| Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's: Three Men, Five Great Wines, and the Evening That Changed America Contributor(s): Cerami, Charles A. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0470450444 ISBN-13: 9780470450444 Publisher: Trade Paper Press OUR PRICE: $14.36 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2009 Annotation: A New York Times extended bestselling author re-creates the dinner party that saved the union The Constitution was two years old. Washington was in his first term of office, and the United States was in serious danger. Bitter political rivalry between former allies and two surging issues that inflamed the nation led to grim talk of breaking up the union. Then a single great evening achieved compromises that led to America's great expansion. This book celebrates Thomas Jefferson and his two guests, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, as well as the dinner itself-the courses, the wines, the nature of the conversation-and the rapid results that followed. Charles A. Cerami (Washington, DC) is the author of three popular histories, including the New York Times extended bestseller Jefferson's Great Gamble (978-1-4022-0240-7), Young Patriots (978-1-4022-0236-0), and Benjamin Banneker (978-0-471-38752-7). |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - General |
| Dewey: 973.41 |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 6" W x 9" (0.95 lbs) 288 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 18th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Cerami wittily recounts the evening in rich detail. --Library Journal Only two guests were invited to what was arguably the most elegant, sumptuous, and important dinner party that Thomas Jefferson ever hosted. Each course was prepared and laid out in advance so that no servants would enter the dining room to disrupt conversation and overhear random remarks, which they might later repeat to others. Privacy was imperative. Jefferson believed that the very future of the United States of America depended on convincing Alexander Hamilton to agree to a compromise he and Madison were proposing on two issues that threatened to tear the young republic apart. Plying his guests with the fine wine and exquisite cuisine only a former ambassador to France could provide, Jefferson set the stage for a compromise that enabled the federal government to pay its debts, both domestic and foreign, and make the American dollar ""as good as gold."" In Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's, you'll discover the little-known story behind this pivotal evening in American history, complete with wine lists, recipes, and wonderful illustrations of 1790s New York, then the nation's capital. It is a feast not to be missed for lovers of American history, fine dining, and a compelling true story well told. |