Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps David McCullough's greatest achievement...
Review: This book is an outstanding success on so many levels. The writing is most lyrical and beautiful...there is not one wasted word in the whole book. It's a book that is difficult to put down for the night. Perhaps the greatest success of the book is the correction of many John Adams stereotypes. In this book you meet a John Adams who is a delightful wit, a man deeply in love with his nation, and more-so with his wife. Mr. McCullough also gives Abigail Adams her due as a most delightful person and one of the most important women in our history. The love the couple shared is as deep a love as humans are possible of giving and receiving, and that love is radiated to you from the pages of this book. A warrning to Jefferson fanatics...during his research, I think McCullough, perhaps more than anybody else, gained a true understanding of Thomas Jefferson and has done the nearly impossible...portraying Jefferson as a human being. As a human being, Jefferson loses some of his shine. As a human being, john Adams shines even brighter. Mr. McCullough has done with John Adams what he did with Harry Truman a few years ago...he has restored the lustre of a truly great and underrated American. I hope that preparing this book gave Mr. McCullough as much pleasure as I had reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Extraordinary and deeply moving. I can't believe no one else has read and reviewed it here yet. And at my local library, there are fewer patrons on the waiting list for it than there are copies of it on order. How sad that we find it harder and harder to be interested in any phase of our history that isn't of our own or our parents' lifetime. Americans should take a year off and travel abroad to appreciate just how "recent" the Declaration of Independence really was.
Rating:
Summary: Of Tragedy, Triumph, and Liberty
Review: We are fortunate to have writers like David McCullough, willing to do the painstaking research to capture the essence and spirit of America's Founding Fathers and of the liberty they've earned for posterity. Before the revisionists have completely twisted the men and women of the America Revolution into their own warped views "political correctness", it is refreshing to have this tale recorded in McCullough's lucid and moving prose. This is not to say that McCullough deifies Adams or his contemporaries. Rather, based primarily on the prolific writings of John and Abigail Adams to each other, their family, friends and associates over the course of more than sixty years, Adams emerges as a tragic hero, the irascible and stubborn patriot whose love of country and liberty ultimately leads to his own political demise. Unlike so many of our politician's today, Adams emerges as the unselfish leader putting country before political party and personal gain, fully realizing the devastating personal consequences. But "John Adams" is much more than the biography of the Founding Father sometimes lost in the long shadows cast by Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Hamilton. Indeed, it is a biography of America, first in breaking free from England, and later in struggling to gain identity and credibility from the arrogance and treachery of the European nations. McCullough's research goes broad and deep, encapsulating events shaping history on both sides of the Atlantic, often as seen through the eyes of John Adams while serving abroad as minister to both Britain and France, and simultaneously through Abigail's pen as she relates the increasingly desperate situation in America. Given Adams' roles in the Declaration of Independence, the Massachusetts Constitution, in securing recognition and loans from the Netherlands, and in negotiations with Britain ending the Revolutionary War, his election to president is somewhat anticlimactic - seen more as fulfilling a duty than as a coveted prize. But of keen interest is relationship between Adams and Jefferson, a complex web of friendship and betrayal, of noble cause and of politics at its worst. The young Jefferson, soft-spoken and mildly introverted, is admired by Adams for the purity of his intellect and reason. They become friends during the early days of the Continental Congress, where Jefferson emerges as the "pen" of liberty, while Adams, on the strength of oratory that is more dogged than eloquent, is the "voice". But once the Federalist Adams ascends to the presidency, an unenviable task filling the shoes of the beloved George Washington, Republican Jefferson, Adams' vice president, begins sowing the seeds leading to the destruction of his once-friend's political career. It is ironic that Jefferson, a Virginia aristocrat and slave owner who lived like royalty is popularly viewed as a "Man of the People", while Adams, a simple farmer who despised slavery, was depicted as a Monarchist who would enslave the common man. It is interesting that in over two centuries, politics have not evolved above the innuendo and outright lies so prevalent in the political process of today. McCullough's "John Adams" is far more than a brilliant chronicle John Adams' significant role in the birth of America. Rather, while the times in which we live may seem troubled, given the challenges and sacrifices of John Adams and his fellow patriots, our issues seem trivial by comparison. "John Adams" is a triumph of hope and inspiration, and unvarnished and compelling portrait of America and a great American during a tumultuous and pivotal period in world history. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum one is on, McCullough adds an important perspective of our nation's heritage and passion.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best biographies I have read...
Review: This book is a very readable book. Unlike some other history books which are dry, this one reads like a novel. I loved how they showed the personal side of a public man. His loving relationship with his wife Abigail is revealed through letters he wrote her. I also loved how the author described John Adams relationship with Thomas Jefferson, down to the little details like when they shared a room in philly one wanted the window open and the other wanted it closed. This book shows that the founding fathers did not live in a vacuum, all alone, responding to each others politics; but that they were freinds with complex relationships. I like how this book lets us see our countries greatest patriots as real people. I highly reccomend this book, there is a sage like quality to it. If this was the kind of reading offered in high school or college, I might have been more interested in history.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Brothers
Review: "In the cold...New England winter, two men on horseback traveled the coast road below Boston, heading north. The temperature, according to records kept by Adams' former professor of science at Harvard, John Winthrop, was in the low twenties." One can almost hear the amiable yet dramatic tones of historian David McCullough, punctuated by paintings of New England blizzards and the sound of hoofbeats. (McCullough is a frequent narrator of documentaries, notably those of Ken Burns.) McCullough's familiar cadence resounds through this extremely well written best-seller. The details never slow the reading or obscure the portrait; instead, source materials (much of it from the Adams' personal letters) illuminate and concretize his subject. McCullough writes clearly, forcefully, and with an ear for detail, humor, and anecdote. Overall this is a flattering portrait of Adams' longtime service as lawyer, revolutionary, writer and philosopher, diplomat, politician, and farmer. The book could well have been subtitled: "An Appreciation," both because Adams demonstrates so much to admire (including integrity, erudition, patriotism, work ethic, and courage) and because McCullough either doesn't criticize Adams or couches his disapproval by leaving some issues open. Some readers may suspect a positive bias. Criticized and embattled by Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton--and by the libelous hyperbole of opposition newspapers and rivals--Adams takes on an almost martyr-like persona. To test McCullough's balance, one must read other books on both the Founders and the political culture of the times. Joseph Ellis' "Brothers of the Revolution," for example, is a more analytic, speculative, and impersonal book than "John Adams," and Ellis does not temporize on such issues as Jefferson's affair with Sally Hemmings. (McCullough: "for all the rumors . . . relatively little would ever be known." Ellis: "which was only confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt by DNA studies done in 1998 . . . "). Ellis engages in comparatively more "psychobiography" ("[Adams had] a congenital inability to separate his thoughts from his feelings about them"); McCullough resists theory, and relies more on the literal evidence of his source materials. Also, because it is a biography, we miss some history: Since Adams was an ambassador in Europe during the war, securing French naval assistance and Dutch money, there is little mention of the country's trials military victories in the latter years of the war. Hamilton's role in stabilizing the country through the Federalist papers and establishment of a central bank receive little attention. There is little question that Adams was, for the most part, the right man for the times, largely steering clear of both Republican and Federalist extremes. McCullough demonstrates that Adams was largely underappreciated by his contemporaries. More than Jefferson, Adams seems the man of the people, as well as the more flexible: Adams was an idealist when the times called for it; a pragmatist when they did not. McCullough includes some fascinating insights into Adams' personal life, especially his love, partnership, and correspondence with Abigail Adams and their son, John Quincy Adams. One comes away liking Adams, despite certain tempermental qualities implied by McCullough. The book documents just how well (and how often) Adams served his country, no matter what the inconvenience to himself or his family. Overall, the appreciation is well deserved. Readers will likely use this fine biography as a springboard to further investigations, such as Ellis' book. "John Adams" has 654 pages of text; additionally, there are black and white as well as color plates, extensive source notes, and a thorough index. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Historical and Great!
Review: This book is a welcome surprise to the often-dry genre of "historical biography." McCullough's historical prowess is evident throughout, employing a wide variety of primary sources. That is, John Adams's own attention to correspondence and loyalty to journaling help the reader achieve a greater intimacy with characters. The entire book revels in emotional details, connecting the generations of McCullough and Adams. The book is filled with facts. Unfortunately, Adams's contribution to American foreign and domestic policy is often overshadowed by the popularity of men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; McCullough is successful in proving otherwise, despite a wanning of details in Adams's political carrerr, in comparison to the overwhelming personal connections in the book. Nevertheless, perfect for historians, students, and casual readers alike, the book is an excellent read I would highly recommend to any person of the globe wanting insight into John Adams, his time, or the founding of America.
Rating: 
Summary: The Autobiography Adams Never Wrote
Review: It is amazing to think of the process through which we might pick up a mass of paper and thumb through the life of a man who so profoundly influenced the modern world though he lived nearly two centuries ago. Needless to say, this book drew me into the depths of a mind and life that was so unfamiliar to me previously. Through Adams' correspondence to his friends, his opponents, his family, and his love, (as displayed throughout the book) we have a general sense that the voice of Adams is indeed speaking through McCullough.
It seemed as if I was reading the autobiography that John Adams never wrote.
This work travels through some of the most difficult and defining years of the United States of America and provides an insight into the contributions that John and Abigail Adams made to the prosperity of a nation. I think that the author recreates situations and circumstances wherein we are allowed to laugh, smile, become angry, and even mourn with both the Adams. If nothing else, we learn so much about the revolutionary period and the founding of our nation because John Adams lived through it all. This book may move you in a sincere way.
What bars me from giving this work a 5 star rating rather than 4 is one of the very reasons that I love this book - the apparent lack of objectivity as evidenced through the author's love and fascination for John Adams. Being the case, I would give it 4 ½ if allowed. Essentially, we are given a view of Adams' life through (more or less) the lens of Adams own eyes.
Apart from my only qualm, the book is very readable. As mentioned in a prior review, McCullough is a wonderful storyteller - he draws a picture of Adams, his times, and his experiences so well that you can see it all when you close your eyes. There are very few areas where this book becomes an arduous read. It is a wonderful portrait of a wonderful man, a historical and educational piece worth your time, and great accomplishment to which you may tell your friends, "Yes, I did read through the 656 pages of this book (the other 95 are notes, the bibliography, and the index)." McCullough leaves no question as to why he is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: It has been said that "ignorance is bliss", and in my case it must be true. Considering some of the critical diatribes that have preceded my review I am gratefully unenlightened as regards the fineries of writing biographical history. I love this book precisely for some of the reasons previously stated by it's critics. McCullough takes me into the "the physical feel of Adams's life and times -- how it must have felt to ride horseback from Braintree, Massachusetts, to Philadelphia in January of 1776, for example" or enduring the insufferable heat, black flies and the deaths of thousands annually from smallpox epidemics. Mr. McCullough is indeed a great story teller and the context he provides in telling Adams story was/is fascinating to me. I could say much more on a positive note about the book but I will close by simply stating that I can open this book at any time to any page and have an enjoyable reading experience. Thank you for this wonderful book Mr. McCullough.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful introduction to American history
Review: As someone who eschewed learning and reading about American history for far too long, this book was a beautiful introduction to this significant historical period. Regardless of any publicly noted shortcomings, this book contained so many stories and references to events that I am drawn (if not compelled) to read, read, and read some more about the decades immediately preceding and following the period covered in the book. As well, reading this book and reflecting on the significant issues and events that took place during Adams' life, it was really eye-opening to think anew about recent political and world events. But above all, what I valued most about this book is that I was finally able to become completely immersed in so many aspects of an important historical figure's life, from the mundane to the profound, from the public to the private. It was a really wonderful experience!
Rating:
Summary: Typical of McCullough - Rock Solid
Review: McCullough has a gift. He has an ability to pick and interesting person and/or story and use it as the core of an engaging account of a place and time. John Adams is no different. McCullough tells the story of Adams, and in the telling captures for the reader just how fragile and uncertain a time the beginning of the United States was. What now seems a foregone conclusion was anything but at the time. The book tells a great story about a great man, but it also makes you appreciate the battle that the founding fathers fought to see our country through a veritable minefield on its way to a solid footing.
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