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Summary: John Adams
Review: John Adams has long been one of my favorite historical figures. His life is interesting, important, and well documented. The author of this book apparently chose to write this book without reference to most of the scholarship that is available about Adams. Adams's own letters consitute the vast bulk of the reference work for this book. The thing that troubles me most about this book is its utter lack of chronological coherency. Adams's youth and young adulthood are practically skipped. The first chapter is incomprehensible in terms of chronology. Some chapters devote 40 pages to one year while in others a decade is flittered through in two or three sentences. It is very, very difficult to know what time frame is being discussed in the early chapters of the book. This is a good book, but with a little effort at placing the chapters into a chronological sequence, it could have been much better.
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Summary: Another Pulitzer Winner!
Review: This book amazingly shows the many sides of John Adams and all of his very colorful friends. It leaves you with images of Philadelphia and shows in sequences the fueling of the Revolution. Wonderful Book!
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Summary: a superb work
Review: I enjoyed reading this thoroughly. I must admit I don't know a lot about the former presidents who have served this country and found this to be an enlightening look at the life of John Adams. Not only did it cover his personal life but it also detailed the tough political decisions he had to make and how he resolved conflict. A must read for anyone interested in American history and politics.
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Summary: A Number One Book About American History's Number Two
Review: As an author with my debut novel in its initial release, I realize the importance of selecting subject matter that moves far beyond the limitations of a single volume. David McCullough achieves this goal brilliantly in JOHN ADAMS. McCullough's book is thoroughly researched, insightful, and finely written. It is also perfect for today. After all, John Adams was the first president from New England who became the father of a future president. JOHN ADAMS presents a John Adams who was not eager for a political life yet accepted the obligations that came with his time. His accomplishments are well known. He defended in court the unfortunate British troops who suppressed a Boston street riot that has gone down in history as the Boston Massacre. He became a leader in the revolutionary movement for freedom from Britain, though to some degree a number two player to a number of other more prominent individuals. He was one of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, though he was clearly a number two to Jefferson. He became a diplomat and the first vice president--another number two. He served as the second president of the United States. In 1800, upon his electoral defeat, he created the key American political precedent of a peaceful transfer of power. John Admas may have been destined in life to play a number two part in many key events in U.S. history, but McCullough's JOHN ADAMS was a number-one quality individual. I recommend this book highly.
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Summary: Great, Heartfelt and Inspiring
Review: I bought this book and for about the first 50 pages or so thought I would never finish it. I had never read an historical biography before but I like David McCullough and thought it would be good. Then, all of a sudden, I got sucked into it. Everything in it was moving especially the depiction of John & Abigail Adams' loving relationship. IN FACT, I think the book should've been called John & Abigail Adams as HER sacrifices were the equal of his. The book is well balanced and never glories John Adams. It makes a clear point of showing that despite all the great things both John & Abigail did for the country, the losses were great. For example, two of their sons became tragic alcoholics. Perhaps, the book suggests, this was due to John Adams' long absences in his work for the Country. I strongly recommend this to anyone, not just history buffs. My sincerest Thanks to Mr. McCullough for providing me with one of the best books I have ever read!
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Summary: Colossal
Review: McCullough writes a colossal work on the Colossus of Independence. I have a bit of bias, as Adams has always been my adopted Founder, my favorite of the bunch. Popular history has all but ignored his pivotal role, and the success of McCullough's book will hopefully reverse that. In addition to providing the first detailed biography of Adams in years -- far surpassing Joseph Ellis's book -- McCullough also shows just what it was like to live at that time, as Adams crosses the ocean and mans a gun along with the crew, or spends months crossing mountains to meet his next diplomatic assignment. It's a great work of history, but also a great yarn. McCullough also gives ample space to Abigail Adams, one of the greatest female figures in early America, as well as budding diplomat John Quincy. But the author does lose a bit of credibility for glossing over Adams's complicity in signing the Alien and Sedition Acts -- an error history should forgive, but one that should not be ignored.
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Summary: A Historical and Literary Masterpiece
Review: Theodore Roosevelt once said something to the effect that a great Historian must also be a great writer.David McCulloch has always taken T.R.'s advice literally with such excellent books as ''Mornings on Horseback'', ''The Path between the Seas'' and His classic ''Truman''.Now He has given us a portrait of one of our greatest, but sadly forgotten Founding Fathers John Adams. The Life of John Adams is a testament to courage, honor, integrity and unshakable faith.From His bold defense of the British soldiers who carried out the ''Boston Massacre'' to His refusal to take America to war with France. Many ''Historians'' like Sean Wilentz just to name one have panned this superb book saying that John Adams is no hero because He signed the blatantly unconstitutional Alien and Sedition Acts.The actions of Adams in this time of hysteria is no worse than Abraham Lincoln 's suspension of the Writ of Habeus Corpus or Woodrow Wilson's signing of the Espionage Act or Franklin D. Roosevelt's signing of Executive order 9066 authorizing the imprisonment of the Japanese-American community after Pearl Harbor.Adams later recanted his misdeeds which these other Presidents did not.My favorite parts of the book are the accounts of Adams relationship with His ''proto-feminist ''wife Abagail. And His lively correspondence in His later years with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Rush among others. Their comments have just as much resonance today as they did then.In His introduction to the book McCulloch says that we can never know enough about Adams and the other Founders. I agree, just one of many reasons for reading this superb book.
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Summary: Flattery Like This
Review: If you liked this book and would like to see things from another, earlier perspective I suggest searching for the out of print book "This Man Adams - The Man Who Never Died" by Samuel McCoy. It's also a fun read.
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Summary: spoiled to honest writing
Review: I HAVE STARTED A PERSONAL LIBRARY OF OUR FOUNDERS AND JUST HOW OUR COUNTRY HAS ENDURED THE HARDSHIPS THAT CAME ABOUT TO ESTABLISH WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.IAM PERSONALY WRITING A NOVAL AND FIND THAT DAVID MC:CULLOUGH AND HIS HARD WORK VERY REWARDING. I HAVE READ EVERY BOOK THAT THIS AUTHOR HAS WRITTEN EXCEPT FOR TWO,AND PLAN TO PURCHASE THOSE SOON. JOHN ADAMS OPEN MY EYES TO ALOT OF THINGS I JUST TOOK FOR GRANTED AND HOPE TO PASS THESE WRITINGS ON TO MY GRANCHILDREN.
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Summary: Very biased review!
Review: Since my mother's mother is an Adams, I looked forward to clues concerning my own heritege. Family charactersitics not withstanding, McCullough has produced a remarkable work. Warts and all, I have come to see John Adams as never before. Almost every page was a new story with more anticipation than a "Hitchcock Mystery". I learned more of American history than in all of my many, many years in school and reading. And I thoroughly enjoyed it all. My only regret was coming to the end . . . I wish that the book were two volumes, or three . . . instead of just the one...
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