Rick Britton has been writing about Thomas Jefferson and Monticello for over a dozen years. His well-received Jefferson pieces have appeared in newspapers and magazines all across the Old Dominion. Based largely on that work, this book presents an eclectic and captivating collection of Jefferson essays. Within its pages you'll discover: Jefferson's influence on Albemarle, his native county; the British raid that came within a hairsbreadth of capturing Jefferson; slavery along Monticello's Mulberry Row; Jefferson's friendship with Italian vintner Filippo Mazzei; his wide-ranging scientific pursuits; William Clark's 1807 trek to Big Bone Lick, Ky., in search of Mastodon bones; Jefferson's efforts toward exploring the West; the all-but-forgotten Freeman and Custis expedition; Jefferson's slavery correspondence with Edward Coles; Lafayette's 1824 visit to Monticello; Jefferson's founding of the University of Virginia; his amazing architectural legacy; and the early years of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, the organization that owns and operates Monticello.