In Pursuit of Jefferson
Traveling through Europe with the Most Perplexing Founding Father
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- $29.99
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
A debut that combines historical nonfiction with travel books, for fans of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz, In Pursuit of Jefferson is the story of an American on a journey through Europe, following the epic trail of Thomas Jefferson.
A controversial founding father. A man ready for a change. And a completely unique trip through Europe.
In 1784, Thomas Jefferson was a broken man. Reeling from the loss of his wife and stung from a political scandal during the Revolutionary war, he needed to remake himself. To do that, he traveled. Wandering through Europe, Jefferson saw and learned as much as he could, ultimately bringing his knowledge home to a young America. There, he would rise to power and shape a nation.
More than two hundred years later, Derek Baxter, a devotee of American history, stumbles on an obscure travel guide written by Jefferson—Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe—as he’s going through his own personal crisis. Who better to offer advice than a founding father himself? Using Hints as his roadmap, Baxter follows Jefferson through six countries and countless lessons. But what Baxter learns isn’t always what Jefferson had in mind, and as he comes to understand Jefferson better, he doesn’t always like what he finds.
In Pursuit of Jefferson is at once the story of a life-changing trip through Europe, an unflinching look at a founding father, and a moving personal journey. With rich historical detail, a sense of humor, and boundless heart, Baxter explores how we can be better moving forward only by first looking back.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Attorney Baxter debuts with an entertaining and informative chronicle of his attempt to recreate Thomas Jefferson's travels in Europe. A lifelong history buff who played Jefferson in an elementary school musical, Baxter explains that the founding father lived in Paris, where he served as America's ambassador to France, from 1784 to 1789 and made excursions to England, the South of France, Amsterdam, and other locales. After coming across an unpublished travel guide written by Jefferson—including a detailed itinerary and eight "objects of attention" to focus on during the journey—Baxter set out to follow in Jefferson's footsteps. Spreading their trips over eight years, Baxter and his family dine at famous Parisian restaurants, go wine tasting in Burgundy, visit English gardens and Dutch museums, and marvel at Rome's architecture. Baxter also interweaves the history of the French Revolution and reflections on contemporary political and social matters, including the "yellow vest" protests against a proposed gas tax in France. Visits to the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes, France, and the Monticello estate in Virginia lead to forthright reflections on Jefferson's racism and Baxter's white privilege. Despite a few trite observations ("Jefferson never even set foot in a train"), Baxter manages to bridge the 18th and 21st centuries with skill. This historically informed travelogue delights.
