A chronicle of Thomas Jefferson's passion for reading and building his library.

In honor of the Library of Congress's 200th anniversary in April and its new Jefferson exhibition, this book presents a lively narrative of Jefferson's life and influence in a series of essays by scholars, illuminated by Jefferson's own words. Introduction by Garry Wills, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Lincoln at Gettysburg." 150 illustrations, two-thirds in color.

Painstaking Reconstruction of Jefferson's Library Catalogue Sold to the Library of Congress in 1815 to replace volumes burned by the British during their occupation of Washington, Jefferson's library, comprising 6,700, volumes was one of the finest in the United States. The taxonomically arranged catalogue that accompanied these books was a remarkable work, one that offered great insight into the broad and systematic nature of Jefferson's mind. Unfortunately, it was lost. Using Jefferson's notes and the first edition of the Library of Congress catalogue, Gilreath and Wilson recreated Jefferson's original compilation. It contains an extensive collection of legal books arranged under the general heading "Philosophy." Beginning with the broad designations of "Ethics," "Moral Philosophy," "Law of Nature and Nations" and "Religion" Jefferson proceeds to such topics as "Common Law," "Maritime Law and "Foreign Law." It is valuable both for its insights into Jefferson's legal mind and as a guide to the titles one would want to include in a first-class American law library of the period. James Gilreath was an American history specialist at the Library of Congress rare book and special collections division. Douglas L. Wilson is George A. Lawrence Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus; Co-director, Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College Galesburg, Illinois. CONTENTS Foreword Introduction Selected Reading List Editorial Note Catalogue I. Memory 1. Antient History 2. Modern History. Foreign 3. Modern History. British 4. Modern History. American 5. History-Ecclesiastical 6. Natural Philosophy 7. Agriculture 8. Chemistry 9. Surgery 10. Medicine 11. Animals. Anatomy 12. Animals. Zoology 13. Botany 14. Mineralogy 15. Occupations of Man. Technical Arts II. Philosophy 16. Ethics Moral Philosophy Law of Nature and Nations 17. Religion 18. Jurisprudence. Equity 19. Jurisprudence. Common Law 20. Jurisprudence. Law-Merchant 21. Jurisprudence. Law-Maritime 22. Jurisprudence. Law- Ecclesiastical 23. Jurisprudence. Foreign Law 24. Politics 25. Mathematics. Pure. Arithematic 26. Mathematics. Pure. Geometry 27. Physico-Mathematics. Mechanics, Statics, Dynamics, Pneumatics, Phonics, Optics 28. Astronomy 29. Geography III. Fine Arts 30. Architecture 31. Gardening, Painting, Sculpture 32. Music 33. Poetry. Epic 34. Romance, Tales-Fables 35. Pastorals, Odes, Elegies 36. Didactic 37. Tragedy 38. Comedy 39. Dialogue-Epistolary 40. Logic, Rhetoric, Orations 41. Criticism. Theory 42. Criticism. Bibliography 43. Criticism. Languages 44. Polygraphical Appendix Some pages from the printed catalogue of 1815

The First White House Library is the first book to consider the history of books and reading in the Executive Mansion.

From the archives of the Library of Congress: “An irresistible treasury for book and library lovers.” —Booklist (starred review) The Library of Congress brings book lovers an enriching tribute to the power of the written word and to the history of our most beloved books. Featuring more than two hundred full-color images of original catalog cards, first edition book covers, and photographs from the library’s magnificent archives, this collection is a visual celebration of the rarely seen treasures in one of the world’s most famous libraries and the brilliant catalog system that has kept it organized for hundreds of years. Packed with engaging facts on literary classics—from Ulysses to The Cat in the Hat to Shakespeare’s First Folio to The Catcher in the Rye—this is an ode to the enduring magic and importance of books. “The Card Catalog is many things: a lucid overview of the history of bibliographic practices, a paean to the Library of Congress, a memento of the cherished card catalogs of yore, and an illustrated collection of bookish trivia . . . . The illustrations are amazing: luscious reproductions of dozens of cards, lists, covers, title pages, and other images guaranteed to bring a wistful gleam to the book nerd’s eye.” —The Washington Post