With its rather different approach to biography, I found this melding of Thomas Jefferson’s life with the author’s own engaging and entertaining. Derek Baxter came across a travel guide written by Jefferson in 1788 entitled Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe. Jefferson being one of his heroes, and feeling generally dissatisfied with his own life at that time he decided to follow in Jefferson's footsteps and explore where Jefferson had explored – from wine to food, architecture to gardens and much more. Persuading his long-suffering family to accompany him, Baxter set off on his pilgrimage. The result is a cross between a travelogue and a memoir, an original concept which works wonderfully well. Baxter is nicely self-deprecating and never takes himself too seriously, although his quest is in fact a serious one, to discover more about Jefferson, flaws and all, not least his contradictory attitude to slavery. He starts off full of admiration for Jefferson but ends up with a more nuanced sense of the man and politician, and the reader learns much at the same time as the author.

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

⭐⭐⭐ -- Love the cover of this one!

Part travelogue, part historical, part memoir, In Pursuit of Jefferson by Derek Baxter was an entertaining dive into Thomas Jefferson's life and travels through the eyes of this author. I appreciated the author didn't shy away from the slavery aspect of Jefferson's life. That said, I found it a little on the slow side. It could have done with a tighter edit.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This was an interesting book how he compared the journals to Thomas Jefferson and he went on this trip just like jefferson did and I think it was hint a American traveler but it was interesting how things changed in time You'll find out also how he looked at Jefferson through different parts like the gardens in England or like the wine in France Italy it was pasta and how he was trying to look at everything but it also talked about the slavery issue with them is well but I like how integrated that with it and it all started with the marathon and in France and he also bought his children along too at sometimes or his parents and it was kind of interesting how things were the same but were in modern times And how he looked at Jefferson later on in life he also went to the University of Virginia which was part ofthe part of jefferson's estate I believe

Derek Baxter is obsessed with Thomas Jefferson. He planned trips and excursions for almost a decade, based on Jefferson’s travels in Europe. One amusing highlight is the anecdotal comments made by his children, especially during the great garden escape chapter.
Baxter does dip into the pool of lecturing and pontificating in several of the chapter, which makes for tedious reading.
However, it’s a book worthy of reading, if nothing else, check out the endnotes for bibliographic branching.

In Pursuit of Jefferson is an entertaining and thought-provoking look at Thomas Jefferson through the eyes of author Derek Baxter and his family. Over the course of several years, the family visits the locations mentioned in Jefferson's 1788 Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe (you can read it here: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-13-02-0173 ). Throughout, Baxter reflects on contemporary issues as well as those of the 18th century, and attempts to come to terms with Jefferson's flaws. Suggested for fans of Tony Horwitz and Bill Bryson, and those interested in Thomas Jefferson. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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The concept of the books sounded, to me, very original and exciting. Mr. Baxter has read Jefferson’s Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe and decided to follow his footsteps. I have read several books about Thomas Jefferson, and shamefully admit that the title didn’t sound familiar.

The author, his wife, and two children took a series of vacations, following Jefferson’s 1788 book through England, France, Germany, Holland, and Italy. These weren’t just sightseeing tours, the family visited vineyards, farms, as well many towns. Attempting to observer what the Founding Father saw, or experienced, whether it be architecture or “new” technology. On the way they learned about local cuisine, cheesemaking, and, of course, wines.

About half way through, the tone turned a bit somber. The Virginia native realized that Jefferson was a slave owner, and a hypocrite when it comes to that and other aspects as well. The American Founding Fathers, however, were well aware of their hypocrisy, and wrote about it often. It was either selective amnesia, or just a subject Virginia schools chose to gloss over.
Or simply, the old adage of “you don’t want to meet your heroes” turned out to be true.

To Mr. Baxter’s credit, he dives into the subject. He does not shy away from it and does his best to learn more about slavery, as well as Jefferson’s role in it. At first, I found the subject out of context for the book. However, trying to make sense of it, if possible, by a native Virginian was certainly an interesting read.

If I had to describe In Pursuit of Jefferson by Derek Baxter in one word, it would be “honest”. Mr. Baxter writes in a chatty tone, warm, and often corny – but it works.

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book, following in the footsteps of a well-known historical figure and contrasting the written record to the present day, including what stood the test of time - and what didn't. However, I do have to say at the outset that I have never fully understood why people from the United States put Thomas Jefferson on such a pedestal. He certainly was not short of faults, but these tend to be glossed over in any narrative of Jefferson's life. I found this book going in the same direction, until mid-way through the author confronts the hypocrisy and casual racism, elitism and misogyny inherent in Jefferson's life. The author struggles to reconcile his previous veneration with what he is now realizing about Jefferson, and I found this well worth reading. Overall, an interesting read, although it did ramble quite a bit, with a very slow pace.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the ARC to read and review.

Part history part travelogue. This book focuses on Jefferson’s years in Europe and the authors attempts to trace his journeys.

I was much more interested in Jefferson than the author so it fell a bit flat for me.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

<i>In Pursuit of Jefferson</i> is a travelogue through both the late 1700s and the modern age, with an increasingly deep personal journey along the way. Derek Baxter grew up in Virginia with an adoration of Thomas Jefferson. That continued into adulthood. Sure, he knew about Sally Hemings, but Jefferson did so many other things! He was a genius, a polymath, a Founding Father! He also wrote what is now a rather obscure advice book called <i>Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe</i>. Baxter hit upon the idea of traveling where Jefferson traveled, chronicling how things changed and stayed the same.

That alone makes for an intriguing read, but I really appreciated the narrative the most when it reached the halfway point and the author realized he couldn't try to ignore that Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, yet owned and sold slaves--that he owned his own children. Baxter does a deep dive into how Jefferson, largely absent from Monticello for 40 years as he traveled and worked elsewhere, started out as a young idealist well-aware of the corruptive influence of slave ownership, who became the very thing he warned about. Jefferson lived luxuriously while abroad and reached a point where his slaves were his financial stability. The details around that--from the nailery shop to his escaped slaves to what the Hemings family horrifically endured in France and in Virginia--is enlightening and disturbing.

What begins as a kind of worshipful exploration of Jefferson becomes a profound effort to understand the man and his frustrating contradictions. Along the way, you get to read a lot about wine in France, Jefferson's rigorous scientific hobby and how it provides a perspective on climate change, why we should all be proud of the grand North American moose, and more. The story gains even more because Baxter's family with two young kids essentially grows up within their dad's obsession. Seeing how they learn and mature through their experiences truly shows the benefits of education through travel, uncomfortable as it may be at times.

This truly is a stand-out nonfiction title for the year. What I learned from this read will linger with me for a long time.

For an historian this is a great read. Jefferson continues to defy easy categorization. The book reminds us that no person is all good or all bad. Additionally it provides an insight into what Jefferson found beautiful and how he viewed the world. Jefferson loved the things he found in Europe but always he was thinking about how to promote his country of birth. If only other historical figures had written travel guides about their world travels. The added bonus are the personal insights that the author provides as he and his family follow in Jefferson’s footsteps. Well worth a read.

An interesting book for those interested in both travel and history. The author, intrigued by a little known tome by Jefferson offering European travel tips, decides to re-created Jefferson's travels with his family. He starts by running a long distance race involving frequent stops at wineries, dressed as Thomas Jefferson. He then revisits Jefferson's fascination in wine and his plans to introduce wine to America, along with many other adventures.

I enjoyed this book, but it rambled quite a bit. It needed more judicious editing, but for a new writer, it was a great first effort.

I have conflicting feelings on reviewing this book. As an avid reader of history books, I was excited to read “ In Pursuit of Jefferson”. I have to say the first many chapters were interesting and informative, regarding Thomas Jefferson’s travels, and his desire to pen a guide for travelers of his era; But, my enthusiasm waned further along in the book, when the author dwells on Thomas Jefferson, the slave owner, and the rest of the book seems to be preaching to the reader. Since being well versed on Thomas Jefferson, as a slave owner, as most readers are, I think the author was too judgmental of the former President, as are some people are including historians today. One must realize the circumstances, the time period, the culture, whether right or wrong determines the outcome of the events of the period. What happened in the the 1700’s and 1800’s and beyond, is our history, the good and along with the bad, must be preserved and not erased to pacify a few. Destroying monuments and eradicating history that seems offensive to some is not counterproductive! We need to learn from mistakes made in history, as most likely, Thomas Jefferson himself realized, in order to rectify and strive for a better society in the future! In all, the book was well written and entertaining, (the foods, wine and culture), but, I wish the author strictly stuck to Thomas Jefferson’s “Hints” as I had expected it to!

I completely lost interest in this book about one quarter of the way through. I don't know what it was that made it so, but it certainly was not from a lack of my trying. It just seemed to go on and on without ever really going anywhere. I'm not going to publish my review, as it would not be right, as I didn't finish the book. Thanks for the opportunity and good luck to the author.

Overall a disappointing read. The writer focuses too much on their own personal journey instead of discussing Jefferson's journey. Interesting as a travel journal , but not recommended for anyone his is a history buff.