Title: History at its source
Product review: An excellent read - especially because it is the writing of one of the Founding Fathers. This volume should be read after reading a few biographies, particularly; Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson and Washington. That background will help in understanding Jefferson's sometimes subtle digs and jabs at his contemporaries. There is a self-serving side to the Anas, but that is the nature of almost all personal accounts and easily identified with some prior reading.One can watch the growing corrosive effects of "party" on politics - each side, Federalists and Democratic Republicans, exaggerating the vices of the other and hyping the virtue of their own philosophy. Eminently readable, but keep Wikipedia handy to look-up numerous 2nd and 3rd tier players that T.J. will reference.Interesting also that the editor places his name on the same by-line as Jefferson. Apparently he was not cowed by the Great One: chutzpa trumps humility with Sawvil.
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