The first-ever collection of Thomas Jefferson's entire body of travel writing showcases his wide-ranging interests and eloquent observations recorded on journeys throughout the eastern United States and Europe, spanning from 1765 to 1826.

A debut that combines historical nonfiction with travel books, for fans of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz, In Pursuit of Jefferson is the story of an American on a journey through Europe, following the epic trail of Thomas Jefferson. A controversial founding father. A man ready for a change. And a completely unique trip through Europe. In 1784, Thomas Jefferson was a broken man. Reeling from the loss of his wife and stung from a political scandal during the Revolutionary war, he needed to remake himself. To do that, he traveled. Wandering through Europe, Jefferson saw and learned as much as he could, ultimately bringing his knowledge home to a young America. There, he would rise to power and shape a nation. More than two hundred years later, Derek Baxter, a devotee of American history, stumbles on an obscure travel guide written by Jefferson—Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe—as he's going through his own personal crisis. Who better to offer advice than a founding father himself? Using Hints as his roadmap, Baxter follows Jefferson through six countries and countless lessons. But what Baxter learns isn't always what Jefferson had in mind, and as he comes to understand Jefferson better, he doesn't always like what he finds. In Pursuit of Jefferson is at once the story of a life-changing trip through Europe, an unflinching look at a founding father, and a moving personal journey. With rich historical detail, a sense of humor, and boundless heart, Baxter explores how we can be better moving forward only by first looking back.

This is a biography of Thomas Jefferson at leisure, enjoying two of his passions--wine and travel. Twelve of the sixteen chapters cover Jefferson's five years in France where he served as our minister and traveled through France, England, Germany, Italy and Holland. "Passions" was selected by Robert M. Parker, Jr. as "1995 Wine Book of the Year," and was the winner of the 1995 "Veuve Clicquot Wine Book of the Year" competition. It is a marvelous account of America's first wine connoisseur and gourmet.--Amazon.com.

A connoisseur's compendium of a great American's passion for fine wine

Jefferson's journey to the South of France in the spring of 1787 is recreated in this stunning new book featuring photographs of the same images Jefferson viewed over 200 years ago. 110 color photos.

This visually stunning volume explores Monticello, both house and plantation, with texts that present a current assessment of Jefferson’s cultural contributions to his noteworthy home and the fledgling country. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States, designed his Virginia residence with innovations that were progressive, even unprecedented, in the new world. Six acclaimed arts and cultural luminaries pay homage to Jefferson, citing his work at Monticello as testament to his genius in art, culture, and science, from his adaptation of Palladian architecture, his sweeping vision for landscape design, his experimental gardens, and his passion for French wine and cuisine to his eclectic mix of European and American art and artifacts and the creation of the country’s seminal library. Each writer considers the important role, and the painful reality, of Jefferson’s enslaved workforce, which made his lifestyle and plantation possible. This book, illustrated with superb photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna, is a necessary addition to the libraries of those who love historical architecture and landscape design, art and cultural history, and the lives of prominent Americans.

"Shackelford captures Jefferson's intellectual vitality, his cultured interests, and the esteem in which he was held by so many who came into contact with him... [His] splendid account of Jefferson abroad captures what he was truly about." -- "Times Literary Supplement" "An intimate and richly detailed description of Jefferson's encounters with European culture... Shackelford's contribution to the study of Jefferson's intellect is as attractive as it is substantive in contributing to our understanding of Jefferson's intellect and the forces that shaped it."" -- Georgia Historical Quarterly" "This is a beautiful book: graceful in prose and rich in illustrations." -- "Journal of American History" During his time as minister to the court of Louis XVI, from 1784 to 1789, Thomas Jefferson became not only a friend of France but also the champion of European culture in the United States. Because the man who was to become America's third president learned so much from his five years abroad -- about the fine arts of architecture and painting and about the practical arts of agriculture, bureaucracy, and commerce -- his stay in Europe remains one of the most important of any American before or since. Illustrated with more than sixty images of the actual places the future president visited and described -- including both contemporary works and new photographs -- "Jefferson's Travels in Europe" is the first book to describe and explore the significance of Jefferson's European journey, detailing the sights he visited, the people he met, and the events he attended. Based on extensive research into Jefferson's account books and correspondence, as well as the experiences of other travelers ofthe day, George Green Shackelford connects Jefferson's journeys in France, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and the German Rhineland to his intellectual and aesthetic development. "Immaculately researched, thoughtful, and persuasive... A valuable, handsomely produced book." -- "Journal of the Early Republic" "An engaging account of important cultural landmarks in late eighteenth-century Europe and... a useful contribution to the literature on Thomas Jefferson, providing an insight into the private man and his wide circle of friends in Europe. It reminds us again of the vitality and comprehensiveness of Jefferson's interests." -- "Journal of Southern History" "A meticulously researched and presented work that increases our knowledge of this period of Jefferson's life." -- "William and Mary Quarterly" [original long copy]"While Americans generally still consider Thomas Jefferson to be a veritable Apostle of Americanism, it was his foreign residence and travels that made him America's most sophisticated national leader. To understand how Thomas Jefferson completed his metamorphosis from a talented provincial, it is necessary to reconstitute what he saw on his European journeys, to describe where he lived in Europe, and to speak of how his European friends influenced him."--George Green Shackelford, in "Thomas Jefferson's Travels in Europe." During his time as minister to the court of Louis XVI, from 1784 to 1789, Thomas Jefferson became not only a friend of France but also the champion of European culture in the United States. Because the man who was to become America's third president learned so much from his five years abroad--about the fine arts of architecture and paintingand about the practical arts of agriculture, bureaucracy, and commerce--his stay in Europe remains one of the most important of any American before or since. In the first book to describe and explore the significance of Jefferson's European journey, George Green Shackelford offers the reader an intimate and richly detailed account of what Jefferson saw and how he saw it. In the process, he assesses the influence on Jefferson of such figures as the architect Charles Louis Clrisseau and the artist Maria Cosway. Illustrated with more than sixty images of the actual places Jefferson visited and described--including both contemporary works and new photographs-- "Jefferson's Travels in Europe" shows how Jefferson's journeys in France, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and the German Rhineland shaped his intellectual and aesthetic development. Coaxing meaning out of Jefferson's account books and correspondence, and the parallel experiences of other travelers of the day, Shackelford has created a unique document, one that bears "a general resemblance to the book that Thomas Jefferson never wrote, his Notes on Europe."

An illustrated study brings to life the atmosphere and personalities of pre-revolutionary Paris, traces their influence on the American envoy, and recounts his participation in the life of the city and its intrigues at court. UP.