His Masterly Pen: A Biography of Jefferson the Writer

In this unique biography, Fred Kaplan emphasizes Thomas Jefferson’s genius with language and his ability to use the power of words to inspire and shape a nation. A man renowned for many talents, writing was one of the major activities of the statemen’s life, though much of his best, most influential writing—with the exception of the letters he wrote up to his death, numbering approximately 100,000—was done by 1789, when Jefferson was just forty-six. All of his works—from his earliest correspondence; his essays and proclamations, including A Summary View of British America, The Declaration of Independence, and Notes on the State of Virginia; his religious and scientific writings; his inaugural addresses; his addresses to Indian nations; and his exchanges with Washington, Madison, Hamilton, John and Abigail Adams, and dear friends such as Maria Cosway—demonstrate his remarkable intelligence, prescient wisdom, and literary flair and reveal the man in all his complex and controversial brilliance.

In His Masterly Pen, readers will find a new appreciation of Jefferson as a whole, of his strengths and weaknesses, and particularly of the degree to which his writing skills—which James Madison admired as “the shining traces of his pen”—are key to his personality and public career. Though Jefferson could wield his pen with unrivaled power, he was also a master of using words to both reveal and conceal from others and himself the complications, the inconsistencies, and the contradictions between his principles and his policies, between his head and his heart, and between his optimistic view of human nature and the realities of his personal situation and the world he lived in.

This landmark American history biography unveils Jefferson not just as a statesman, but as a master writer whose words both built a nation and concealed a man:

• A Founding Father’s Pen: Go beyond politics to see how Jefferson’s writing—from The Declaration of Independence to 100,000 personal letters—shaped his identity and legacy.
• Literary Biography: Discover the complex man behind the myth through an unprecedented focus on his use of language, formidable intelligence, and literary flair.
• Complexities and Contradictions: Examine how Jefferson masterfully used words to both reveal and conceal the stark inconsistencies between his lofty principles and his personal policies, especially regarding slavery.
• Correspondence with the Founders: Dive into his exchanges with Washington, Madison, Hamilton, and the Adamses to see his prescient wisdom and political maneuvering in his own words.