John Adams

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Summary: The "voice of the Declaration of Independence"
Review: We often tend to think of John Adams as a space filler--the man who occupied the Presidency between Washington and Jefferson. Sandwiched between these two great men, his contributions are often ignored. Yet few (if any) men did more to achieve independence or hold together the infant American nation than did John Adams.

Adams was the lion of Congress. He fought to sever the ties with Great Britain like no man, and it was largely due to his influence that it was finally achieved. It was he who nominated George Washington to be the Commander of the Continental Army. He was head of the committee of war, and was a part of the committee (with Jefferson) that provided the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence.

During the war, Adams fought his battles on foreign soil, as ambassador to France, Holland, and eventually (after the war) Great Britain. He was the Washington of diplomacy, and he helped negotiate for the Treaty of Paris in 1783. He secured a much-needed loan from the Dutch, which helped sustain the army. His accomplishments go on and on.

Through all this, he became close friends with Thomas Jefferson. When Washington became President, though, Adams (who was Vice-President) and Jefferson began to disagree on a number of issues, and their friendship eventually dissolved.

Amid much dissension and controversy, Adams became the second President of the United States. Though he served only one term, his actions were to have a lasting impact. Among other things, he advocated a strong navy (which proved invaluable when the French threatened war) and a united government, without political parties.

This book pays fitting tribute to a stalwart hero of the American Revolution. It is extremely informative, and full of quotes from Adams' letters and speeches. The account of the renewal of friendship with Jefferson at the end of their lives is touching to say the least. Both were great men, and they served each other well in their declining years. Ironic it was that they both died on July 4, 1826, the 50 year anniversary of the nation.

The main downfall to this book is it's length. At time it seems there is too much detail. Also, it does not give a very good account of the death of Adams' wife, Abigail. For one who was so close to Adams as she, it seems a more fitting tribute (or quote of his) could have been given.

Overall, this book is an excellent depiction of an amazing man. Americans should be immensely grateful for the selfless contributions of John Adams.

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding biography
Review: I'm more of an ancient history buff than a reader of American or modern history, but I picked up this book because of everything I'd heard about it, and I was glad I did. McCullough has likely written one of the greatest American biographies in this very well written and researched book. Adams really comes alive, as we get important glimpses into both the private and public Adams who managed to be both a devoted father and husband as well as the important public figure who was a key player in the momentous events of the early republic. Many of the stories told here are fascinating and not much discussed elsewhere, such as his appearance before the British king, and his ride across Portugal in the middle of winter on horseback. One difficult problem when writing history or biography of this breadth and depth is achieving a fine balance between necessary details and the need to keep the narrative flowing without getting bogged down too much in the details. McCullough accomplishes all this with a deft touch, and his treatment of the different phases of Adams's life also seems both thorough and well balanced. Altogether a fascinating and essential contribution to American history and letters that is likely to become a classic in its own right.

On a side note, I learned something interesting about McCullough's methods recently. He is also the author of The Johnstown Flood, his only book on a disaster. Anyway, he patterned the book after a famous, earlier book done about the sinking of the Titanic, A Night to Remember, which became a sensational, international best-seller back in the 50's when it was published, and which was also made into a movie of the same name. McCullough studied the author's methods and the resulting work closely (unfortunately, I don't recall the author's name, anymore) and consciously modeled his disaster book after the earlier work. The Johnstown Flood was also a success, despite it's being something of a departure from his usually less sensational historical and biographical subjects.

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Summary: Adams was a better friend of Jefferson than portrayed.
Review: McCullough explains Adams very well. However, Jefferson's shortcomings are monumental to McCullough. Why not see them as mutual contributors? For example: Adams was miserable with his task as Vice President for eight years. On the contrary, in four short years Jefferson wrote the rules for procedure of the Senate. They still exist today, and General Roberts said they were the foundation of his Robert's Rules of Order. The most significant contributions of Adams AND Jefferson were as Nation Builders from 1770 to 1790, rather than as Commanders In Chief from 1790 to 1817! They BOTH were honorable men. They both had flaws -- see Mercy Otis Warren's history of the period. McCullough is a very "readable" biographer, and versatile, and he has the voice of a moderator of books and TV. We look forward to his bio of Franklin.

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Summary: An Exceptional Man Revealed
Review: David McCullough has told the story of an exceptional man in a manner as engaging as fiction. He has come a long way since his Truman biography. History has neglected John Adams and left us facinated by some of our other founding fathers. When it comes to interesting and principled, John Adams is the "it" man. Without the support of his loving and intelligent wife, his full self might not have come to the fore. I felt I had gone back in time and could see events clearly in my mind's eye as I went through the years with this man who was as solid as a rock. I have a new hero - his name is John Adams.

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Summary: Restores Adams to his rightful place of prominence
Review: McCullough has done our country a great service by reintroducing us to Mr. Adams. What a giant. What integrity. And what sacrifices he (and Abigail) made for our country.

Most interesting were his years in Europe and all of his behind the scenes negotiations which kept our young country afloat. There are wonderful stories of his meetings at Versailles, his appearance before George III, his visit to the church in Holland where the Pilgrims came from, and his long ride over the mountains in Portugal (on horseback, in winter). Also, very candid and revealing tidbits about Franklin, and an unvarnished look at Jefferson.

What Adams did for this country is unfathomable, and this book should be read by every American over the age of 16. Too many other things to tell (his law practice, his defense of the British soldiers from the Boston Massacre, his insistence that Jefferson write the Declaration, the devesating losses of his son and daughter, his retirement, etc.)

Six years in the making, McCullough does Adams justice with his excellent research, and does a masterful job at weaving it all into a great story which gives Adams his due; he has been so underappreciated. You owe it to yourself to read this book and have it in your library.

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Summary: A definitive history that must be in every library!
Review: If there is one book that should be required for every high school student studying american history, this is it. Given the numerous letters Adams had written to all the important (and unimportant) figures of the american revolution, McCullough had plenty of material to guide his pen. Not only is this a book about John Adams, it also provides insight into the voices and actions of the other founding fathers, particularly Jefferson (and Franklin). In fact, assuming you don't already know the dynamics of Jefferson's character, you may walk away from this book with a different opinion of him. Given all that has happened in the past year, this is a great book to explore the origins of american political thought. A good read that is a must for every library, american or not.

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Summary: Well Written History
Review: A common fault with most biographers is to either to polarize on the side of the subject or against the subject. McCullough tends to side with Adams in this case. For the most part this favoritism does not affect the story, Adams was undeniably a great man . However the 'Alien and Sedition' acts of his period were a definite blot on his record, a blot that McCullough seems to gloss over.

Aside from such minor lapses in favoritism the book still remains a excellent history. It has been well researched. McCullough has used wide use of primary source quotes to prove his points, a key indicator of a good historian. What's more McCullough also has a keen literary sense which is commonly missing in many history's.

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Summary: Fact Reads Like Fiction
Review: There is lots that will seem familiar to you about "John Adams." The author, David McCullough, is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'Truman.' The portrait on the cover is the familiar one of Adams by Gilbert Stuart. We all know our American history so what we would read between the cover won't be new, right?
Well, for me, the answer is 'no.' This book turned out not only to be good review, but a fascinating, novel-like read.
Not only that, but, as my grandson said, 'This is not your grandmother's history any more.' History has been rewritten since I was in school. I learned (or re-learned) little tidbits like:

1. The first celebration of the birth of our country didn't occur on July 4th but on July 6th. That was in Philadelphia. Word didn't get to South Carolina or Virginia for their celebrations until August!

2. There were only seven teachers in the hallowed halls of Harvard when John Adams was a student there.

3. Harvard students in those days had to take their own cutlery which they wiped on the table linen after each meal in preparation for the next. How gross!

This book should have a wider appeal than 'For History Buffs' only. I highly'very highly'recommend it.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place" --This text refers to the Hardcover edition

Rating:
Summary: Good Objective View of an Otherwise Ignored President
Review: McCullough's account of John Adams is not only a complete review of the second President's life from cradle to grave, but by proxy, a good look at the struggle to make a new country. This is especially evident on the diplomatic front where Adams, Franklin, Jefferson and others fought for recognition, and more importantly, financial commitments from Europe. Readers always need to be wary of biographies because many authors, either through partisanship or unconscious affection, tend to omit or minimize criticisms aimed at their subjects. McCullough does well in reminding readers that Adams was not well liked by many of his peers due to insecurity, vanity and confrontationalism. Nor does he let slide Adams' support for the heinous Alien and Sedition Act. For those who don't know much about the lives (as opposed to only the overt contributions) of Franklin, Madison and Jefferson would do well to read biographies of those men, as they are generally portrayed as villains to Adams' protaganist. Although the accomplishments of each are highlighted, Adams' criticism of them should be checked by a reading of their lives, so that students of history can make up their own minds. Overall, McCullough does a service by showing Adams as a quarrelsome and uncompromising patriot as well as a loving (although absent) husband, father and farmer. In the end, we see him as a common man, frequently outclassed and outmoneyed on an intimidating world stage, pushing to create a country where we can live in peace and quiet.

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Summary: A marvelous story of the greatest importance
Review: It's no surprise that this book has been a bestseller. It's an amazing story of an unbelievably full (and long!) life, told by a master storyteller. McCullough seems to truly understand John Adams's character, how he felt, why he reacted in certain ways.

That said, McCullough does have a tendency toward hagiography. He occasionally excuses Adams behavior rather than dealing with it. A good example, as noted by many critics, is McCullough's discussion of the Sedition Acts of 1798, an unconstitutional law that completely contradicted the First Amendment. Adams, once a strong supporter of including a bill of rights in the Constitution, signed the bill, and according to McCullough, was probably happy to see his opponents squirm a little. Unfortunately, McCullough never points out the irony of Adams's support for the Bill of Rights, or his long history of protecting speech. Granted, the incident is somewhat exceptional in his life, but McCullough makes no attempt to deal with it directly. In a sense, it's as if he himself has gone inside Adams's head, and is writing how Adams himself might have written. While this works marvelously well for much of the book, it does come up short in a few areas.

Overall, however, this is still an incredible work. Set aside some time to work on it, because it's long, but it is very readable, and time moves very quickly.