{"product_id":"9780880800068","title":"The Real Thomas Jefferson","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Real Thomas Jefferson: The True Story of America's Philosopher of Freedom\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eJefferson is the central figure in American history, and…he may yet prove to be the central figure in modern history.\u003c\/i\u003e  So stated noted historian Henry Steele Commager.   And as the English novelist Samuel Butler once wrote, \u003ci\u003eThough God cannot alter the past, historians can.\u003c\/i\u003e  His observation is especially applicable to our changing perceptions of great historical personalities, most of whom are relentlessly \u003ci\u003ereinterpreted\u003c\/i\u003e by each new generation of biographers.  It is doubtful whether many of these renowned characters of yesteryear would even recognize themselves in some of the publications devoted to them today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is no better example of this kind of metamorphosis than Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. Since his death in 1826 he has been alternately vilified and deified in numerous forms by writers of varying motivations.  In \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thomas Jefferson\u003c\/i\u003e, by allowing Jefferson to explain his life and ideas in his own words, we have tried to ensure that his spirit, not ours, will breathe in these pages- -so that all who read them will become acquainted with Jefferson himself, not another second-hand interpretation of him.  His biography appears in Part I, and Part II brings together the most insightful passages from his writings, arranged by subject.\u003c\/p\u003e  ","brand":"National Center for Constitutional Studies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47009252475120,"sku":"9780880800068","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780880800068_p0.jpg?v=1763848483","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780880800068","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}