Look Ma, Bubba can read...

I picked up a book at the local library called American Sphinx, The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis. In conversation, I have heard Jefferson quoted on both ends of the political spectrum. I have seen him hailed as a Saint and as cursed as a devil. I have read but a few books on the man, and most take to one extreme or the other. But this book caught my eye as it promised to give an unadulterated view of a historical icon. An excerpt from the dust jacket reads:

“In American Sphinx, Ellis sifts the facts shrewdly from the legends and the rumors, treading a path between vilification and hero worship in order to formulate a plausible portrait of a man who still hover[s] over the political scene like one of those dirigibles cruising above a crowded football stadium, flashing words of inspiration to both teams”

I will let you know. Objectivity is an elusive animal to catch. But if Joseph Ellis can come close to living up to the promises on the jacket, I will be more than satisfied. More on this later.