The Life Of Thomas Jefferson , Two Volumes

Charles Knight And Co., 1837. Hardcover. Very Good. A very nice set of the First Printings -- printing simultaneously in London and Philadelphia . This set was printed in London . Tucker was a Professor at Jefferson's University of Virginia . He was recommended for his post at the University by James Madison . In volume one of this publication he prints a copy of his letter to Madison sending him a copy of this manuscript and Madison's favorable response . Tucker had previously published , anonymously , a negative analysis of Jefferson's description of African slaves in the south in his NOTES ON VIRGINIA . Apparently , neither Jefferson nor Madison were aware of this previous publication . See Allan Taylor's THOMAS JEFFERSON'S EDUCATION on this point and more on Tucker . Tucker's work published in these two volumes is generally viewed as the first biography of Jefferson . There were two other , significant , early biographical treatments of Jefferson but neither was as comprehensive as Tucker's work . See R. Phillips , PUBLIC CHARACTERS 1800 - 1801 ( London , 1801 ) and Theodore Dwight , THE CHARACTER OF THOMAS JEFFERSON ( Boston , 1839 ) . This copy of Tucker's work has been rebound in cloth with gold graphics on the spine . The result is a beautiful . tight binding . The cloth on the boards is fresh . The graphics on the spine are bright . The textblock is in remarkably good condition . All of the material , including the frontispiece portrait of Jefferson , is present . The books are free of any marks except for the SIGNATURE of Douglas WILSON on the front pastedown of volume one . Wilson was Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello . This set would be an attractive addition to the library of any collector of Jefferson material .