by Alan Dershowitz (Author)
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.
Front Jacket
Finding, Framing, and Hanging Jefferson
A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and Freedom of Speech in an Age of Terrorism
On September 8, 2006, in a dusty old Manhattan bookstore, Alan Dershowitz found an 1801 letter written by his hero, Thomas Jefferson. The letter illuminates Jefferson's views on freedom of speech in a way that has important implicationsfor 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 now.
Back Jacket
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
Author Biography
Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is one of the country's foremost appellate lawyers and a distinguished defender of individual liberties. His many books include the #1 New York Times bestsellers Chutzpah and The Case for Israel. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.