Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: Loved the book - very informative. Reads like a novel!
Rating:
Summary: Adams makes for a magnanimous subject
Review: This work of non-fiction is nothing short of brilliant. McCulloch brings his subject to the forefront of the revolution and beyond, with a personal account formed from letters and personal journals kept by some of the greatest and most influential men and women of this blossoming republic. Starting with the early days when England ruled, and Adams was a member of the Massachusetts bar, where he was remembered for his part in the defense of the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. Though this affected his popularity in a negative way, Adams believed that all men had the right to a defense. His strict countenance to abide by what is just and good would serve him well in later years, where his heartfelt pleas for independence in 1776 were part of what made this nation great. Adams oration on the floor in Philadelphia moved men's souls setting the stage for one of the greatest dramas in history, the American Revolution.The writings of his wife Abigail Adams permeate the piece, an intelligent and eloquent woman, John thought of her not only as his friend and lover, but also as his equal. She stood faithfully by his side, and deserves to be remembered for her steadfast support of Adams on his mission to move this great nation forward. It was the sections where Abigail came to light that made this book more than a book of history, it brought a sense of humanity to the subject that is easier to understand on the readers level, since the things that these men were a part of were so great, and far beyond the undertakings of our daily lives. It is John and Abigail together that made him real for me. The friendship between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams is a large part of this book. Presented again through letters they shared and journal entries; there were times when their politics differed and their friendship lagged. In their later years they were to make amends and become great friends, writing and discussing the state of the nation as well as personal news. They would both die on the same day of the same year July 4,1826 the 50th year anniversary of our Independence. This, I found to be quite remarkable. I picked up this book because of its continued ability to grace the New York Times Bestsellers list, almost expecting a fairly dry account of one of our founding fathers. I was greatly surprised by the telling of a personal story of greatness, a love story, a passion for learning, strength, and belief in the American way, which Adams so graciously helped to put into action for generations to come. This is a superb book well researched and deftly put together. Kelsana 6/15/02
Rating: 
Summary: Sloppy, Lazy Work from a great author
Review: We feel compelled to weigh in on this one since it was such a runaway best-seller during the summer of 2001. David McCullough (of Truman fame) is one of our favorite authors, and it pains us to see him on autopilot like this. A biography should be more than a convenient arrangement of the subject's personal correspondence. Yet McCullough relies almost entirely on President Adams (quite voluminous) diaries and letters to his wife. The only supporting material seems to left over from a book on Jefferson McCullough abandoned. Read this if you want to know what being John Adams was like. Don't read it if you have any interest in gaining insight into how his life fit into the great drama of the founding of America. [HistoryHouse.com]
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and Accessible - a MUST read!
Review: McCullough's treatment of Adams is sweeping yet cogent, contextual yet intimate. If it is not possible truly to "know" an historical figure of Adams's import, this book is as close as one is likely to come. Mining thousands of Adams's letters to his wife, children and colleagues (including, of course, Jefferson and Washington), as well as newspaper accounts, books and historical records, we are given entree into one of the most important political careers in American history. However, what gives the book its luster is the intimate way we come to know Adams. He was a fascinating person, and McCullough, while obviously in awe of Adams and reluctant to criticize him, gives us an honest account. If time travel is not possible, this book is the next best thing. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Colossus of Independence
Review: David McCullough has single-handedly restored John Adams to his rightful place among the founders. We read, we learn, and we not only like Adams, we love him. And we love his wonderful wife, Abigail, too. Through McCullough, we learn to appreciate why Adams was regarded as the Colossus of Independence by his contemporaries. This book came along at just the right moment: we needed to be reassured that character still mattered. There is one serious flaw, however. To put John and Abigail on their deserved pedestals, it was not necessary to knock Jefferson off his. Jefferson remained true to his revolutionary idealism. He did not "betray" Adams, as McCullough writes. They had an honest parting of the ways. Adams comes through best in his letters. He is sharp, funny, honest, critical, yes, but self-critical, too.
Bald, round, decidedly uncool, but brave and good, what a founder! McCullough does much to rehabilitate the image of the sore loser who stalks away in the night, refusing even to attend his successor's inauguration. I finished this book in a thunderstorm on July 4th--just as Adams finished his life. We can all celebrate with his "bonfires and illuminations" and be proud of him.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Hagiography
Review: David McCullough's biography of Founding Father John Adams does justice to the life of a man vitally important to the lasting success of the United States. Adams was one of the few men to be involved in both the founding of the republic and in giving the new nation its early direction. Adams has been sadly overlooked for the important part he played in advocating independence from Britain, in securing America's viability as an independent nation, and in establishing the traditions of the American republic. Most of the laurels of the independence age go to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. While those men deserve their plaudits, Adams is as deserving of them too for the role he played. A life as long and filled with importance as Adams's is difficult to relate accurately. Even at around 650 pages, McCullough's biography seems thin in certain parts. Perhaps this is because Adams was not an overly complex man. His beginnings were as the son of a hard-working New England family who grew up with a father he respected and a mother he loved. Adams was straightforward with both his friends and enemies and remained so til the day he died. McCullough relates the events of Adams's life almost like it were a novel. He makes ordinarily dry history readable for a wider audience. Do not mistake readability for sloppiness or inaccuracy as McCullough captures a good picture of the aspects of Adams's life that everyone should be familiar with. We catch a glimpse of Adams as the "colossus of independence", as one of the negotiators of the Treaty of Paris, as the first American ambassador to Britain, as the first vice-president, and as the second president. Adams seemed most proud of his role in the independence movement but also feared that he would be overshadowed by Washington and Franklin. His fear of being forgotten is one of the weaknesses that McCullough points out about Adams. As with any great personage, Adams had his faults. Most of these Adams himself recognized. He knew he was given to vanity, episodes of depression, and outbursts of temper that often gave his opponents fodder to say he was insane. McCullough draws on the extensive correspondence that Adams maintained throughout his life with people like Jefferson, Benjamin Rush, and Elbridge Gerry. Perhaps the most important correspondence he maintained though was with his wife Abigail. Abigail Adams was truly a unique woman for her times and often the equal of her husband in mind and in temper. Theirs was a relationship of equals to which Adams often turned for solace from the relentless press of public duty. I feel compelled to end by saying that this is not a hagiography as some would have you believe. McCullough does not brush aside some of the unpleasant aspects of Adams's character or mitigate his errors in judgment. McCullough rightly censures Adams for his unbecoming temper, his support for the Alien and Sedition Acts, and his absence at Jefferson's inauguration. However, these censurable defects are not enough to condemn the man. The good that Adams did in helping to secure American independence and to establish the United States as a viable nation where peaceful transitions of power could take place far outweigh those negatives.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but realistic?
Review: It's hard not to enjoy reading this book, it's very well written and deals with a vastly underappreciated yet remarkable man - John Adams. My chief complaint is that one gets the impression that the author considers Adams to have been a human being unburdened with any sort of weakness or flaw. This greatly diminished my enjoyment of the book as I couldn't help but feel that I was reading a biography with a decided spin to it, as opposed to a dispassionate analysis. It often reads like the sort of bio that might have been written by Adams' campaign manager if he were alive today. I also found the extreme negative treatment of Benjamin Franklin to be very odd. McCullough presents him as a rather useless, eccentric old fart who just sort of hung around, getting in the way of true heroes like John Adams. Since this is obviously a decidedly minority viewpoint it would have been interesting to have a bit more of a rationale for why the author found it necessary to go after Frankline the way he did. I found it odd, and it just added to my sense that McCullough was not able to rise above some evident preconceived notions about his subject matter. A more balanced treatment would have been better.
Rating:
Summary: A "personal" biography
Review: McCullough, as always, writes in a polished easy manner that makes his books popular and worth reading. At the same time, I found this book a disappointment and feel that both the book and the "rave" reviews here represent a fairly shallow analysis. This is Adams as seen by the personal viewpoint of the Adamses, both John and Abigail. There is little from any other perspective. This view may be valid and Adams' critics may be in error but in this book there is no way to even see why Adams was criticized in the first place. Rather, Jefferson, Franklin, et al, look inane when they are not supportive of Adams. Another reviewer has called the book a "hagiography" rather than a "biography" and the criticism is valid. Rarely does McCullough allow anything bad to be said of Adams and on those rare occasions when we become aware that not everyone loved the man, we are not allowed to see the why they are hostile. Nor is there any real analysis of the politics of the time. Adams is a patriot, believes in liberty, and really, really hates war. This is supposed to explain everything. Unfortunately it doesn't and anyone who wants to really understand John Adams and his times will need to look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Never Disappointing
Review: John Adams was a patriot, a devoted husband, father, and friend. This is itself is not too extraordinary. What marks his life, however, is his devotion to the written word. Over the course of his long and fruitful life, Adams was an obsessive letter-writer. Lucky for us! McCullough weaves political and national history with Adams' amazing volume of personal letters, allowing us to view both the relevant history as well as the man behind the history. Indeed, the long dealings with the complex relationship between Adams and Jefferson is wonderful; however, it would be in poor form to single out any one part of the book as extraordinary. It is all extraordinary!
I'll admit that in some parts the book seemed a bit long, but it was never boring, never uninteresting, and never non-entertaining.
After having read McCullough's "Truman," I was very happy to see his latest work. I find his writing style to be lucid and captivating. Try it - you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best books of the last five years
Review: Truely surpasses Truman, as his greatest history covering leading American Figures. For those wishing to know more about other founding fathers I highly recommend Koch's Book on the American Enlightenment, in Addition to the Book titled Founding Brothers, all of which are excellant portrails of the founding fathers.
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