The Definitive Biography of an Underrated Founding Father

A cradle-to-grave biography of John Adams, the ideological force behind the Declaration of Independence, the first Vice President of the United States and second President, whose contributions to the founding of our nation and the isms which defined it are too often understated in biographies of his headliner fellow Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. David McCullough excels at giving novel-character-like life to long-dead luminaries, which is especially difficult for Adams, because he was not what we now call a "complicated" historical figure. His ideas didn't "evolve" for the most part, and he would live by more or less the same beliefs and morals from his years as a student at Harvard through his semi-retirement from public life in 1801 to his death 25 years later. McCullough humanizes Adams by relating in detail the story of the most well-known fact about him - his romance with his wife of 54 years, nƩe Abigail Smith. But he also establishes the world - both geographical and intellectual - in which Adams lived. When Americans think of the Revolution and the nation-building which succeeded it, we frequently believe the outcome to be inevitable, even preordained. Our cause was just, and the definition of phrases like "three coequal branches of government" and "freedom of speech" are self-evident. In reality, these results were often far from certain. McCullough's equally excellent military history 1776 (2005) describes the moments of heavy indeterminacy on the battlefield, but it is with this biography, through the eyes of a resolute "old oak," as Abigail describes him, where McCullough explores the often heated philosophical debates which made "the American experiment" such an experiment. It is a truly definitive biography which has resonance today and will no doubt continue to resonate in the U.S. and other nations as-yet-unfounded 200 years from now. ( )

One of the best biographies I have ever read. Learned so much about the Founding Fathers and have a great deal of respect for John Adams. ( )

I found this biography at a thrift store, and thought, oh, I really should know more about this time in our history. I didn't know very much about John Adams -- he is overshadowed by Washington and Jefferson in classroom history. I had some notion that he and his wife Abigail were influential, but that was about it. Well, after reading this book, I now say that John Adams is my new favorite president. Not only was he supremely intelligent, he was courageous and had a towering integrity. He was one of the few of those early founding fathers who was unabashedly opposed to slavery, an attitude he held throughout his life.

His relationship to his wife was a love story for the ages. He held her in the highest esteem, and consulted her on all things. They never failed in their love and respect for each other. She was his match in intelligence and fortitude, and their letters to each other are a treasure. Indeed, all the Adams family letters are amazing. McCullough quotes from them liberally, and it was interesting and touching to learn about their daily cares and griefs, the friendship he held with other people, and the care he lavished on his children and grandchildren. This biography makes him human, flawed and obstinate and sometimes pompous, but also a bulldog for democracy and a patriot in the true sense of the word.

I also enjoyed learning more about the other founding fathers, especially Jefferson. I was already aware of his long-standing and controversial relationship with his slave Sally Hemings, but I didn't know she was only fourteen when she joined him in Paris (shepherding his young daughter from Monticello, across the Atlantic and Europe). Fourteen! And pregnant two years later. This actually made me ill. Jefferson was a brilliant man in many ways, but his character flaws were deep, whereas Adams' flaws were mostly those of temperament and personality.

The actual reading experience of this book was a little slow, because there is so much packed into this 700 page volume. I put it down several times but always picked it up again. This book is not only the story of one man, but also of the birth of a nation and the many complex individuals that were present at the time. It is utterly deserving of the Pulitzer it won. ( )

Very good bio on 2nd President, readable.

A first rate biography, engagingly written and compelling.