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Summary: David, where did the fascinating detail go
Review: David McCullough can usually be expected to produce a monumental work which reads well as well as being historically accurate. This book reads poorly and is filled with details which are superfluous to an understanding of the man or the moment. As intriguing as "Truman" was, this biography is not......it fails to capture the reader and hold his interest, perhaps because the style is stilted or the persona are simply cardboard like in their depiction. It relies too little on a description of the times, and too much on platitudes which John Adams seems to b e surrounded with. David, where did that masterful presentation of history go??????
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Summary: McCullough's Genius Continues
Review: ANYONE interested in learning more about this country's genesis, the Founding Fathers and, of course, John Adams, should read this book. McCullough clearly is the U.S.'s resident genius historian. I loved "Truman" and Adams was just as good. The only drawback was that the audio version wasn't narrated by Mr. McCullough, whose voice is marvelous.
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Summary: his masterpiece
Review: This is a very exciting book and a great book to be reading around the 4th of July. It seems like his masterpiece.
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Summary: An inspired book
Review: Reading David McCullough's book on obscure John Adams is like walking in a garden with an expert horticulturalist who causes you to pause beside a rose bush you would otherwise overlook, to discover it among the most magnificant in the garden.
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Summary: Engaging...Entertaining...Fascinating Stuff!!!
Review: I'm on the last casette, last side of the audio version of the "John Adams" book and I don't want it to end! My interest in the person of John Adams began when watching the movie "1776" every July 4th...I was curious if William Daniels portrayal was accurate and now I'm sure it was. But after listening to the tapes, I've found the man himself and ALL his accomplishments throughout his lifetime truly astounding and remarkable!I laughed, was amazed, even got teary eyed listening to the tapes as they played out the story of John Adams life, loves, triumphs and tragedies. You will LOVE this audio collection!!! The only negative for this audio version of the book is that it's abridged and does not include the complete story, which I now desparately want to know! I'm, therefore, going to order the book right away!!! :)
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Summary: An enoyable read- good anecdotes, not enough emotion
Review: I was somewhat daunted by the length of McCullogh's latest. I am a teacher of American history and always like to learn more. I felt that McCullogh offered interesting insight into Adams' early years and truly shared much of his personality in the first chapters. The later chapters, particularly those of his presidency lack that familarity. I would have liked to have known more of what Adams was thinking during his tenure in office and the years following. I was surpirsed that so much of the biography focused on Adams' years abroad and his separation from Abigail. I found his wife, children, and other supporting characters (including Thomas Jefferson!) offered much clarity on those first formative years of a tentative young nation. This was well worth the effort it took to read!
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Summary: A New Friendship
Review: Reading the first few pages of this book is like starting a new friendship. McCullough brings John and Abigail Adams to life. Closing the book for the final time felt like I had lost a dear friend. The story is gripping, entertaining, fascinating, and moving. You will come to know Mr. Adams as a person. By knowing him as a person you will realize how great his impact was.
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Summary: Outstanding Portrait of a Misunderstood President
Review: Adams never strove to be popular, but always stood his ground. As he "Truman", author McCullough probes behind the public personal through extensive research, especially into the wonderful correspondence Adams had between himself and the other major public figures of his time and between himself and Abigail Adams, to illustrate the roots of the man's character. Thoroughly engrossing, I give this book my highest compliment: "I didn't want it to end."
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Summary: Outstanding work
Review: David McCullough,to my way of thinking, is an outstanding historian and writer. John Adams provides careful detail into his life and that of his family. It clearly shows what a key person Adams was in our fight for independence. This is a "must read" for people from all walks of life.
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Summary: McCullough Does it Again!
Review: Well, I've just spent two weeks getting to know John Adams courtesy of David McCullough. John Adams is a wonderful biography that celebrates and savors the life of America's most under rated founder. McCullough has a clear interest in bringing the historical reputation of John Adams in line with the more glamorous founding fathers, namely George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I don't think this gets in the way of his objectivity though. Adam's faults and mistakes are discussed, but not dwelt upon.As many reviewers have said, this book should do for Adams what McCullough did for Harry Truman several years ago. I loved this book for many reasons. The life and character of Abigail Adams was fascinating. The fragility of life in the 18th century is a common theme, as Adams experiences the death of friends, children, and grandchildren. The Adams-Jefferson relationship and all its complexity is explored thouroughly and makes for very satisfying reading. If you like biography that celebrates great American lives such as Edmund Morris on Theodore Roosevelt, or Doris Kearns Goodwin on FDR, then you will like this book. McCullough has done a great service in helping to revive the reputation of the founding father who was perhaps second only to Washington in the success of the American Revolution and in the survival of the early republic.
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