The Folio Society Publishes Jefferson Anthology, <i>An Expression of the American Mind</i>
London, UK, September 2013 — The Folio Society (www.foliosociety.com), publisher of beautiful illustrated books, today announces the publication of a new anthology of Thomas Jefferson’s writings, An Expression of the American Mind. Editors at The Folio Society collaborated with Jefferson biographer R. B. Bernstein to present the “greatest hits” of one of America’s most prolific and influential Founding Fathers. Drawn from Jefferson’s vast collection of political and travel writings, as well as personal correspondence — including more than 15,000 letters — this volume ranges from his observations on such simple pleasures as French wine and gardening to his defining views on freedom, democracy, and size of government.
In this edition, compiled exclusively for Folio, Bernstein — who teaches at City College of New York and New York Law School; and authored The Founding Fathers Reconsidered and Thomas Jefferson — takes the reader on a “guided tour” of Jefferson’s life and the evolution of his thinking, providing insight into the man who helped craft the American Revolution. From his first surviving letter, written in 1760 to persuade his guardian to allow him to attend college, to his last public letter, written ten days before his death, Jefferson’s writings document his ongoing struggle with issues of political freedom, race, equality, and Church and State, many of the same issues faced today in America and around the world. “Jefferson would urge us to stay involved as we continue to wrestle with and refine the complex founding principles that he hoped would serve as models for humanity,” says Bernstein.
In An Expression of the American Mind, Jefferson speaks for himself through the vast variety of his writings, constituting a personal and candid account of his life. Bernstein’s expert commentary provides an illuminating and enriching narrative, offering context and chronologically guiding the reader through Jefferson’s life and the tumultuous events that he witnessed and often shaped. According to Bernstein, this anthology shows Jefferson’s efforts “to order the world with words.”
In a specially commissioned introduction, Bernstein explains how the political leader embodied the American contradiction and took great pride in expressing the American mind in drafting the Declaration of Independence in imperishable terms. Images of drafts of Jefferson’s writings, artifacts, and historical events of the time, chosen based on careful and extensive research, complement the text, making this edition one of the only illustrated Jefferson anthologies in print.
Three-quarter bound in buckram with Modigliani paper side. Set in Palatino, 616 pages; frontispiece and 32 pages of colour plates. 10” x 6 ½” The binding design shows a detail of the original Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776. U.S. $79.95. Available online at www.foliosociety.com.
About The Folio Society
For over 65 years, The Folio Society has been publishing beautiful illustrated editions of the world’s greatest books. We believe that the literary content of a book should be matched by its physical form. With specially commissioned illustrations, many of our editions are further enhanced with introductions written by leading figures in their field: novelists, journalists, academics, scientists, and artists.
There are hundreds of Folio Society editions currently in print covering fiction, biography, history, science, philosophy, children’s literature, humour, myths and legends, and more. Exceptional in content and craftsmanship and maintaining the highest standards of fine book production, Folio Society editions are created to last for generations. Folio Society titles be purchased from www.foliosociety.com or by phone (toll-free): 1-866-255-8280.
