John Adams

Rating:
Summary: An astonishing view of life two hundred years ago
Review: Yes, this book provides great insight into the accomplishments of John and Abigail Adams. But the thrilling part is to see how even the privileged and educated lived at that time. To travel by horse, be ferried over rivers, and suffer yearly epidemics of yellow fever--all in homes, streets, and towns that are still vibrant today, is a real eye opener. One must wonder how different history would have played out if communication had been as speedy as today. This is one of the most exciting books I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible Book - Perfect for the Pulitzer!
Review: McCullough's "John Adams" is the best biography on John Adams. The scope of this book seems so much larger than it's 700 plus pages, but Mr. McCullough does an incredible job at keeping this book focused on important details. This book is a worthwile investment - it is wonderfully written and it is focused completely on John Adams and the impact he had on the world around him.

Rating:
Summary: In the past John Adams may have been decribed as a Founding
Review: Father & left at that. Such an unfortunate phrase. He was so much more & may finally getting his due. I wouldn't have believed David McCullough could top his Truman. But he did. The book doesn't strictly follow history. Very little on the American Revolution in America. But that's ok because Adams spent most of that time in Europe. Perhaps it was his most important time. Certainly more than his vice presidency because he had to shut up. As president his single term was in many respects a failure. How could anyone follow Washington. Nobody could & he knew it & Jefferson knew it also. He had the benefit of four years buffer that Adams provided. One of the two most important things he is responsible for is avoiding a war with France thereby foiling Hamilton's plan for empire in the southwest. The other good thing was the creation of the the navy. He had many enemies real & imagined. Maybe because he always told the truth & was very self-righteous about it. His most important advisor, the one who would never desert him or stop loving him was of course Abigail. McCullough dwells on her at some length as he traces the progress of Adams life & their many years of separation.
We know all this & more because they wrote it all down & saved their letters to each other & others in & outside of the family.
Adams kept a 50 years diary. Perhaps with an eye on history that would vindicate him. This is an epic work.

Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST PATRIOT!
Review: A wonderful book with insight never written before. A must for all American History buffs. I have even more love for my country and our founding fathers than before (if that is possible).
I would recommend this to any literate person.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended for any American
Review: I would recommend this book for any American or indeed any person. It provides another lens to view the American Revolution than the standard ones of Washington, Jefferson, and so on. The book is dense. But it teems with life. The Adams family left more journals, letters, and the like than any other historical figures from their times, apparently, and McCullough goes to great length to use them to describe the day to day lives of these extraordinary people. The book really divides into two. There are two distinct eras: the Revolution and the young United States. John Adams comes across as a supremely intelligent man who may have some vinegar and vanity problems. I was deeply touched by the book, however. Especially by Adams' love of books. I, too, love books, and his wild love for books gave me one way to touch him and be touched by him. It's surprising how much time Adams' spent away from home, either in Philadelphia, Europe, or New York. McCullough appears to indulge in a bit of a sabotage of Jefferson, continually mentioning his debts, morals, and the like. Also, the book focuses more on the life than on the thought of Adams. However, this was exactly the right mix for me, and I loved the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read about the American Revolution.

Rating:
Summary: Great way to travel
Review: The CD version of the John Adama biography proved a great way to pass the time in a marathon 15-hour Thanksgiving trip from Baltimore to Kalamazoo. Edward Hermann's reading of it is decent, and the content was very interesting. There were convenient short gaps in between the track numbers, so it was easy to find your place again on the CD once I left the car to stop off at the toll road service plazas. Abridging works is generally something that annoys me, and this was no different (hence the "4" instead of "5"). It often seems that the parts that were abridged/summarized would have been more interesting to listen to than some of the parts included. In particular, I thought there was too much focus on pre-presidential Adams and on Abigail's worry over her trip to France, rather than political conflicts between Adams and other luminaries of the time that were simply summarized. Still, the audiobook is still definitely worth the purchase - Adams was a fascinating man and his story passed the time well.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating, Entertaining and Historical
Review: It is amazing the significant, historical information presented in a captivating, entertaining fashion. I came away from the book with the profound feeling I knew John Adams the person. Additionally, I learned many facts about him, his wife, his friends, his enemies and our country, which I had not previously known. It is a great book.
By happenstance, I read April 1865, which compliments John Adams very well. In many ways, April 1865 picks up the story of our country, where John Adams left off.
I very much recommend both books, which should be read one after another.

Rating:
Summary: As someone who knew very little about John Adams...
Review: ...I found this book extremely informative and, in a word, fascinating. I now want to learn more about him. The depth and breath is astounding. It's not exactly a page turner but learning of Adams' place in the history of America is interesting enough!

Rating:
Summary: (...) Great Job -- BUT -- Has A Thesis
Review: So sorry to cause a blip in this "lovefest", folks. But, although David McCullough did a wonderful job of digging into the archives, I think he came up with a dry hole as far as new, groundbreaking history is concerned. To compensate, he resorted to the age old tools of the historian --- opinion, speculation, interpretation. And he does a fascinating job with them. He sells the reader on believing he has not hit a dry hole, but has come up with a new, historical revelation that John Adams is number one amongst the founders. That seems to be the agenda of his book. Agendas are not supposed to be the stuff of historians, however. He might very well be producing an illusion in history by "raising John Adams", relatively, by "lowering" Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. What gives me the credibility to say that? I read most of the thousands of Adams, Jefferson, and Washington letters that he read. (...). After reading "John Adams", I find that it does not change my views on the relative importance of those three founding fathers. Though McCullough did a wonderful job, a five star job in Amazon.com parlance, I wish he would have proved his thesis rather than assumed everyone would believe him because he's him.

Rating:
Summary: Dear David McCullough
Review: Why on earth would you record an abridged edition? How can you abridge such a life? The book is marvelous. How unfortunate.