Finding, Framing, and Hanging Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and Freedom of Speech in an Age of Terrorism - Softcover

Dershowitz, Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470450436 ISBN 13: 9780470450437

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2009

Synopsis

The #1 New York Times bestselling author, Harvard Law School professor, and tireless defender of civil liberties unearths a little-known letter by his hero, Thomas Jefferson, and shares its secrets. The letter illuminates Jefferson’s views on freedom of speech in a way that has important implications for the country today, particularly in the struggle against terrorism. This book is about the remarkable letter Dershowitz found, how he found it, and why it matters not only to him, but to us today.

About this title

Review:

"What a treasure this book is, just like the stuff Dershowitz scours the old archives for. It is unexpected, revealing and resonant with a central fact of our Republic –– we are still stitched together by words, and their complicated progeny, idea. From a simple, fortuitous discovery, Dershowitz has fashioned an elaborate and engaging argument, one we will be thinking about for ages." –– Ken Burns, director and producer of Thomas Jefferson "Alan Dershowitz lives and breathes history. With the gleeful purchase of a relatively obscure letter from Jefferson, he time–travels back 200 years to write a reply to his hero that brings the debate over free speech from the imperfect past to the deeply troubled present. The book is both a warm personal insight into Dershowitz, the grown–up whiz kid still fuming because his mother threw out his comic books and baseball cards, and a great lesson on democracy from one of its wisest and most articulate advocates." –– Harold Ramis, film director, screenwriter, and actor "The 1801 letter of Thomas Jefferson to Elijah Boardman is of tremendous interest and importance as is the remarkable story of its discovery by Alan Dershowitz." –– David McCullough, Pulitzer prize–winning author "Finding Jefferson is terrific on every level – as a memoir of a passionate collector it is delightful; as an account of an important historical discovery it is riveting; as a defense of free speech it is brilliant." –– Doris Kearns Goodwin "Alan Dershowitz found an important letter from his hero that relates to freedom of speech, incitement, and terrorism –– subjects about which Alan has thought and taught for decades. This book is a wonderful adventure story that uses Jefferson′s arguments and Dershowitz′s counters to illuminate issues that were important and difficult when the U.S. was a new nation and that remain so today. I recommend it to every citizen concerned with preserving our liberties and combating terrorism." –– President William Jefferson Clinton

From the Back Cover:

History

" This book is a wonderful adventure story that uses Jefferson′s arguments and Dershowitz′s counters to illuminate issues that were important and difficult when the U.S. was a new nation and that remain so today. I recommend it to every citizen concerned with preserving our liberties and combating terrorism."

–President William Jefferson Clinton

"The 1801 letter of Thomas Jefferson to Elijah Boardman is of tremendous interest and importance, as is the remarkable story of its discovery by Alan Dershowitz."

–David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize winning author

"This book is terrific on every level: as a memoir of a passionate collector, it is delightful; as an account of an important historical discovery, it is riveting; as a defense of free speech, it is brilliant."

–Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0470450436
• ISBN 13: 9780470450437
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256