John Adams

Rating:
Summary: engrossing from page one
Review: From the very first page, this book draws you in. And doesn't slow down at all - as I thought it might. I'm now looking forward to reading the complete letters of John and Abigail Adams after I finish this one.

Rating:
Summary: A Rich, Full Life
Review: David McCullough has succeeded yet again in providing an insightful and thoroughly engrossing biography of an American President (also recommended: McCullough's 'Truman').

'John Adams' recollects the life & times of our 2nd President, and what times he lived through! This is as much an inside chronicle of the American Revolution as it is one man's life. Adams, and his wife Abigail, positively come alive through the pages of letters and history. We are granted insight into the "real" men who were living during that time, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. There is a particularly humorous incident involving Adams' and Franklins' overnight stay at an inn. Little things like that help you remember that the people who fought for our nation's independence, and helped to shape and mold it into a functional governing body, were quite *real* human beings, not merely legends spoken of in history books.

This tome gave me greater respect for the men who lived then, and especially for the title player, John Adams. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: "Character Really Does Matter!"
Review: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson are deftly blocked from center stage, as David McCullough weaves the tale of our "forgotten" founding father.

From the perspective of the twenty-first century, John Adams arrives carrying little of the baggage that encumbers his more celebrated contemporaries. Ben Franklin, has been exposed as an untrustworthy political ally....prone to moments of placing the dagger between the shoulder blades of his friends. George Washington emerges unscathed, but Thomas Jefferson does not. Jefferson is portrayed as a vain, self-centered dandy, who was disposed toward ruinous fits of binge spending. McCullough also leaves one with the impression that Jefferson's supposed acumen for science was more or less superficial. And worse, his utter failure to raise any meaningful objection to the institution of slavery, is repeatedly contrasted with John Adams' lifelong public opposition to indentured servitude.

One of the more striking features of this biography is the lavish attention paid to John Adams' wife, Abigail. Far from being the typical subservient eighteenth century bride, Abigail's artful letters reveal intelligence, confidence, and a profound understanding of contemporary political realities.

Essays, editorials, and personal correspondence appear frequently and comprise the primary source documentation of this work. The net effect is to lend an archival and scholarly flavor to McCullough's work, but it also interrupts the flow of events for the reader. If you are expecting a stylistic encore with the author's other epic biography, "Truman", you may be disappointed.

It must be said, that it is John Adams was not a particularly vivacious individual. His pensive and introspective demeanor cannot translate into an unending repetition of amusing antecdotes. However, his intellectual vigor, resilience of character, and incorruptability continuously bring satisfaction to the reader. Adams was an honest, courageous, and forthright helmsman. A rare specimen then, rarer still today, John Adams deserves the spotlight that David McCullough has set upon him.

Rating:
Summary: For such a large book, awfully shallow --
Review: John Adams was a highly intellectual, intelligent, ferociously honest man who helped spawn a Revolution. This much is true, and the story is well told by McCullough.

He also carried on one of the most interesting spousal correspondences in history, and this is also well handled by McCullough.

What McCullough seems to have forgotten is that Adams turned out to be an extraordinary dangerous man, a real foe of democracy. His greatest legacy as President -- the Alien and Sedition Acts -- were the model for the McCarthy era, and for demogogues hiding behind flags well into our present day. It is shocking that McCullough gives Adams legacy as President such short shrift.

What did McCullough actually think about this singular contribution to American life? After reading through all the verbiage contained herein, you still won't know. What this tells me is that the biographer -- for all the words and all the footnotes (but which leave out the Adams papers published in the last two decades entirely!) -- doesn't know himself.

Which means the book is shallow -- half-baked, not ready for prime time. I imagine his editors were screaming for it.

Rating:
Summary: But I like Jefferson
Review: This book is well researched, but very biased toward Adams. It also zings Jefferson on many key concepts. Sometime we grow overly ddpenednt on documents...I suggest history lovers get a copy of Agori's Defenders of the Holy Grail and read about "documents" whose discovery changes our basic beliefs...but it is historical FICTION...McCullogh does well with Adams. Not summer reading but worth the time.

Rating:
Summary: Not His Best Work
Review: McCullough is a wonderful historian, but this work does not compare with "Truman" or "Mornings on Horseback."

The book might have been titled "The Letters of John and Abigail Adams," so frequently does McCullough quote from them. Indeed, the correspondence between John and Abigail generally overwhelms all other aspects of the narrative. The historical events in which Adams played such a large part are too often hidden from view, as if seen through a gauze curtain.

Then, too, in his justifiable admiration of Adams, McCullough seems to think it necessary to denigrate Thomas Jefferson, notwithstanding that Jefferson and Adams were partners in the revolution and ended their lives (on the same day, in fact) as extremely close personal friends. Too much of the criticism of Jefferson seems forced and out of context.

I am glad McCullough has written about Adams, because McCullough's reputation assures that another generation of Americans will learn about Adams and his times. I am disappointed, however, that "John Adams" does not live up the reputation established by McCullough in other works.

Rating:
Summary: Should be a favorite founder.
Review: John Adams refused to own slaves on principle, wrote the right to an education into the Massachusetts constitution and sacrificed a prosperous law career for often thankless tasks abroad in the service of his beloved new country. What a great man for us all to have largely forgotten, and what a great service McCullough has performed in bringing him back to popular attention. If only he had understood the importance of free speech, and hadn't signed the Alien and Sedition Acts, Adams might have been the perfect founder. Oh well, I geuss that's why we needed more than one founding father: each to fight for the principles which were important to them, all of which taken together have since become what Americans view as their inheritance.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating biography of a oft-ignored American patriot
Review: He's often dismissed as a mere one-termer occupying the Presidency between larger-than-life Washington and his equally-storied successor, Jefferson. But David McCullough credibly portrays John Adams as the equal of either (and in most respects, of greater character and historical significance of Jefferson). It's a fast-reading family portrait of a family weathering the Revolution and assuming a leadership role during the early days of the republic. The author employs volumes of personal correspondence to tell his story, apparently deeming this source more authentic than contemporary news accounts, most of which qualify as biased and scurrilous, at least by our standards. I was troubled by Mr McCullough's marginalization of both Franklin and Jefferson as well as his minimalization of the significance of the Alien and Sedition acts of 1798. Had Adams shown the leadership to veto the latter, he'd be enshrined on Mount Rushmore today. What's next for David McCullough? I'd wait in line overnight to obtain the first copy of "John Quincy Adams".

Rating:
Summary: Adams: The Beauty of Being Real
Review: I found this book absolutely outstanding. It is brilliant and written with expression and observation rarely found. The writings of Adams and his wife are a rare gift. Their manner of expression is beautiful. I found myself carefully reading and rereading segments again and again. We are most fortunate to have had this collection upon which to draw.

While intergrating these portions of diary and letters with his own writing, McCullough opens the door to a philosophy and vision of a man who has been unfortunately under rated. He has done an outstanding job. Most of all we are introduced to a real person, who while serving his country, under circumsatances unknown to us today, is beset with problems and feelings not unlike we all suffer, extending from personal feelings and economic difficulties to the joy and heartache of children. A side of this man we have never seen.

The politics of yesterday remain and I found it amusing to superimpose members of our Congress today with the representatives of the period. All the players are there, only the names change. The manner of man is remarkably constant.

The relationship of affairs in America and Europe as simultaneous inter related functions has been an educational experience. My past learning about "the founding fathers" and the growth of our country has focused on each individual aspect separate and apart from the others. They certainly were not. Their interaction was exciting, enlightening, highly political, and yes, at times very funny. This book should be required reading of all students of American history.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent historical biography
Review: This book by David McCollough takes an in-depth look at the political career and personal life of John Adams. Starting with his humble beginnings as the son of a Massachusetts farmer, John Adams quickly rose into prominence as one of Boston's foremost attorneys. His opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765 revealed his strong convictions for American freedom and individual rights. Although he had strong patriotic views, he still found the courage and strength of conviction to defend four British soldiers who were accused of murder during the Boston massacre. Adams was criticized in many circles for taking the case but he earned high praise and respect for his dedication to the ideals of liberty. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the amount of coverage that the author devotes to the relationship between John and Abigail Adams. Despite being accused of being self-righteous, vain, conceited and arrogant, Adams is shown to be a very devoted husband and father. His frequent correspondence with his wife reveals his human side. His doubts, insecurities and impulses are all saved for posterity in his many letters to Abigail. The years that Adams served in Europe as a minister for the United States was also fascinating. His travels to France, Spain, The Netherlands and England on behalf of the newly formed country were filled with adventure and tribulation. McCullough's account of his diplomatic career served to demonstrate his initiative and persistence despite his disagreements with Benjamin Franklin and the comte de Vergennes, the French foreign minister. His success in obtaining Dutch loans was particularly significant because it came at a crucial moment. Not only did Adams secure badly needed funds but he also got the Dutch to recognize the new United States and sign a treaty of friendship and commerce.

The author only devotes a few chapters to the Adams presidential administration but he does an excellent job of providing a quick overview. During his term as President, Adams was frequently accused of favoring a monarchial form of government when in fact he recommended a bicameral legislature balanced by executive and judicial branches. Like Washington, Adams sought to be above political parties or factions but he was nominally a Federalist refusing to be perceived as a party man. In 1798 despite his patriotic reputation and beliefs in liberty, Adams signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts. At the time the threat of war with the French served as justification for the need of these Acts which severely limited free speech but nevertheless the passage of this legislation is seen as a dark spot in American history. His success in keeping the United States out of war with France is seen as one of the top achievement of his administration. The author also devotes a good deal of coverage to the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Their disagreements and opposing viewpoints are too numerous to mention so it becomes amazing that they found enough common ground to remain good friends and keep their admiration for each other. The relationship between John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams is also given a good deal of attention. John Adams took great joy in educating his son and seeing him rise through the diplomatic ranks as foreign minister to France and Russia. Ultimately John Adams lived to see his son become the 6th president of the Unites States which was a source of great pride for him. This book is an excellent biography, it provides an insightful view into the life and times of this little known founding father. It is easy to see why it has become a bestseller.