Long Journey with Mr. Jefferson: The Life of Dumas Malone

by William G. Hyland Jr.

Overview

The magisterial “collaboration” over half a lifetime between historian Dumas Malone and his subject, Thomas Jefferson, is the basis for William G. Hyland Jr.’s compelling Long Journey with Mr. Jefferson. Malone, the courtly and genteel historian from Mississippi, spent thirty-eight years researching and writing the definitive biography of the man who “invented the United States of America.”

Hyland provides a surprising portrait of the man many consider America’s greatest historian, recording in detail Malone’s struggle to finish his towering six-volume work on Jefferson through excruciating pain and then blindness at the age of eighty-three. Hyland includes Malone’s previously unpublished correspondence with such notables as John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, George H. W. Bush, Felix Frankfurter, and Fawn Brodie. Readers are treated to an exclusive look at private family documents and Malone’s unfinished memoir, which reflects on history, social commentary, and his life’s accomplishments.

Offering much more than most biographies, this book imparts extensive insights into Malone’s earlier years in Mississippi and Georgia, and how they shaped his character. Through interviews with his intimates, family members, rivals, and subordinates, Hyland generates a true portrait of the man behind the intellect and the myth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612341972
Publisher:	Potomac Books
Publication date:	01/31/2013
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

William G. Hyland Jr., a native of Virginia, is the author of In Defense of Thomas Jefferson (2009), nominated for the Virginia Literary Award, and a professor at Stetson University College of Law. He is a member of the Virginia and New York Historical Societies, serves on the board of directors of the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, and has lectured at the National Archives and for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He lives in Tampa, Florida.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xix

Chronology xxi

1 The White House 1

2 Reflections 5

3 The Deep South 11

4 A Marine 21

5 Brothers 31

6 Yak 37

7 Along the Lawn 43

8 Elisabeth 57

9 The Dictionary 67

10 Harvard University Press 83

11 Columbia 97

12 On Writing and Politics 107

13 Jefferson, the Virginian 119

14 Douglas Southall Freeman 135

15 Sally Hemings 147

16 Malonevs. CBS 163

17 The Pulitzer Prize 173

18 Fame and the Famous 185

19 Blindness 197

20 Death on the Mountain 207

Afterword 213

Epilogue: Jefferson's DNA 221

Appendix A Jefferson Letter to Roosevelt 227

Appendix B Prizes, Awards, and Writings 241

Notes 243

Bibliography 275

Index 287

About the Author 297

Editorial Reviews

Anyone interested in how good history is written will be mesmerized by this book. If some readers also want to find out whether recent assaults on Thomas Jefferson's reputation are based on fact or on factoids, they will find a veritable mother lode of information here.”—Thomas Fleming, author of The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers

“Author William Hyland has done a tremendous service to us all by producing this carefully researched, thoroughly documented, yet very readable biography of the greatest Jefferson scholar the world has to date produced. It is the story of a remarkable scholar’s quest for the truth, and it contains countless lessons to guide young scholars today who wish to make their mark in this same quest. I recommend the volume enthusiastically for scholars of all ages and for anyone who shares our common fascination and admiration for Mr. Jefferson."—Robert F. Turner, professor of law, University of Virginia, and chairman, Jefferson-Hemings Scholars Commission

“A great historian is as rare as a great poet or novelist. And a great historian needs a great subject—as when Dumas Malone met Thomas Jefferson. Hyland's work is more than the biography of a historian. His account of Malone's intellectual struggles with and for Jefferson make an original and important contribution to Jefferson studies and to the understanding of American thought in the 20th century.”—Clyde N. Wilson, distinguished professor of history (emeritus), University of South Carolina

“The great Jefferson biographer, Dumas Malone, explained that the biographer’s role is to “portray character plausibly, in the round.” That is exactly what Hyland has accomplished in his biography of Malone. Hyland brilliantly and movingly brings Malone to life, from his Marine Corps boot camp experience to lunching with Queen Elizabeth II. Hyland deals most tellingly with Malone’s assessment of the Jefferson/Hemings issues, where Hyland brings to bear his unique insights. He provides depth, clarity and scrupulous attention to detail.”—Arthur T. Downey, former National Security Council adviser and author of Civil War Lawyers: Constitutional Questions, Courtroom Dramas, and the Men behind Them

"A welcome and richly drawn portrait of the renowned author of the biographical masterwork Thomas Jefferson. In Long Journey With Mr. Jefferson Hyland proves the enduring power of Dumas Malone's principled adherence to historical truth and scholarly excellence. A timely reminder of the importance of integrity and character in an era of agenda-driven Jefferson studies."—Eric S. Petersen, editor of Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness

“Hyland has produced a brilliant biography about a man whose life is arguably as interesting as that of Thomas Jefferson. This biography is highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the passions and motivations of the man who produced the seminal work on Jefferson.”—C. Thomas Faulders III, president and CEO, University of Virginia Alumni Association

"Finally we have an outstanding biography of one of America's great historians, Dumas Malone. Hyland has captured Malone as a warm and genial family man, a world-renowned scholar, and the world's greatest Jeffersonian authority and author. His description of his encounters with some of the brightest educators, political leaders, and journalists of his day is fascinating. There is never a dull moment in this book."—W. McKenzie Wallenborn, president, Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society

“Hyland has taken on a fine task in writing a biography of the remarkable Dumas Malone.”—Katherine Sargeant, Dumas Malone’s personal assistant

“Extremely well written.”—Edward A. Leake, member of the board of directors, Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society

From the Publisher