Rating: 
Summary: A real patriot
Review: The size of this book is intimidating, so I purchased it in electronic format and am reading it now. I must say, it has truly captured my attention even though I'm not a history buff. And it has lived up to its reputation as being well written and very interesting. The liberal use of quotations from Adams' letters has made this book a window into the life and times of John Adams and I am thoroughly delighted to have read it. I do recommend using an electronic version if you have the equipment. One is struck with the incredible integrity of John Adams and his faithful use of his ethical system. He was almost always consistent in his approach to problems and was therefore dependable and predictable. His commitment to our country was nothing short of monumental and in these trying times, it is good to read of a true patriot who understood that he and his country had to be held to a very high standard indeed. McCullough's book is definitely worth the time to read and one should not be put off by its size, the time will fly more quickly than you can imagine.
Rating:
Summary: Independence Forever!
Review: I'm so glad I read this book. I learned alot about John and Abigail Adams, along with other figures from those history-making revolutionary times. This is a very well-researched, painstakingly so, tome. I do have one complaint. In my opinion, the author always tried to justify John Adams, even when he was being criticized by those around him for some action or behavior, and, in my opinion, he usually drew negative connotations from Thomas Jefferson's actions and behavior. I came away from finishing the book with the impression the author truly disliked Jefferson. Say what you will, Jefferson was a two-term president while Adams was a one termer. Jefferson was tremendously popular during his time and not for no reason. I also wonder if the part of the country Adams and the author are both from affected the author's attitude towards Jefferson, a Virginian, and a Southerner. The author also talks about how Adams was not a rich man. At his death he was worth $100,000. In 1826, that was not small potatoes. Whether Adams lived frugally or not, for his time he was considered wealthy. The first half of the book was harder for me to read than the second half. Parts would be tedious, then be very interesting, then might be very painful to read. Adams time in Europe, especially Holland was not easy reading for me. It was depressing and painful. I don't know how Abigail survived the separations she had to endure. Her letters to John sometimes took two months to reach him, and vice versa. The second half of the book was about the birth of our nation and all the growing pains that went with it. When we first started electing presidents, whoever got the second most votes got to be Vice President. Also, as our second President, John Adams kept George Washington's cabinet. Big mistake. It was fascinating to me to read how our founding fathers had to learn painful lessons from experience. Its also sad how the Adams's oldest son, John Quincy, was such a success, but their two youngest sons struggled, one of them becoming an alcoholic and dying young. This is barely touched upon in the book, but enough to make the reader think about how and why. I recommend this book to those who love to read history, and who have a burning desire to learn more about our founding fathers, the Revolutionary War period, and the birth of our government. As John Adams said, "Independence forever!"
Rating: 
Summary: A Man Of Sound Moral Principle
Review: My husband and I listened to the audio tape of this book and it was truly time well spent. Each morning, along with our coffee, we had breakfast with John and Abigail Adams. They both made a lasting impression in my mind. David McCullough did a fantastic job of bringing John & Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin to life. The historical events became more interesting when interjected with the feelings and reflections that the founding fathers had on the various events. The author used excerpts from countless letters that passed between Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, and other great men, to give us their thoughts in their own words. John Adams, the man seemed to have been brilliant, pompous, very
likable and extremely exasperating. His personal integrity noted by many people was one of his most prominent features.From a Massachusetts country lawyer, he went on to become a member of the Continental Congress, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He secured loans from the Dutch for the fledgling American government, helped to negotiate the peace treaty with Great Britain and, for three years served as our first minister to the Court of Saint James in London. He was our first Vice President serving under George Washington and, of course our second President. Many pages are devoted to the often troubled relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. They made their peace in the last years of their lives, and the letters that passed between these two American icons, were wonderful. In the end, they shared one final day. They both died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. McCullough even gives us a love story that’s told through the letters and diaries of John and Abigail. The love and sacrifices they made for their country during and after the revolution is something that seems to be unparalleled in any other historic couple. Abigail appeared to be an equal partner in her relationship with John. Because of his appointments and positions, she was on her own and managing their property for months and years at a time, and made many choices and decisions that greatly influenced their lives. She not only helped her husband become the second President of the U. S.,
she also raised a son, John Quincy Adams who became the sixth President of the U. S. This well researched book gave me the feeling of witnessing the birth of my country. The book’s narrator, Nelson Runger did an excellent job.
Rating:
Summary: A Master Storyteller
Review: I wasn't overly excited about McCullough's John Adams when it first came out. I'd heard the rave reviews, but at the time I had just finished another John Adams biography by John Ferling. My appetite for Adams was sufficiently satiated. Early this year, however, I caught McCullough on CSPAN Book Notes, giving a speech about his various books, and I was enthralled. The man can tell a good story. And I mean good. The speech began somewhere around midnight and I couldn't change the channel until it finished somewhere around 3AM - I was transfixed. It was then, with weary eyes and stiffened back, I decided to give McCullough a chance. Of course I was glad I did. There's a reason why McCullough is the latest darling of the popular history arena - he's (darn) good at what he does. I'm not talking about his research or capacity for insight - which, although both of high quality are no more impressive than any other historians I've read - but rather just the manner in which he weaves his writing. That's where the true craftsmanship shows through. McCullough is a true storyteller in every sense of the word. His writing is personal and fluid, seamlessly incorporating thousands of quotes from John and Abigail, as well as countless others, directly into his narrative. To read David McCullough is to read John Adams. No other book will ever bring the reader as close to good old John as this one. If I had a single complaint about the book - there's always at least one - it would be that McCullough seems a bit too quick to justify (or worse, apologize) for certain unsavory aspects of John Adams' character and career. Adams was far from perfect. He was overly vain, quick to temper, and he often made very poor decisions - to wit, the Alien and Sedition Acts. In each instance, when relating an Adams snafu, McCullough acknowledges the mistake, but too often continues with "... but it makes sense if you consider..." But for many such instances, there should be no "buts". The Sedition Acts were obviously unconstitutional. Adams' temper and frequent outbursts did get him into serious trouble on several occasions, often to the detriment of his career. There are no explanations needed to erase away these flaws - Adams was human, like the rest of us, and he made his mistakes. In the end, the book would have been stronger had McCullough not only acknowledged these mistakes but used them to delineate the shortcomings in John Adams' character, instead of apologizing for them. But hey, no one's perfect. Get the book, you'll love it. I'm almost certainly going to pick up some other McCullough's in the coming months, even though most of the subjects he's covered interest me not at all (i.e. Truman, Panama Canal, Jonestown Flood...) Of course, the big news is that his next book will be entirely about the Revolution......
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice Work
Review: I was so impressed with this work and how extensively researched it was. I had just finished a kind of post modern presentation of extensively researched history and philosophy called "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick (which was wonderful, by the way), so I was relishing getting back to the tradionally presented intellectual scholarship of David McCullough's "John Adams". I was not disappointed. It was a masterful job. He managed to make an impressive case for historians to bring John Adams into clearer focus in our American culture. Adams will now probably replace Jefferson as the currently most studied founding father. I have to wonder what new allegations will be spun about him. Will he be revisionist history's next whipping boy?
Rating: 
Summary: Well written but made me dislike Adams
Review: I must say that the author is a powerful writer ans as an historian myself I appreciate his researched. But, the book bored me silly. It was tedious and his decriptions of Adams' reactions to various figures of his time showed a certain pomposity that made me dislike the man whose writings I admired. Perhaps the author made him real but I doubt the real Adams is in here.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent biography
Review: What more can I add to the vouluminous reviews already present? This book follows in the fine tradition of the author and provides valuable insight ot the man behind the great feats.
Rating:
Summary: facts galore - but a bit of a bore
Review: I realize I am nearly alone in my opinion of this book but I found it confusing. I kept turning back to earlier pages to get my bearings. Trips to Philadelphia, ocean crossings, visits to his home, the birth of children and more all became a blur. I began to wonder if John Adams was perhaps caught up in the confusion of the times and just swept along himself. The colonial times were a difficult time to live and it seems to me it was luck that sustained him.
Rating:
Summary: Deep Rich American History
Review: I think this book about a President that sacrificed so much but has received so little credit is one of the best I have ever read. This book not only give you insight into John Adam's life but also Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and many other important figures during our country's early years. It also reveals the depth of emotional struggle and strength of John Adam's wife, Abigail. One of the most endearing features of this book is the many insights into letters and diary's of most of the main characters in this story, giving the reader a true vision of their thoughts and feelings. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book to any one that loves history or loves biographies.
Rating:
Summary: First-rate biography
Review: This is one of those books that I can't put down. I have learned more American history and have come to comprehend the real men behind the names of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington et al. McCullough has done a stellar piece of research and his writing is clear and unlabored. One has to admit that Abigail Adams emerges as almost important as her husband.
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