The flood of popular books about heroes of the American
Revolution has not helped Thomas Jefferson. David McCullough's
John Adams revived the reputation of one of Jefferson's
political rivals. And the most prominent recent works have
focused on Sally Hemings. In several books on Hamilton and
Washington, Jefferson appears at a disadvantage. Michael
Kranish's Flight From Monticello focuses on one of the worst
times in Jefferson's life. He became governor of Virginia in
1779 and had to face repeated invasions of his state by British
forces. The most extensive, led initially by Benedict Arnold,
routed the Virginia militia and the state's tiny Navy, chased
the legislature from Williamsburg and Richmond, and pursued them
all the way to Charlottesville. Then they went for Jefferson. He
rode out of Monticello minutes before British cavalrymen invaded
the place and ransacked his wine cellar (but spared the house).
As Kranish tells the story, Jefferson talked over and over to
writers, biographers, and friends about tho