American SphinxAmerican Sphinx
Score Modern
What it's about
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and owned hundreds of people; he championed liberty and ran up enormous debts; he was shy and secretive yet led a political revolution. Joseph Ellis examines Jefferson's character at five points in his life, trying to understand the man behind the myth.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award. It's a perceptive, readable portrait of the most contradictory of the founders.
You'll love it if you liked
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
The First American: The Life and Time of Benjamin Franklin
1776Good to know
It's a character study rather than a full biography. Ellis's view on Sally Hemings changed after DNA evidence; later editions note this.
By the numbers
- Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics61 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller12 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #93 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #219 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #937 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1732 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Joseph J. Ellis
If you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
When Breath Becomes Air
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Braiding Sweetgrass
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
How to Be an AntiracistExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 1990sTop 25 · 273 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is American Sphinx worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award. It ranks #1,732 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is American Sphinx about?
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and owned hundreds of people; he championed liberty and ran up enormous debts; he was shy and secretive yet led a political revolution. Joseph Ellis examines Jefferson's character at five points in his life, trying to understand the man behind the myth.
How long does it take to read American Sphinx?
About 11 hours (440 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has American Sphinx won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1997).
What should I read after American Sphinx?
If you liked it, try Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis, The First American: The Life and Time of Benjamin Franklin by H.W. Brands or 1776 by David McCullough.