Rating: 
Summary: facts galore - but a bit of a bore
Review: I realize I am nearly alone in my opinion of this book but I found it confusing. I kept turning back to earlier pages to get my bearings. Trips to Philadelphia, ocean crossings, visits to his home, the birth of children and more all became a blur. I began to wonder if John Adams was perhaps caught up in the confusion of the times and just swept along himself. The colonial times were a difficult time to live and it seems to me it was luck that sustained him.
Rating: 
Summary: Deep Rich American History
Review: I think this book about a President that sacrificed so much but has received so little credit is one of the best I have ever read. This book not only give you insight into John Adam's life but also Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and many other important figures during our country's early years. It also reveals the depth of emotional struggle and strength of John Adam's wife, Abigail. One of the most endearing features of this book is the many insights into letters and diary's of most of the main characters in this story, giving the reader a true vision of their thoughts and feelings. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book to any one that loves history or loves biographies.
Rating:
Summary: First-rate biography
Review: This is one of those books that I can't put down. I have learned more American history and have come to comprehend the real men behind the names of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington et al. McCullough has done a stellar piece of research and his writing is clear and unlabored. One has to admit that Abigail Adams emerges as almost important as her husband.
Rating:
Summary: Some Flaws, But a Very Good Book
Review: In reading "John Adams" I get the impression that some significant stuff has been left on the cutting room floor. As an historian by training, I know that some relevant incidents (particularly relating to the discussion of the United States Navy)are not included, and should have been. However, this is "dry history", and I suspect that the editors cut it to make the chapters more readable. Despite the readability, I feel as if some vital information is missing. We get great explanation about why some things are about to happen, and none whatsoever about them after they have happened. Perhaps it's an attempt to squeeze our 2nd President's life into only 650 or so pages, but I would have been much happier if the text were stretched out to 700 or so! The only other problem that I encountered was the rather chaotic organization of the first chapter. Through a series of flashbacks and fast-forwards, the reader quickly loses the sense of where exactly, the main narrative is supposed to be. However, in succeeding chapters, this problem vanishes, and as with any great book, the more you read, the more you want to read. It amazed me that by the chapter dealing with the death and funeral of Adams, who from past knowledge I knew to be a rather irascible, explosive individual, I had a feeling of true regret at his passing. McCullough has succeeded in getting the reader past the bluff exterior of the man and hooking in to his very soul, to appreciate the incredible drive and sense of duty, and to understand Adams' reluctant rise to power and delicate handling of two extremely contentious political factions. I was also happy to see McCullough's handling of Thomas Jefferson. He doesn't resort to the hero worship that has contaminated the historical perspective through the ages. Jefferson, brilliant as he was, was a mediocre leader and a nasty political meddler. His genius was in committees, as in his work on the Declaration of Independence. All in all, I find McCullough's treatment of John Adams and his contemporaries accurate, though Adams himself is portrayed a bit softer than he likely was in real life. The book gives the reader a fine understanding of why the monumental events of the American Revolution came to be, and how a group of brilliant founding fathers could create a political system without attempting to turn it into a dictatorship for themselves. "John Adams" is understandable history at its entertaining best. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: There are so many great things about Mr. McCullough's latest work that it would be hard to list them all. The very best thing about this book is Mr. McCullough's writing style. He has, I understand, received some bad reviews from some so called "professional" historians. I have an advanced degree in history and have read some of these "professional" works. Even I find these books and articles are often dry and hard to read. Most readers simply don't even try to read these works. What good does a well researched work do if it lays on the shelf and gathers dust? Mr. McCullough does the research and then writes in a way that often makes it very hard to put the book down. Another fine point about this book is that one almost gets four stories for the price of one. Not only does one get the story of John Adams but also his wonderful wife. A remarkable person in her own right. The reader also gets a great deal of information about Thomas Jefferson and the early life of John Q. Adams. In my opinion there are two real tests of a biography beyond the obvious need for facts. First; does the book shed new light on its subject? This book rises to that test with flying colors. When I read Mr. McCullough's "Truman" I started out with a very positive impression of its subject. I had rather negative feelings for Adams before reading this book. I now find that John Adams has often been faulted for many things beyond his control. I also find that my feelings about Adams have changed a great deal. The second test is a more personal one. If the book has made me feel like I really know someone, like a close neighbor or friend I will feel a sense of loss when I read of the subject's death. At the end of this book I felt the loss deeply. It was as if I had known John Adams for years. Thank you David McCullough. You have given me a new friend.
Rating:
Summary: A book to be enthusiastic about!
Review: I usually don't write a review of a book which already has 255 reviews but I will in this case. I had read in October of 2000 Page Smith's excellent two-volume biography of John Adams (1155 pages) and figured that I had read enuf about John Adams. But since all five books by McCullough that I read before this one were such great reading (The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, and Truman)I decided I would have to read this one too. Am I glad I did! It is better than Page Smith's because it takes less time to read, and yet covers the amazing life that Adams had fully and with great verve. One small question: the book says Adams was buried across the street from the church, but that great book, Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb, by Brian Lamb, says that he is buried in the church crypt, and the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress says he is buried "under" the church. Did they first bury him in the graveyard and then move him to the crypt? That seems unlikely...
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Summary: A book for everyone
Review: Buy it, read it and smile.
Rating:
Summary: A book that makes history fun to read
Review: I have read a lot of history books- and have learned a tremendous amount from the hard work and research that many scholars have compiled. Many of those books, however, are like going to the dentist to get a tooth pulled- you have to fight your way through it to the bitter end. This book is a gem! Fast paced and wonderfully descriptive- one of the easiest historical reads I have had the pleasure of perusing. I hope the author keeps up his tremendous work, as it brings history alive for everyone- especially those who are hesitant to read 'history books'. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Highlights The Sacrifices Necessary to Create the U.S.
Review: I love history. This is one of the best "history" books I've read. It clearly portrayed the personal sacrifices the John Adams, his family and other patriots (traitors if you're English) had to endure to create the greatest nation. It took six weeks to sail to Europe on dangerous wooden ships with no amentities. It made me wonder what John Adams and others would think about what's involved today for Presidential travel.
This book has inspired me to read a book about each President in chronological order (first I'll have to backtrack to Washington).
Rating:
Summary: A Joy To Read
Review: What more can I say about David McCullough's fine little tome? If you like history that is interesting and does a good job at giving you a historical context, this is your book. If you want to know more about a lesser-known founding father and don't want to get bogged down in larger volumes of stultified, ponderous prose, then this is your book. Only two caveats that you need to consider, however: 1. If you like Thomas Jefferson or Ben Franklin, be warned that the author doesn't paint them in a very good light. He pulls no punches in pointing out their faults (like Franklin's inability of understanding French or Jefferson's ostentatious lifestyle and contradictory living - comparing his high prose about the evils of slavery while eeking out a living via this evil institution). 2. He is very, very, postive about Adams. You won't find much criticism here. For instance, he mentions several times that Adams' contemporaries find him a bit "vain", but you will look long and hard to find him giving any specific examples of Adams behaving this way. These minor (VERY minor) caveats aside, you can sit back and rest assured that you will almost jump inside Adams' mind and be transported back to a precarious time in our Nation's history.
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