Empire of Liberty takes a new look at the public life, thought, and ambiguous legacy of one of America's most revered statesmen. Robert Tucker and David Hendrickson vividly portray a complex man driven by his passion for liberty and his longing for a vast empire. They explore how Jefferson developed a new approach to diplomacy and examine Jefferson's legacy for American foreign policy in the light of several critical themes which continue to be highly significant today: the struggle between isolationists and interventionists, the historic ambivalence over the nation's role as crusader for liberty, and the relationship between democracy and peace.