John Adams

David McCullough has done it again! McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of several previous superb works of history and biography (most notably, "Mornings on Horseback," "The Path Between the Seas," and "Truman"), has written a wonderfully well rounded picture of a man to whom every American owes a tremendous debt of gratitude. John Adams' many contributions to establishing this great Nation of ours, and the freedoms we cherish, are incalculable. He was indeed, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, the "colossus of American independence." "John Adams" is literate, elegant in tone, entertaining, and, above all, highly informative. It's not, however, your typical Presidential biography. In this masterful book, there's much less emphasis on the political career of its subject, and more weight given to Adams' personal life. And it was indeed an extraordinary life! In 1735 John Adams is born into a middle class family in Quincy, Massachusetts. During his childhood and youth, his father decides upon a career in the ministry for his son; but John has other plans. He wants to become a lawyer. After attending Harvard, he practices law intermittently until the outbreak of the American Revolution. During the years before the war, he meets and marries the great love of his life, Abigail Smith Adams. Throughout their long lives together, this extraordinary woman remains a tremendously positive influence on him. Adams is one of the earliest to realize the inevitability of American independence from Britain. His arguments in favor of independence are always lucid, logical, easy to understand, and have broad popular appeal. Adams' service to America continues throughout the Revolutionary War years and beyond. He serves as an American delegate to the Paris Peace conference, and, after the war, as an American minister in Europe. In 1788, Adams is recalled to the United States, after faithfully serving his country in the courts of Europe for nearly eight years, three of them separated from his beloved Abigail and their children. Later in 1788, he is elected Vice President of the United States, an office he holds for the next eight years. Finally, in 1796, he is elected President of the United States. It is the first contested election in American history. Adams' Presidency is marked by two notable achievements, one of them positive and the other negative. In what Adams considered his greatest accomplishment, he prevents a war with France over the issue of French privateers attacking American ships. His most negative achievement is the signing of the Alien and Sedition Acts, a set of laws that gave the President the legal right to expel any foreigner he considered dangerous, and made "writing against the government, Congress, or President... crimes punishable by fines and imprisonment." Adams' four years as Chief Executive are also marked by political wrangling unknown in America up to that time. Throughout his term, he is hounded by his political enemies. Foremost among them is Thomas Jefferson, a former friend and the leader of the newly created "Republican" party. Jefferson accuses the Federalist Adams of having "monarchical" tendencies; of advocating a pro-British foreign policy; and of attempting to destroy the republic by concentrating power in a strong central government. Adams is unable to fight back effectively against these charges. In 1800, he loses his bid for re-election to Jefferson. The last quarter-century of Adams' life is spent in relative obscurity in Quincy. During this period, he experiences tremendous sadness and joy. His son Thomas dies prematurely from alcoholism, and daughter Nabby dies from cancer at age 49. His beloved Abigail follows their children to the grave a few years later, leaving Adams alone after over 50 years of marriage. Adams is consoled by a renewed friendship with his old nemesis, Thomas Jefferson. They will carry on a decade-long correspondence that heals old wounds. In 1824, John Adams experiences perhaps the moment of pride in his nearly nine decades-long life: he sees his son, John Quincy Adams, become President of the United States. In one of the great historical ironies of all time, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - the last surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence - will die on the same day: July 4, 1826. It is the 50th anniversary of the adoption of that immortal document that both labored so hard to help create. When I picked up "John Adams" for the first time, I hadn't really paid much attention to the historical figure who became the second President of the United States. After all, the career of this short, stocky, seemingly colorless man, whose one term as President was marked by controversy, political wrangling, and an apparent lack of great accomplishment, was nowhere as interesting as the careers of our more famous and charismatic Founding Fathers. "John Adams" filled in many gaps in my knowledge of this great man. From this magnificent and highly informative book, I learned not only many facts about Adams' life that I didn't know before, but I also learned about the kind of man Adams was. McCullough goes to great lengths to give readers a glimpse of the true character of this extraordinary man. As with all books authored by David McCullough, "John Adams" is brilliantly written with McCullough's trademark mellifluous, elegant prose. The book reads more like a well crafted historical novel than a straight biography. Readers will find it lively and entertaining on every page. "John Adams" is the finest biography of America's second President available to general readers. Scholarly yet not stuffy, well researched, brilliantly organized, and eloquently written, it brings to life the man who rightfully belongs in the pantheon of the greatest Americans of all time. Read and enjoy!

John Adams. Husband and father. Patriot. Intense lawyer. Founding Father. Minister to France, Amsterdam, and Great Britain. First Vice President of the United States. Second President of the United States. Father of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams. Lifelong associate of fellow patriot Thomas Jefferson; although the two became bitter political rivals, they reconciled during their twilight years to become faithful correspondents. All of the above is presented in David McCullough's extraordinary, Pulitzer prize-winning biography JOHN ADAMS, an historical triumph that spawned an award-winning HBO miniseries adaptation , which this reviewer is currently massively enjoying. To suggest that this biography rescued the one-term second president from political obscurity is sheer folly. In the 18th Century, patriot John Adams was already larger than life. He faced the mob and defended the British soldiers accused of murder in the bloody Boston Massacre, obtaining acquittals. Along with Jefferson, he helped launch the Declaration of Independence. Never to refuse service when his country called him for duty, he went overseas--leaving his Massachusetts home for years--to negotiate an alliance with France, then a peace treaty with England. He presided over the Senate as Vice President under George Washington, then became the obvious selection as the second commander-in-chief. As McCullough suggests, Adams's support for the Alien & Sedition Acts of 1798--appalling assaults on the Constitution's First Amendment--doomed him for any chance of reelection. Yet Adams's post-presidency of a quarter century, culminating in his death--along with the death of Thomas Jefferson--on July 4, 1826--the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence--cemented his standing as a national icon. Two Founding Fathers, passing away on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration: To a celebrating nation, it seemed Divine inspiration. In JOHN ADAMS, author McCullough lets his principals tell their stories, in their own words. John and Abigail Adams, their family, and inner circle of friends and acquaintances, were all prolific letter writers. Thousands upon thousands of letters were exchanged over the decades; McCullough reproduces many of them in the pages of his book. The authors of these letters--especially John and Abigail--did not hold back their emotions: They expressed exactly what they were feeling, and thinking. Particularly compelling is the correspondence between John and Abigail while they were separated, for years, by the Atlantic. The pain of separation and longing is palpable. John Adams lived an extraordinarily long life: 90 years. Accordingly, he survived his beloved Abigail, along with three of his five children (daughter Susanna died in infancy; Charles, the second son, tragically died of chronic alcoholism at 30; and Nabby, the eldest, died of breast cancer in her late forties). Yet the second president remained undaunted. "Rejoice ever more!" became his mantra in his twilight years. In his post-presidency, Adams delighted in having a house full of family and friends; this Founding Father could regale a group with stories of the Revolution, or of a novel he had just finished. McCullough's presentation of Adams's post-presidency is, to this reviewer, the most enjoyable part of the biography. McCullough did ample research; his bibliography is 20-plus pages. In his Acknowledgements the author even tells us which volumes he most appreciated and relied. In a work like this footnotes are considerable, yet they don't disturb the pace of reading. In summary, JOHN ADAMS is a remarkable biography about a fiery Founding Father who gave as good as he got. Highly and enthusiastically recommended. ~D. Mikels, Esq.

`Politics are a labyrinth without a clue'. That's what John Adams wrote during a Congress session in 1775, before the Declaration of Independence was written. At that time, he said, only about a third of the delegates were `true blue' Americans. Even during the following decades, the `founding fathers' were not exactly of one mind. The poison spread at the election in 1800 when Adams ran for re-election against his VP Jefferson was on par with what we get served today. One of the boulders on my Mount Readmore finally got moved out of the way. This book has been standing on my shelf for years, winking at me quietly. There are others that have been calling out longer. I have recently become a semi-Bostonian myself and furthermore, I have started a major reading expedition paddling down Henry James River. Both changes made me think that I really needed to attend to Mr. Adams in the McCullough version, finally. I knew that I would enjoy it, and I did. Have I learned much? Let me see. I have learned that almost every street and building and bridge and river in and around Boston is called after somebody who was somehow related to Adams. Even my daughter's classmate is not just from Braintree, but from the place where Adams came from (before Quincy was spun off). I learned that Adams was not happy with Paine's Common Sense, though that book gave a vital impulse to independence. Adams thought it was too destructive without building. He was even less happy with Rights of Man, after the French Revolution had taken off, and that started rather a feud with his pal Jefferson, who turned out to be quite on the other side of the brand new party divide. I learned that Adams defended the shooters of the Boston Massacre in court. The man had guts. I learned that he wrote the Massachusetts Constitution, which is said to be the oldest functioning written constitution in the world, practically single-handedly. (He was a solid balance of power advocate, based on Ciceronic wisdom.) I learned that he was a natural as a parliamentarian, but that success as a diplomat came hard. As a VP he was like a fish on dry land. As a president he lived in splendid misery. Despite his often alleged vanity, the man lived in modesty and was practically a pauper during most of his years in service, for all his merits and sacrifice. I learned that the level of personal enmity and spite between some of the grandees was considerable. Jefferson was a different case, much friendship mixed in with the rivalry and the backstabbing, until open antagonism and rivalry broke out, which was to be drowned in decades of correspondence later. I learned that the practice of sticking exaggerated political labels on opponents is as old as the US: Adams was a Monarchist and a warmonger like others are called Communist or Fascist or Muslim. Republicans and Federalists of the party divide at the time were at each other's throats just as much as current parties and teabags. McCullough's books are of a kind that is rare in Germany, a good example of what one might call popular historiography. I owe a considerable part of my picture of the US to some of them, like his Great Bridge and his Truman biography. Possibly the Adams book gave me less news, as I had read plenty of other stuff about the period, but it is certainly worth the trouble. If I want to look for downsides, I find them in the fact that the book must remain superficial in most of its subjects: even with 650 pages, it can just skim the surface of most problems of the man's life if it wants to tell us the bare facts of it. Adams is painted as a solid, honest, unobjectionable pillar of the political class of his time. Not in every respect a very interesting man. Not enough flaws. Not enough big mistakes, at least not in this view (well, apart from a shameful Alien and Sedition Act; and a bad temper). Most things that he got accused of he was rather innocent of. On the other hand, Hamilton and Jefferson are the villains of the piece. Adams maneuvered himself between the camps and lost his re-election. Maybe the portrait is a little too uncritical? To some people, Adams' `manifest integrity' seems to have been `unsettling'. Jefferson wrote about him that Adams was not good at understanding people's motivations. That is of course a serious flaw not only in a diplomat, but also in a president. And in a football coach and in about half the professions that I can think of. `Thanks to God that he gave me stubbornness when I know I am right.' (That would also have been a good title for my review.) My conclusion (until further notice, i.e. until somebody convinces me otherwise): an honest, capable man who did his best in nearly impossible circumstances. He should be more appreciated, e.g. by granting him a 25 or 200 Dollar bill, to pull even with his nemesis Hamilton.

After reading this well-written, amazingly researched and thoughtful book, one appreciate how lucky we, the people, were to have a men like John Adams as a Founding Father. He is a man of deep integrity, intelligence and patriotism, a man of the land who cherished his farm and an intellectual who built up an impressive library. He was proud to be a new citizen of a new country, certain of its future, unwavering in his service and commitment. I deduct one star because McCullough gushes on and on about how Adams was this amazing, wonderful man -- instead of letting the history speak for itself. And what a colorful history it is, and Adams was so much a part of it. None of the other Founding Fathers left anywhere near the archive of correspondence Adams did, and I imagine just sifting through it must have been daunting. Some readers might be drawn to the political infighting between Jefferson and Adams, between Federalists and Republicans, etc. Others may be more interested in the unique and remarkable correspondence between John and Abigail, a woman to be admired in every way. Then there are those who may focus more on the emergence of the United States, from 13 disparate colonies to something approaching the United States. There is also much here about our early foreign affairs struggles and challenges. McCullough covers it all, and if there are aspects you find less compelling, just skip ahead a few pages to the more interesting parts. But it's all there.

I am a little bit late to the party with this book. Released in hardcover in 2001 and paperback in 2002, John Adams is regarded as one of David McCullough's greatest achievements. This is no little praise for a man who had previously won a Pulitzer prize (for his biography of Harry Truman)--a reward he was to receive again for John Adams. The precursor to 2005's 1776, this is a stirring biography and one of the best I've ever read. Like McCullough's other titles, this book is not hard to read and never bogs down in detail. Instead it is fast-moving and gripping, reading almost like a novel. I am no scholar and am unequipped to comment on the accuracy of McCullough's portrait of Adams. I will leave that to the historians. So rather than provide a blow-by-blow account of Adams's life, let me simply suggest a few of the lessons and observations I drew from this book. John Adams loved life and sought to truly enjoy it. Even in his final days, when he was ill and suffering from fading eyesight, he continued to enjoy his life. He loved sharing life with others. He was content to live a simple life consumed with hard work and lots of good books. His greatest pleasures were his wife, his books, and his friends. Though his life was often difficult and though he was often the subject of vicious personal attacks, he really seemed to relish life and seemed loathe to waste even a day of it. I was inspired by his desire to enjoy life, even through its tough moments. Adams loved and respected his wife in a deep and abiding way. His long and frequent separations from her were the greatest trials he faced in life and he really seemed to be only half a man without her. At one point she is described as his "ballast"--a term I can well identify with as my life continues and as the love for my wife continues to grow. Adams loved Abigail more than anyone and his affection was clear throughout their long marriage. Adams lived a life free from scandal--or at least the kind of moral scandal that plagued contemporaries like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. His wife kept him grounded and was his best friend and closest confidante--just the way I would want it in my life. From this book we can learn the importance of a father's involvement in the raising of his family. Adams was often called overseas and he served many years away from his family. Later in life at least two of his children became alcoholics and essentially wasted their lives. Though John Quincy went on to fame and became the nation's sixth President, both Thomas and Charles struggled through life. Reflecting on being a father, Adams seems to have accepted some of the blame for their ways, acknowledging that his long absences from the family deprived them of the father they needed. I would have enjoyed reading more about Adams's religious beliefs and practices. McCullough made it clear that Adams claimed to love some kind of deity and that he was a committed church-goer who had respect and affection for many clergymen, but what was less clear was just what he believed about this God. Looking elsewhere it seems reasonably clear that Adams was more deist than Christian, but this did not come through clearly in the book. A little more attention to Adams's religious beliefs, as important as they were to the rest of his life and to the founding of the nation, would have been welcome. Like John Adams I find reading to be a source of great pleasure. Reading this book was pleasurable--not just in learning about a man of such importance, but also just in the act of reading. McCullough is a masterful communicator. This book could so easily have been dry and disinteresting, but with his treatment it has become as good a biography as I've ever read. It is a must-read for anyone with an interest in American history or with a particular interest in biographies. I can't recommend it enough.

Understand this is a great book, and some say the best book ever read. Haven't read it yet. I'm partly reading it in order to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of this great Nation!

Before reading this book, I looked at Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin like superheroes that were some of most intelligent men of all time who also just happened to turn America into America with the help of John Adams and some other old dudes. The way Adams is portrayed in history classes or in a few movies I've seen, do him no justice. I always figured Adams was an ordinary man among extraordinary who helped out when he could... This book not only changed my outlook on Mr. Adams, but America, politics, and human ingenuity. First of all, the book is just a great read. There were very few (if any) pages that I found boring, and nearly all of them are closer to the beginning of the book. Believe it or not, the story gets better and better until the very end. The Way McCullough writes, it's as if it's a very exciting fictional story, where you can't wait to see what happens next (even if you know what happens next), and in this case, I suppose, reality is a lot more entertaining that your run of the mill fictional story. There are ups and downs, laughs and, towards the end, uncontrollable sobs (really). This novel taught me a lot I didn't know. It humanized all our forefathers, and taught me that sometimes a lot of them were miserable or discouraged about what they were doing, but they did it anyways because they knew it was for the better. They were petty at times, egotistical and aggressive, sad, loving, caring, etc. They were human! It feels great to know that. It makes me feel like nothing is out of reach when I know that some of the greatest Americans to ever live questioned themselves all the time. It was also interesting to read about how a hero like George Washington who was pretty unanimously voted in as president, was disliked by half the nation towards the end of his run, and how even by the start of the 2nd presidential election, parties were already pretty much set into two limited factions that disliked each other, (exactly like it is nowadays with the democrats and republicans). John's love and affection for his wife, Abigail was as romantic as it gets and it swelled me up with happiness and broke me down into tears a few times. His desire to be a great father to his children was admirable and I can only hope I can someday be a role model in the likes of Adams for my children. And his on and off again friendship with Thomas Jefferson is one for the ages, a bromance up there with the best of them that makes me appreciate my friends even more than I already do. This book, and John Adams' character as a whole, have honestly and truly made me gain an appreciation for life, love, friendships and liberty. I feel I have a better understanding of the world I live in and especially the country I live in and it makes me feel good. John Adams was a man ahead of his time and I'm glad in MY time I am able to learn about him and gain some insight into the birth of the nation and the legacy of a legendary American like Adams. I could not recommend this book any more highly, it's one of the greatest pieces of literature I have ever had the privilege to read. 10/10

It’s not easy to make the facts of a man’s life interesting but this book by Mr. McCullough does it very well.. An enjoyable and at times a very moving read. The story of a great American patriot who lived a most remarkable life.

A very well written book which covers a momentous period in American history. John Adams contribution to the early development of the USA was incredible.

Uno dei più bei libri che io abbia mai letto. Emozionante, avvincente. Scritto con maestria ed accuratezza. E poi John Adams. Una vita incredibile, un uomo che diede, e dà ancora, lustro al suo Paese, al quale dedicò tutta la sua vita con devozione, senso del dovere ed equilibrio. Un esempio anche oggi, tremendamente attuale, per l'amore che profuse per la libertà, la democrazia e la pace, che ricercò sempre lottando strenuamente e incessantemente per ottenerle. Un grande uomo che McCullough, un maestro in questo campo, ha saputo valorizzare egregiamente. Indimenticabile.

Rarely have I read a book where, as I come to the end I am saddened that I must leave the character(s) and read of them no more. This is no dry historical record. McCullough has written as if he had been present at the time. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I had no prior knowledge of John Adams, having first encountered him when I was enthralled by the HBO mini-series with Paul Giamatta as Mr. Adams. The size of the book when it arrived was somewhat daunting. However the easy style of writing and the layout made for a fascinating insight into one of the chief movers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as Washington, Jefferson and Franklin. From birth to death we follow John Adams in his single-minded approach to life, which didn't always assist him in his endeavours. We can be thankful that he and his wife, Abigail were prolific, detailed and eloquent letter writers as the author had a treasure trove of material from which to gain an insight into their personalities, relationships and the times they lived in. The horror of his daughter Nabby undergoing a mastectomy without anesthetic is an example of the tough times people endured without our modern inventions. Adams, perhaps like no other President in the history of America travelled extensively BEFORE he became president, established the first American mission in The Hague, secured funding for the new born republic, was ambassador to the Court of St. James, vice-president and then President. It was remarkable to learn that on the day of his departure from the White House, he caught the public stagecoach at 4am for Baltimore. Can we imagine Obama catching the 4am bus as he leaves the White House? Fascinating insight after fascinating insight. I cannot rate this book highly enough. The 18th century truly was a time of tumultuous changes in America and Europe and that so many 'famous' Americans lived in that period and were players in the times they lived in is truly remarkable. Buy the book. Take your time. Enjoy the eloquence of the letter writing. Read of a life lived to the full and to the end!

Great book.

I saw the series on DVD and was totally entertained. For a history buff like myself, David McCullough is the best. kk