And I really believe that Thomas Jefferson the politician, at least in recent years, has been less appreciated than he should be. My view is that there are angles of vision, and every writer brings something new to whatever topic. I’ll let the reader judge whether I was successful or not. Q: How do you make old information interesting? They are committed to a philosophy but are willing to part from dogma to make great things happen. He was not at all handcuffed by ideology if he believed it would serve the American cause, he would do just about anything … And I think that’s what great politicians do. He was totally devoted to the survival and success of the American experiment, and he would do almost anything to serve that end. His ability to be a master of the principled compromise. Q: What about Jefferson do you think is most applicable to today? And a recurring theme in his life, particularly his early life, is the fact that his appetite included the fairer sex. Jefferson was a man of many appetites: for food, for wine, for ideas, for books, for power - and for women. Q: Why is there lots of sex in a book about Thomas Jefferson? And in a climate that is anti-politician, which is the world we live in, I thought showing one of our greatest politicians would show, in some sense, that we can redeem politics. I think he’s probably the most endlessly interesting American of all times, and my sense was that there was not enough appreciation of how he spent the lion’s share of his years, which was as a working politician who was trying to solve problems in real time by doing what politicians do, which is building contingent majorities and pressing ahead and cutting deals. Q: Why did you decide to write a book on Thomas Jefferson? Meacham is scheduled for a book-signing 7 p.m. In an interview with The Hill, Meacham said he hopes people who are interested in politics read the book because “this is about Jefferson the political operator, who, amid enormously epic times, was doing the perennial work of politics, of trying to govern a fractious country in a time of great partisanship.” The Random House executive and former Newsweek editor took approximately four years to complete the work.
Jon Meacham’s newest book, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, was released Tuesday.
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