilization; and finally the establishment of the University of Virginia, Jefferson's proudest achievement, as an innovative exemplar for democratic education. VERDICT Too inconsistent for general history readers and not comprehensive enough for presidential biography buffs, this book will appeal mostly to early Republic fans interested in legislation and policy and libraries with robust history collections.—Chad Comello, Morton Grove P.L., IL
2016-10-18
Just how revolutionary and radical was Thomas Jefferson?Veritas Radio Network's Constitution Hour host Gutzman (History/Western Connecticut State Univ.; James Madison and the Making of America, 2012, etc.) begins his provocative book with a rather bold statement: "Jefferson's influence on American political history outstrips that of any other figure." He admits Franklin Roosevelt rivaled Jefferson, but Washington and Lincoln? Gutzman lays out his case in five footnote-laden chapters that sometimes drag. Federalism receives most of the author's attention, taking up a third of the book. He admires Jefferson's long-standing defense of states' rights as they relate to their relationship with the central government. He features lots of back and forth arguing with Jefferson scholars over matters of interpretation, and he feels they've especially "distorted history" in arguing that federalism was really not that "important" to Jefferson. Jefferson "considered liberty of conscience to be the basis of all other freedom." While establishing the University of Virginia—another subject Gutzman examines in detail—Jefferson was adamant that it should be secular and that all students should be able to explore their religious inquiries without restrictions—except blacks, who were not allowed to attend. Gutzman admits Jefferson "erred" in his views on race; Jefferson thought blacks "inferior," even disliked them and, although unjust, refused to condemn slavery. He advocated colonization; they could be "created equal" as long as they lived somewhere else. He was all for shipping them overseas, perhaps Liberia. He was adverse to "racial mixture" but, sadly, not adverse to having children with Sally Hemings, one of his female slaves. As for Native Americans, Jefferson believed they were violent, the equals of whites, and needed educating. His policies encouraging taking their land for agricultural use—Gutzman notes that Lewis and Clark helped with that—set the stage for Andrew Jackson's removal policy. Written in academic prose, this book, which shows Jefferson to be a man of his times, brilliant yet flawed, will appeal primarily to scholars.
