Many observers would insist that U.S. politics have never been more tumultuous than in the first quarter of the 21st century, but even a casual acquaintance with the history of the country's early decades belies that claim. In A Perfect Coincidence, Jim Rasenberger (Revolver) offers ample evidence for that proposition in a lively depiction of the era, seen through the complex relationship between two of its preeminent figures: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
The book's title refers to the remarkable fact that Adams and Jefferson died on the same day--July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. But as Rasenberger reveals in this smoothly paced chronological account, their public careers and private lives intersected in innumerable ways. Rasenberger doesn't confine himself to recounting epochal events either, as he devotes considerable attention to the personal lives of both men. He frankly reveals Adams's obstinacy, self-regard, and his uncanny talent for political self-sabotage, alongside Jefferson's hypocrisy on the issue of slavery and his lifelong financial profligacy.
One of the most appealing aspects of this work is how the two men overcame long-simmering political grievances to resume in 1812 what Rasenberger calls "one of the great correspondences of American history." Over their remaining years, they regularly exchanged letters that reflected on their lengthy and productive careers, while sharing the deeply personal joys and sorrows experienced by two men fortunate to live long, fruitful lives. Though some of their fellow members of the founding generation may have come close to matching their achievements, none surpassed them. Jim Rasenberger makes that abundantly clear in this engaging work of popular history. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer