Jefferson's Great Gamble: The Remarkable Story of Jefferson, Napoleon and the Men Behind the Louisiana Purchase

This book was a great and fluid read all the way thru. It's a great overview of Jefferson's gamble on Madison, Livingston, Marbois, Talleyrand. Jefferson's Gamble on people. On the nation. And on the future. Great read!

If you need to understand the way the LA purchase was part of American history then this the book to read. The book does an excellent job of explaining Madison, Jefferson, Livingston, Marbois and Talleyrand's ideas about how to sell, buy and determine how valuable the LA purchase was. I would suggest this to anybody who loves American history and would like to find out how America almost became a French territory.

No one will accuse me of being a pro or much a historian, but after reading this book, I think I have a solid grasp of the crucial events and characters that led to the Louisiana Purchase. And what made it special was that it was such an enjoyable journey provided by Cerami. I've read a few books about the Corps of Discovery and have become fasinated by Lewis & Clark's amazing expedition. I've felt rewarded by a some Revolutionary biographies, as well. So when I saw Cerami's title, it was a natural choice to bridge the gap. When I laid the book on my night stand for the last time, I felt a sense of appreciation as well as enlightenment. Enlightened because of the lucid, so very understanable presentation of the pertinent events and the important insights into the motivations and actions of the men involved in securing the Purchase. Even though Napolean and Jefferson were the decison makers, the real, intriguing and mostly unknown story is their subordinates and their influence on and link to this remarkable event in history. For this non-pro, yet immensely interested reader, the dots of those cultural, political, communicative and economic times and rhythms with the startlingly different personalities involved in securing the Purchase were rendered almost effortlessly connected. My knowledge has been substantially enhanced.Appreciation because Cerami created a project so inviting and so easy to read. I often felt like I was a participant and from time to time a fly on the wall tasting history being blended for my benefit. I especially appreciated the structural device he used to create sections within the chapters. It gave me a chance to catch my breath and reflect on what had just transpired, as well as make connections to my previous knowledge of the times and events. I found the reasons for, preparation and description of the Battle of New Orleans an interesting device for tying the Louisiana Purchase together. If you enjoy history but aren't a pro, this book will be a pleasant and informative experience.

The value of Cerami's rendition of the Louisiana Purchase is l) its down-to-earth clarity, and 2) the way the historical participants come alive on every page! For those who know little or nothing about the importance of the Louisiana Purchase, this book will whet your appetite for more details of this exciting, invalualuable event that brought us the territory west of the Appalachians which, without it, we may never have become the world leader for freedom and democracy. For those who have an understanding of why Jefferson and others forsaw the importance of U.S. expansion on this continent, the author brings the major players from the U.S., Spain and France to life for you through their negotiations, their letters, private thoughts, and individual personalities. This is history told at its best with uncomplicated clarity and at the same time gives enough pros and cons from all the countries involved to allow the reader to understand why negotiations were so difficult; and how we could have lost the whole deal had other personalities been in charge.I now have a new sense of such simple facts as why the West became "the wild west", why the northeastern states are so small and the western states so much larger, why being one country that stretched from "sea to shining sea" gave us time to grow and mature in relative peace to European countries, and land with all the natural resources needed for independence.Jefferson's Great Gamble whetted my appetite for more on the subject, so I bought A Wilderness So Immense, by Jon Kukla. I'm very glad I read the former first because it gave me a background to help understand Kukla's book, which I might have put down before finishing the first chapter because it's slow getting started. There are a lot of characters in Kukla's book mentioned only once (check the index) and in my opinion don't add any importance to the story of the La. Purchase; rather it makes the reading drag. But since I've a long way to go, I'll reserve final judgement on Kukla's book for now. Charles Cerami's book deserves five stars.

I found this book to be extremely compelling. What's better? It is written in an extremely readable style. Mr. Cerami relates fascinating American History in a non stuffy way, providing an excellent understanding of this incredible real estate deal and the drama behind it that everyone can read! I was so captivated by the details about Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Jefferson, and Napoleon. There was so much I never knew before!