Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams–who, David McCullough writes, was “not a man of the world” and not fond of politics–came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties–including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation.
Overshadowed by the lustrous presidents Washington and Jefferson, who bracketed his tenure in office, Adams emerges from McCullough’s brilliant biography as a truly heroic figure–not only for his significant role in the American Revolution but also for maintaining his personal integrity in its strife-filled aftermath. McCullough spends much of his narrative examining the troubled friendship between Adams and Jefferson, who had in common a love for books and ideas but differed on almost every other imaginable point. Reading his pages, it is easy to imagine the two as alter egos. (Strangely, both died on the same day, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.) But McCullough also considers Adams in his own light, and the portrait that emerges is altogether fascinating. –Gregory McNamee
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Engaging
From start to finish this book was engaging. If you find yourself wondering about America’s second president – who he was, how he got there, what his family life was like – I would recommend picking up this book. The writing is highly accessible, and at no point did I feel like the author was just filling pages with historical details. So many books become info dumps, but this wasn’t one of them. Of all the founding fathers, Adams is now one of my favorites.
4 Stars Interesting Book
I recently finished this book. As a college graduate, I’m struck by my ignorance concerning our second President. Reading David McCullough’s biography makes me feel like my history classes must have missed something, and I tend to agree with the author. Although he certainly takes a positive approach to Adams, I find little that he could have found serious fault with. His conduct during the revolution, both in Congress and Europe, was of extreme importance, and his service to his country (both the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the country as a whole) were invaluable to the survival of the democratic experiment. I was left not only admiring his selfless attitude toward the country and his repulsion toward party politics, but also his thirst for knowledge. An avid reader, he knew multiple languages and seemed to routinely translate ancient Greek or Latin into “modern” English.
The one fault I’ll pin on the book was the sometimes repetitive writing style and the length. I felt that certain areas were left vague (such as the American side of the conflict or his term as President) compared to what I wanted to know. Other areas, such as his constant correspondence with Abigail or the life of John Quincy that I felt were a bit overdone and could have been reduced to bring the book to a much more manageable 500 or so pages.
I recommend the book for anyone wishing to know more about colonial times and the life of our second President. You’ll walk away with a distinct, strong knowledge of his life, and really, if nothing else, we owe that much to our founding fathers.
5 Stars who was John Adams.
This was a fine production of one of our lesser known Presidents and his many accomplishments as well as his faults.
5 Stars Great biography
This book is an excellent biography of John Adams. Although a very long book, it isn’t overwhelming with boring details. It is filled with Adams own writings both from his journals as well as correspondance to his wife and others. It truly is delightful and brings an understanding of the early times of America and details that are otherwise glossed over in an interesting fashion. It reads as a novel rather than a textbook and brings his personality into the facts of the day. I greatly enjoyed reading this book.
4 Stars man of conviction, determination and hard work
A great read about John Adams and the challenges, politics, morals of his time. Not only informative and educational but also very entertaining with well researched materials in excellent organization. In the end, it makes you admire and appreciate the perseverance, intelligence, and the incredible hard work of our great leaders in the early American history.
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