Henry Clay, The Essential American

This exciting new biography looks to be very promising. It struck me as I was finishing the intro that Clay's political career stretched from Jefferson to the brink of the Civil War. What a significant time period! I am interested in seeing how these authors handle his repeated failed attempts to establish a dominant party and win the presidency. I will post a review here and on Amazon when I have finished. I have a dinner party to prep for today so I have limited reading time and, darn! I also have to finish a powerpoint and planning lessons for writing Civil war letters for my students. Well, I will read whenever I get the chance.

Isenberg's Burr Biography

After finishing the excellent Jefferson bio, I plunged into Nancy Isenberg's recent biography of Aaron Burr. I really do respect her effort to reclaim Burr from historical villainy but I remain unconvinced so far. While I do believe that Burr has been unfairly degenerated b many historians his character flaws cannot be cloaked in contemporary ethics and his honor reclaimed. She has produced a fine biography of Burr but has failed to show this reader a new face for Burr.

Jefferson New Biography by Bernstein

i found this single volume edition to be well researched and well written. If you want a good comprehensive short biography that is eminently readable, then this is it. Since I was reading some of Jefferson's original work that the time (Notes on the State of Virginia, Rights of British America Asserted and some exchanges of letters to Madison while he was at the Constitutional Convention)it actually felt some days that I had actually spoken to him. I know that sounds weird but this was the third Jefferson bio in a row that I had read not counting Jefferson's original work. I am working on the last volume in the biographical series by Dumas Malone.