In Pursuit of Jefferson, Derek Baxter
In Pursuit of Jefferson, Derek Baxter
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In Pursuit of Jefferson
Traveling Through Europe with the Most Perplexing Founding Father

Author: Derek Baxter

Narrator: William Sarris

Unabridged: 11 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/26/2022


Synopsis

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. 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? 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.

About Derek Baxter

Derek Baxter graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in history. He made nine separate trips abroad on Jefferson's trail.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Beth on February 12, 2022

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. In Pursuit of Jefferson 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 adulthoo......more

Goodreads review by Mallory on June 16, 2022

Just okay. It's part memoir, part travelogue, with various Jefferson anecdotes and facts mixed in. I'd say 1/2 the book talked about the author's travels, 1/4 talked about the author learning more about Jefferson's attitudes towards slavery, and 1/4 actually described Jefferson's "Hints to Americans......more