John Adams

Rating:
Summary: Dangerous President
Review: A glib but superficial book overlooks Adam's horrible role in signing the Alien and Sedition Acts -- the most enduring threat to civil liberties in the history of the United States. This book is pleasant entertainment but not serious history.

Rating:
Summary: Better Lucky than Smart
Review: Both "John Adams" and "The Real Lincoln" are RECOMMENDED reading for the history nut (and in that chronological reading order).

A rainy weekend in Louisiana & I finished all the books that I really wanted to read. "John Adams" was on my shelf. I got it as a gift but I was desperate. I read it. Super history of the Revolution & a great love story (& I don't like love stories).

Just as I finished "John Adams", "The Real Lincoln" showed up.

What LUCK, the "rest of the story" with the 1st half FRESH in my mind.

Regards,

Jim

PS- Oh yah, cruel stepmother - thanx for the gift of "John Adams" :-)

Rating:
Summary: John Adams
Review: This was a really good read. Mr. McCullough helps to take us there to that time period with Mr. Adams. Of course the letters give us that "I'm here" feeling while we read. I was surprised to notice a change in my opinion of Thomas Jefferson. I'm not so Jeffersonian now. Excellant read.

Rating:
Summary: extremely well written and detailed
Review: I'm not even a history buff and I loved this book. Though much of the history will be common knowledge, for me I had to fill in a lot of gaps. Almost as interesting as Adam's life was surrounding period details of the time -- travelling overseas in sickening journeys to Europe, the diet, the daily activities of New England farmers, life in France and England, etc... McCollough gives us a history of the age and times as well. The chapters on France are fascinating as well as Adams' travels to Amersterdam and England. I was surprised to find that Abigail emerged as even more of a heroic figure than Adams at times. Their close relationship, even through their many illesses was one of the most illuminating and inspirational parts of the book. A great read.

Rating:
Summary: An A&E Biography
Review: I thought the book was too much an A&E Biography. It was written by an admirer and failed to cover in much depth some very questionable aspects of the Adams story. The Alien and Sedition Acts, an attempt by federalist to silence the Republicans via imprisonment, got an apologetic paragraph. His midnight judicial appointments merited a paragraph. I don't remember anything from the book on how Adams mistrusted Washington during the War, how he wanted to control the war department, yet failed to muster funding for the army. And did Adams have a role in the Conway Cabal? If a pleasant reading of history is what you want, this book is it.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring look at the founding of this country....
Review: This is a marvelously readable book. It gives incredible insight into the visions, motives and goals of the founding fathers. In a time when we are too apt to take our liberties for granted, or when it is politically expedient to neglect study of the revolutionaries in favor of later activitists, this book clearly and appropriately acknowledges the sacrifices of these leaders without which the following notables would have nothing to build on. The devotion of Abigail to her family and her part in history is compelling. Adams' emphasis on reading and education should be a cornerstone for us all. I kept a separate log of quotations from Adams, his wife and Thomas Jefferson. Amazing how they remain so timely today. I dreaded reading the final chapter. I cried when he died. I'm thankful he lived and that this book recorded his life so intimately. It is our loss not to know these remarkable (although not perfect) leaders better. "Posterity who are to reap the blessings will scarecely be able to conceive the hardships and sufferings of their ancestors." Abigail Adams, March 1777. This is a wonderful place to start remembering, appreciating and never, never forgetting.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Work on John Adams
Review: This is an outstanding book. One of the best history books I've ever read. It almost reads like a novel. I've found it hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: David McCullough Never Disappoints
Review: Another magnificent book by a master storyteller. After finally finishing this book I couldn't help but ask..."where are all the great leaders today?" The portrait of John Adams is insightly and intimate. Primarily because of McCullough's liberal use of private letters from Abigail Adams to her husband. Another special dimension of this book is the unique relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. I enjoyed this book tremendously.

Rating:
Summary: What a terrific book!
Review: I found it difficult to put this book down! If you are a fan of historical biography (or just history in general) this book is a MUST READ. I felt that Mr. McCullough painted a very thorough portrait of John Adams, covering in great detail his incorruptible spirit as well as his character flaws. I felt as if I personally knew John and Abigail Adams after reading this book, enough so that I actually felt a touch of sadness at the mention of their deaths toward the end.

I had no idea that John Adams contributed so much to the United States during his political service. Most history classes and books cover a lot of material about Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, etc., but little is mentioned of Adams. I learned so much about one of U. S. history's much-overlooked patriots.

A few words of caution: there are some situations in this book which paint some negative images of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and I would suggest reading biographies of both of these men as well in order to get a different view (and opinion) of them, just so you can possibly get both sides of the story.

This book is a very worthy read!

Rating:
Summary: finely crafted biography
Review: Although Adams was an ardent supporter of unpopular causes for most of his adult life, starting with his defense of the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre, and continuing with his ardent revolutionary fervor, he seems to me to have been somewhat lost in Paris, though his single most fervent aspiration,the involvement of the French Navy in the American Revolutionary War, did come to pass, at last. He seems to be somewhat victimized by his Puritan upbringing which carried with it a narrowness of outlook, or a certain prudery in the face of the sophisticated French. Both Jefferson and Franklin come across as much better able to cope with Paris' sophisticated outlook;
Jefferson with his antique-buying expeditions, and Franklin with his womanizing. Until the arrival of his wife Abigail in Paris, Adams was a somewhat under-appreciated recluse. But the fact is, in the end, Adams got the job done, and the Americans won the war. Later, Adams as president was again underappreciated, in fact castigated by the press and his own Cabinet. Jefferson, in his total support of the violent French Revolution, comes across as more politically aware than Adams; Adams viewed Jefferson as a shameless opportunist, even leaving the White House early on the morning of Jefferson's inauguration to avoid meeting with him. I think in large part Adams performance in his later life was based on his early Puritan upbringing.