Rating: 
Summary: The book's weak narrative is its major flaw.
Review: After recently finishing "Founding Brothers" by Joseph J. Ellis, which essentially covered various major events in post-revolutionary American history through the 1800 election of Thomas Jefferson to the presidency, I was interested in continuing my reading through the next several years of Jefferson's administration. The Louisiana Purchase was an obvious next step - and arguably the next event of any significance after Jefferson's election - in a reading of early American history.I was disappointed by the narrative, though I think the subject matter was generally interesting. In the hands of a more accomplished author/historian, the story could have had the pop, the suspense and the intrigue of a historical novel. It didn't. Cerami's narrative was plodding and often dull. He backtracked and zig-zagged to provide context to his principal narrative to such an extent that there was no real "story" to follow. There's so much history available to read and so much good scholarship from original source material that narrative skills separates the mediocre works from the great ones. I would put this book in the former category.
Rating:
Summary: Easy read, but really a collection of bios
Review: Cerami's book is an easy read. I read about three quarters of it in an hour and half. Unfortunately, when I bought it I was expecting the story of the Louisana purchase. True enough it was there, but you have to sort through the biographies of each of the characters. I am still not entirely certain how Talleyrand got to the position of foreign minister really impacted the purchase of the Louisana territory, but it was there. The best part of the book was the last chapter. The story of Jackson's victory at New Orleans was interesting and probably the best piece of history included in the book, but unfortunately, it really came far too late in the read for me. Had there been more of this kind of history included, in terms of the writing style, the book probably would have kept me going with a greater degree of interest. Finally, this is a small point for some, but the last part of the book includes a series of notes associated with each page. However, there isn't any reference on those pages as to what the note is dealing dealing with. You have no way of correlating the text with the notes included, which makes the explanatory notes all the more difficult to understand. There was some positive to the book however, in addition to the last chapter. Cerami did include reference to the Treaty of San Ildefonso and to the circumstances that led to it being signed, which then leads us to have an understanding of how Napoleon got the territory. I include this as a positive because finding much information in the popular literature is difficult. It's too bad that Cerami didn't choose to focus on the similar aspects of the purchase to improve the overall historical nature of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Well done and informative
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: From New Oleans to all of Louisiana
Review: In Jefferson's Great Gamble, Charles A. Cerami gives the reader a look behind the scenes of the greatest real estate deal in American history. We see all of the participants, some mere glimpses, others in-depth. It was a moment in time when their strengths and weaknesses showed clearly. Cerami has done a great service to those who study Early American history. But it is the less dedicated students who may learn things they never knew. For instance, we learn here about Robert Livingston, a man who has been nearly lost to history, yet the one who was present at the beginning of the negotiations between the United States and France. The story opens with information on Livingston and how his relationships with the leaders of France made it all possible. We learn, too, about the machinations used by Jefferson and Madison, from disinformation to sending Monroe to conclude the deal. Going from seeking to purchase New Orleans, in order to secure use of the Mississippi, to being offered the whole of Louisiana, whose boundaries were only vaguely known, Although some of the narrative is slightly disjointed, it is not difficult to follow the story. The participants often seem petty and self-serving, yet their strength of character and dedication to their countries stand out. This is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the early history of America or the Napoleonic period.
Rating:
Summary: Jefferson's Great Gamble, A Wonderful Character Study
Review: Jefferson's Great Gamble, by Charles Cermani is a gem. The author has exhibited the rare ability to lift the historical character right off the page, and allow us to meet that person on a very intimate basis. The strength of Mr. Cermani's book rests on the wonderful characterizations of Jefferson, Bonaparte, Talleyrand, Marbois, Livingston, Madison and Monroe. The author expertly weaves the personalities of these men, their strengths, and weaknesses, into the fabric that is the story of The Louisiana Purchase. It is a complete story as told by Mr. Cermani. The actual facts of the purchase are not neglected, but highly enhanced by the various character studies, and exploration of how personalities, and circumstances determined the ultimate outcome. Of particular interest were the descriptions of how Jefferson and Madison used disinformation to influence a decision by the French, and the very strange relationship the Jefferson administration had with their man in Paris, Robert Livingston. Mr. Cermani also employed a style of writing that produced a very readable book. The flow of the text was wonderful, and was almost novel like as at times I could not put the book down. I would encourage anyone with an interest in American history, or just good writing, to read this well researched, and written offering on one of the great events in American history. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Jefferson's Great Gamble
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: From Sea to Shining Sea!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable read and a wonderful character study
Review: This book is a very quick read for a history book and did not drag at one single point until perhaps the final chapter. Don't be fooled by the title, it is not as much about Jefferson's role in the Louisiana Purchase as the other men: Madison, Livingston, Monroe, Talleyrand, and Marbois. Cerami goes in depth on the specific roles of each character and clearly shows how they interwove to create this historic event in history. One of the reasons I gave it four stars (and not five) is because Cerami seemed to go back and forth on whether or not he thought Robert Livingston was the one who should receive the most credit for the Purchase. He made it clear that Livingston paved the way for the Purchase, and at one point it seemed as if he was conveying that Monroe was the antagonist for spoiling what Livingston had worked so long for. But he almost contradicts himself later by saying that Livingston was indeed not trustworthy and very egotistic, while Monroe was very deserving of all the credit he received for the Purchase. The last chapter dragged a bit. It was over a decade after the Purchase and focused on General Andrew Jackson's battle over New Orleans. Cerami does a wonderful job describing the battle, but it doesnt seem to fit with the rest of the book. Now granted, the War of 1812 did help to finalize the Purchase but I just felt like this chapter was out of place. I was also surprised that he only devoted one chapter to the slave rebellion at Saint Dominique... for without that rebellion, I dont think Napoleon would have sold the Louisiana Territory. But overall, it is a wonderful book and it was well worth the read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who does not have that much knowledge already about this historic transaction and wants to learn more. If you are already an expert about this event, then read it for the marvelous character study.
Rating:
Summary: Jefferson's Great Gamble
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: A Huge Letdown
Review: This book was dreadful. The author fails to flesh out the premise of the book--the title--and instead goes off on a series of tangents and non sequitirs. Perhaps this book wouldn't have been so unsatisfying if the author had been more honest with its contents. This is hardly a story of some great gamble taken by Jefferson. Jefferson is at best a minor character in the story, and his infleuence is never credibly substantiated. Even the "good" parts--those dealing with Livingston--seem to lack any sort of conviction. Basically this book is series of partially interesting character portraits sandwiched by completely misleading introductory and closing chapters. I can find no other way to say it than this book was very poorly written and was a huge disappointment.
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