Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. However, I am no longer interested in pursuing titles on this subject

Kevin R. C. Gutzman's The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe
is about three presidents who were known as The Virginia Dynasty - Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. I voluntarily read and reviewed this well-researched book. If you love American history, I highly recommend.

"The Jeffersonians" by Kevin Gutzman offers an insightful and engaging exploration of the political philosophy and policies of the Jeffersonian era in American history. Gutzman delves into the lives and ideas of key figures such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and their contemporaries, shedding light on their contributions to the shaping of the United States.

"The Jeffersonians" is a compelling and enlightening examination of the ideals and actions of an influential period in American history. This book is a must-read for history enthusiasts and those seeking a deeper understanding of the foundations of the United States.

This book was incredibly interesting. I feel like I learned a lot even though I feel like this space in the book world can be pretty saturated. I loved it.

A solidly readable introduction to the "Jefferson, Madison, Monroe" triumvirate. It is aimed at the armchair reader who knows at least a little about the American Revolution, and is not an academic book. Had it been, I would have felt the fork-poke of obligation to comb through to cite the blips, both grammatical and historical.

As a general history, one to pique the interest enough to send potential readers to do some in-depth further reading, though, it works splendidly. Gutsman covers a great deal of territory in not only overviews of the respective presidencies, but also at least a pass at their private lives. (Yes, there's stuff about Jefferson and Sally).

For some balance, to those readers wanting to read on, I recommend Flexner on Washington. Also excellent reading, with scrupulous fact checking.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I really enjoyed this novel. I am really into reading about our founding father's so when I saw this novel I was so excited! The author did a great job and I highly recommend for all history buffs out there.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this!

I absolutely loved this. This was so well-written and researched. This was an extremely ambitious undertaking. Any student of early US History or American Presidents will eat this up. Just when you think there is nothing else to add about these 3 US Presidents - Kevin Gutzman proves me wrong. I've read a ton of history but very much enjoyed this ride. This was my first work by this author - I will be reading his other works. Highly recommend this!

At two hundred plus years' remove, we tend to think of the Founders as a single group, as if they were all individual slices of the same pie. Kevin Gutzman is at some pains to disabuse us of this nation. He splits out three of the Founders; Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, making these three presidents a subgroup of their own.

These three two-term presidencies are the only span in American history where the office was occupied by members of the same party for twenty-four years; almost ten percent of our history. All three of these men were from Virginia; Jefferson and Madison were good friends, and Monroe was a student of Madison's. .This book is about the way they influenced each other, especially Thomas Jefferson, and how that translated into policies for the young country.

This is a well-researched and well-written original work of history. Considering his grasp of his subject I sincerely hope that "The Jeffersonians" lifts Gutzman to the celebrated heights of a Gordon Wood or Alan Taylor because he is a truly fine historian. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

*4.5 stars*

In-depth and engrossing political and human history…

I never paid too much attention to politics when I was a kid but I remember being enthralled by the diplomat kidnapping/Iran crisis and Jimmy Carter. I was too young to appreciate all the nuances and I’m sure I don’t understand it all, even to this day, but that sparked a casual interest in politics and world events that steadily grew. With the political climates seemingly changing so drastically in the US recently – and to a more sedate version in my own – I couldn’t wait to see how it all began…

Taking the presidencies of Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, the author provides an epic amount of information on all three and how they intertwined as well. From the minutiae of the day to day, to the bigger themes and topics of a new-found nation, there was information and conjecture and a thorough undertaking to understand how history was made.

As an avid reader and a lover of history and biography, I admit to being overwhelmed at times but the book was well-written and spoke to the scholar as well as the arm-chair enthusiast (that would be me). I was content to take each well-plotted, smallish chapter and let the words sink in before moving on to the next.

I will be rereading this again to catch any and all that I missed as these men, their struggles and achievements, were the starting point of all that followed…

While reading “The Jeffersonians,” one inkling of the future hit me early on. The numerous quotes from personal letters will not be an avenue when future generations attempt to piece together the truth of modern day politics. Many of the thoughts and opinions of people will be washed away in the raging river of social media. Thus, an informative book can be viewed as a reader’s treasure, and this book contains much information about Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. I can’t remember the last time I read a history book that was crammed to the point of overflowing with facts, backed up by quotes featured in print articles or culled from letters to friends, political allies, and opponents. This book contained many of these “first-hand” examples to back up a point or explain a situation.

The only issue I had with the book was its length. While I am usually not overly concerned with the number of pages if there is enough relevant content, there were times that the information presented did not fit that criteria. Additionally, there were times that the author would present the same information again without adding something new.

I recommend this book, especially for those readers brand new to this era in history. It is interesting and informative to read directly how the early government of this country worked and what those who held a position in the government thought without seeing it through the tinted glasses of our current media. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

An acceptable overview of the Triumvirate from Virginia. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe who lengthened and strengthened Republican rule for a quarter of a century during America’s formative stage.
The book is a good place to begin for anyone who doesn’t have a good background in US history or needs a refresher of the early Republic. However, it offers nothing groundbreaking or startling in the way of new information. Most of it could be found in a standard US history test.
I did discover one blatant mistake. Gutzman asserts that Jefferson’s wife died after complications from Maria’s birth. That is incorrect. Martha Wayles Jefferson passed away in September 1782, after Lucy’s birth a few months earlier. He also calls Maria Mary and then back to Maria with no consistency. Minor mistake, but one that should have been caught.

This book is well written and well written. This is an ambitious undertaking interweaving the presidencies of three early presidents highlighting their similarities and differences. This is an intriguing read for anyone who has an interest in Presidents and/or American history.

I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Kevin R.C. Gutzman, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

In the early years of the American Republic, the Founding Fathers sought to craft the foundation of the country, then lead it in their own image. Once Washington had laid some of the essential groundwork, it fell to a few men to build on it and create a strong nation. Kevin Gutzman explores three of these men throughout their presidential tenure: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Gutzman argues that they were intertwined under the ‘Jeffersonian’ umbrella, while still being independent from one another. Gutzman presents, in detail, their respective presidencies, which occurred consecutively, thereby creating an era of government, legal precedents, and development of a country from its thirteen colonies into a geographic juggernaut. Full of anecdotes and well-placed arguments, Gutzman does a stellar job of connecting these three men together for the reader.

While all were strong political allies, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe had different outlooks for the country they helped develop. As Gutzman opens the tome exploring the presidency of Jefferson, there is a strong view towards setting the scene and building on core values the country had developed under Washington, while also exploring some of the newer ideas that came to the surface. Many of the constitutional questions that shaped a more modern America came from the Jefferson period, as interpretation of laws and the foundational rules of the country were being hashed out and challenged. Jefferson was also keen to create a mark on the international scene, using his ambassadors to form pathways for the still youthful country seeking to stand on its own. Gutzman effectively shows how Jefferson mandated this and made the country one that Washington would have been happy to see still progressing.

James Madison took up the torch when Jefferson, eager to create the two-term precedent that Washington began, stood down for new blood to take over governing. Madison’s impact was to keep trying to fill Jefferson’s shoes and keep the country on track, while also being faced with the first major international crisis to befall the country, a war with the British. Madison had to develop keen leadership skills and rely on many of his military men to keep America ready for any attack, and to fend off a reverting back to British control. Gutzman shows that the battles of the War of 1812 were hard fought and Madison was not one to get into the fray, but he valued the importance of America remaining independent and ready for whatever was tossed its way. Building on the Jefferson presidency, Madison sought to push America out of its infancy and into rugged adulthood, where it could grow and prove its prowess.

James Monroe was a leader who looked back as much as he did ahead, trying to keep the momentum going without losing much of what’s his predecessors forged for him. A man of great intellect, but not as gritty as the others, Monroe held his head high and focussed his attention to ensure that the work Jefferson and Madison did was not lost. Gutzman shows him to be the less impactful of the three men, but still trying to keep things running effectively and helping to shape Jeffersonian policies to keep Congress working effectively and with a detailed purpose. Gutzman shows how Monroe used the life lessons from his predecessors to shape America into the power that it would be moving towards its most tumultuous years. Monroe did all he could to keep things steady, without toppling too many apple carts along the way.

While the book was well written and full of formidable themes, there was a huge amount to digest. The history and the day-to-day exploration of things in a detailed narrative could, for some, get to be too much. Kevin Gutzman does well to leave the reader feeling as though they are a part of the action, but there is just so much going on that it can be overwhelming. While this is not an academic tome, its detail and analysis could keep only the most dedicated readers holding on. I was so pleased to be able to pluck something from each chapter, which helped me see how things are interconnected. The theme of three independent men directing the country through their respective presidencies is a stellar undertaking and Gutzman easily argues that this occurred. However, the names and places, as well as historic events, proved a great deal, as I sought to synthesis all that I read. Thankfully, he uses relatively short chapters, permitting the reader to launch themselves through the tome with relative ease, should their interest persist. I would gladly explore some of Gutzman’s other works to see if I can take more away from them, but I cannot say enough about this tome and the effort invested in it to give the reader something about which they can feel highly educated by the end of the reading experience.

Kudos, Mr. Gutzman, for piece of historical writing that left me hungry for more, even though I needed to pace myself to absorb it all.

In the Jeffersonians Mr. Gutsmen covers the ins and outs of the presidentcies of Jefferson Madison and Monroe. I love politics because from the beginning of our government and before it was fueled by gossip in fighting and of course posturing and with the author‘s writing style makes for a very interesting and intriguing read. In the day of the Jeffersons instead of Republicans they had the federalist and they would just is honest as leaders of today. The only thing that was different was the date. It was also the only time in history three presidents from the same party held two terms each making for six years and the Jeffersonian era. If you read this book with a critical eye you’ll see that they faced similar things to what we face instead of slavery we’re trying to end racism but because slavery was a law and racism is a character flaw the fight is much harder. But with both instances it all has to do with changing peoples minds and convincing them to do the right thing. I do love when Monroe said if we do free the slaves and send them to Liberia will we have to force them? Really you force them to come here… I thought that was absurd. I love history in love this book I love reading about our four fathers and especially when we get there personal feelings and in this book to help some personal correspondence and thoughts from each president and hangers on and other people in that area. I thoroughly enjoyed the sport and highly recommend it. I will definitely be reading more from Mr. Gutman in the future. He is clearly an author with a great grasp on our history. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I read Mr. Gutzman's last book which is a wonderful intellectual and philosophical biography of James Madison as both a man and a founding father. Therefore, I was excited to open his next venture and it does not disappoint. Gutzman returns to Madison but now focuses on his Presidency, as well as the presidencies of his contemporaries and political compatriots Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. These three men constitute the only trio of consecutive, two-term Presidents from the same political party in American history. Gutzman effectively explores the three Presidents' similarities and differences, accomplishments and failures and ultimately the common vision for the country that united them. All three men were suspicious and skeptical of federal power and overreach, yet didn't always adhere to this vision in the course of their presidencies. This book is fantastic history, well written and bubbling with detail and insight. Gutzman knows his subjects better than just about anyone. It is a shame that he is not more well known. I find him as erudite, skilled, insightful and lively as Joseph Ellis or Alan Talyor or other bestselling historians. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced review copy, which I voluntarily read. All thoughts are my own.

Kevin R. C. Gutzman's "The Jeffersonians" jumps right in on the topic of 3 of the 4 presidents who made up the Virginia Dynasty. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe are the first trio of consecutive two-term presidents.

The book is broken into three sections. The first section covers chapters 1 through 27, and focuses on Jefferson's time in office. The next section covers chapters 28 through 48 and details Madison's presidency. The final section covers the last 22 chapters of the book, focusing on Monroe's time as president.

Gutzman's writing is clean, concise, and detailed, but not in overwhelming manner. The chapters are a few pages in length, making it easy for one to read several chapters in one sitting. However, I must say that it would be wise to take your time reading this, as the topic is dense, so there is a lot to absorb. You cannot zip through this.

Downsides to this book: there is no bibliography for further reading; there are no images of any of the main people are included; the notes cannot be accessed by tapping the number corresponding to the note; there is no introduction that could provide a brief history of America's political founding.

This book is meant for the person who is a true American history buff, and I recommend it for those readers particularly. I also feel it would make an excellent book for a class focusing on the overall concept of Jeffersonian politics.

A great look back at history and how it once functioned much better than it does today. A great read if wanting to understanding how politics could work, how they did work (not perfectly, but better).