Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves Audiobook

" This book was really interesting and also a little boring at times. I learned a lot but think this book is more for people who have a serious interest in American presidents. "

" Wiencek uncovers a version of Thomas Jefferson that is definitely NOT the one you were taught in school. Gone is the profound opponent of slavery who has stood on a moral high ground for hundreds of years. He is replaced by a real person, and not necessarily someone you like or even respect. This book will certainly be a blow for lovers of the myth of the benevolent American "Founding Father" legend, and it is for this reason especially that it deserves to be read by as wide an audience as possible. If you like your history with a good dose of harsh reality, then this is the book for you. Wiencek gives it to us "straight" and the tale that he tells is all the more fascinating and enjoyable because of it. "

" This eye-opening book focuses on Jefferson's varying perspectives on slavery, revealing the inconsistencies between Jefferson the philosopher, who proposed including the abolition of slavery into the Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson the practical plantation owner, who relied upon slavery. He indeed wrote positively about the economic benefits of slavery, which supported the agricultural and manufacturing system that made his luxurious lifestyle possible. The interactions between key slaves (including the Hemings) and Jefferson, and the regular encouragement he received from Lafayette and others to free his slaves, form an on-going thread in the book. "

" Nice, informative account of Jefferson, Monticello, and the slaves who made Jefferson and Monticello historically significant. Jefferson "walked both sides of the fence" concerning slavery. His economic prosperity was grounded in slavery. Ironically, his bankruptcy followed suit. Wiencek eludes that Jefferson loved Sally Hemmings as his father loved Sally's mother. This book sheds a lot of light on society's amalgamation or first interracial families. "

" Intriguing and thought-provoking info. This is the most personal account I've read of the man's life, and taken as part of comparative readings on T.J., was valuable to understanding him. Well written. I enjoyed it. "

" Truly an excellent an devastating dissection of Jefferson's hypocrisy on the question of slavery. It also offers an excellent perspective on plantation life in 18th century that goes equally far towards refuting the myth that slavery was a dying institution until the invention of the cotton gin. "

" The man who wrote the words "All Men Are Created Equal" doesn't come off too well in this close study of his role as "master" to 600 souls in the course of his lifetime. "

" very interesting... and Eston Hemings Jefferson is buried at Forest Hill, right by our Glenway house "

" It is hard to respect Jefferson after reading this book. An excellent and disturbing book. "

" An interesting look at an American hero and how his practices did not always follow what he preached. "

" An interesting and provocative look at Jefferson "

" Good book that finally tells the true story of Jefferson, Monticello and his 600 slaves. "

" well-researched account of a founder that shows a side of Jefferson oft apologized or discounted in a very balanced fashion "