The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Modern Library

On the occasion a dinner honoring Nobel Prize recipients, John F. Kennedy characterized his guests as "the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Mr. Jefferson, as he is still referred to at the University of Virginia, which he founded and designed, was a brilliant statesman, architect, scientist, naturalist, educator, and public servant.

Jefferson provided "the richest treasure house of historical information left to us by any single man" through journal entries, notes, addresses, and 70,000 letters. This first paperback edition of the Koch-Peden selection of his writings, published during the 250th anniversary of his birth, provides an engaging and timely representation of his thoughts.

Included in this volume are the autobiography (including the Declaration of Independence), travel journals, biographical sketches of some of his notable contemporaries, important public papers, Notes on Virginia -- his only published book -- and a generous selection of his letters on both public and private matters. The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson is a distinguished and important compilation.