Much has been written about Thomas Jefferson in his roles of politician, visionary, and slave owner, but for Fred Kaplan—also a biographer of Charles Dickens and Henry James—it is his writing that reveals the man in all his complex and controversial brilliance. Finding new perspectives, Kaplan creates a nuanced portrait of Jefferson, gleaned from the Founder's essays, memoirs, religious and scientific writings, addresses to Indian nations, and his exchanges with Washington, Madison, Hamilton, and John and Abigail Adams.