John Adams

The Definitive Biography of an Underrated Founding Father

Biography of John Adams (1735-1826), 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 show more 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, née 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less

John Adams by David McCullough is a fabulous biography of the second President of these United States. Mr. McCullough’s characterization of the president and his wife really shines through; their relationship – which is equal by today’s standards – is amazing and a reflection on their love, mutual respect and intelligence.

John Adams, an interesting figure, was a person with a high standard of integrity, a standard which drove him all his life. The president’s relations with his contemporaries such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and especially Thomas Jefferson were intriguing and fascinating.

Among the pages there are excerpts from speeches, but I found his personal family letters most interesting. Those letters let us show more glimpse into the genius mind of Adams. In his letters Adams seems neurotic, worrisome and very opinionated – great material for a biography. For example, Adams constantly worries about being forgotten by history, he frets that Benjamin Franklin’s “electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington. That Franklin electrified him with his rod and thence forward these two conducted all the policy, negotiation, legislation, and war".

How can you not love this guy?

How can you not respect a guy who took a possibly career ending case only to prove that the legal system is just and fair. He succeeded, and won the case, by defending the British soldiers accused of killing people in a riot organized by Sam Adams – known to us today as The Boston Massacre. The book follows Adams to Europe, where he served as an envoy accompanied by his son John Quincy. Their harrowing journey across dangerous waters, avoiding storms, fires and the British Navy is just as exciting as the diplomatic maneuvers through revolutionary Europe.

Upon his return, Adams become the first Vice President of the United States, “the most insignificant office ever known to man", as he so eloquently stated. Adams was awarded with the impossible and unenvious task of replacing George Washington as the nation’s second president.

This biography is meant to be savored, I could not rush though this magnificent book, nor did I want to, due to the dense information presented. However, unlike textbooks, Mr. McCullough tells a fascinating story instead of throwing dates and facts in one’s face.

There are several reproductions of important documents, art work and illustrations included in this Pulitzer winning book.

This book is what reading history is all about.

For more reviews please visit: http://manoflabook.blogspot.com/ show less

What a delightful, invigorating read. I found myself increasingly drawn into the relationships among these relatively few architects of a new nation and how they cooperated and battled with one another, how they respected and insulted each other's efforts. Adams, for his part, seemed to refrain from the insulting, but never flinched from the battling. The book certainly deepened my respect for this man's contribution to American government and thought.

I was also surprised to gain a much warmer and more personable view of John Adams from the book than i did from the HBO series based on it. He could be irritating and infuriating to people, no doubt, but he was also tremendously engaging, passionate, and loyal.

A historian must tread show more carefully between dry facts and records and the human stories they suggest. McCullough performs this balance remarkably well. I found myself engrossed in the life of Adams and his family without departing from the documented details. show less

Of the Founding Fathers, John Adams is a bit of an acquired taste - he doesn't have the daring exploits of Washington, the charisma of Jefferson, or the larger than life character of Franklin. Instead, Adams is more of a dedicated and principled lawyer who stuck to his beliefs so much that he embroiled himself in a revolution. And not to be understated, for most of his life, he had at his side the exceptional Abigail, who supported him emotionally, intellectually, and financially. Over the course of the American Revolution and early republic, Adams amassed quite the resume: defender of British soldiers in the Boston Massacre, member of the Continental Congress, advocate for the Declaration of Independence, diplomat to France, the show more Netherlands, and Great Britain, Vice President and then President of the United States. Even after all that, Adams lived on twenty-five years and cemented his legacy by rekindling his friendship with his former political rival Thomas Jefferson, and the two Founding Fathers famously passed away on the same day, precisely fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Overall, this was a highly compelling biography, covering Adams' rise to prominence and his spectacular career, while also not ignoring the wider context of Adams' family life and relationships with friends and rivals. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to learn more about this American Founding Father. show less

This award-winning biography of second American president John Adams has been sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read, since the year it first came out. A Christmas gift from my father - having been named after Abigail Adams (what can I say? born in 1976, I am my family's bicentennial baby!), I tend to receive quite a few Adams family biographies - it's a book that I have long been meaning to read, but for which I never seem to be able find the time. What extraordinary timing it is, that my Presidential Book-Club - set up to improve members' knowledge of American history, through a program in which we read a biography of each president, chronologically - chose it as our November/December selection. Extraordinary, because my father, ill show more these many years, died in mid-December, and the long-forgotten Christmas letter from him, that I found tucked in the pages of this book, has been a real comfort these last few weeks, with its message of love, and its instruction (much in the manner of Adams himself, as it happens) to pay attention to certain things, like "the lady for whom you are named."

Leaving aside that very personal component of my reading experience, John Adams is just an outstanding biography - a fine work of scholarship, and of writing. Unlike some readers, I cannot say that I was unaware of Adams as a historical figure, but there is no doubt that McCullough has greatly expanded my store of knowledge about him, and given me a much greater appreciation for his character, and the many services he performed, and sacrifices he made, for our country. His strong sense of honor, and independence of mind, are evident from beginning to end, from his controversial decision to defend (successfully!) the British soldiers accused of murder, during the "Boston Massacre" case, to his lifelong refusal to belong to any political party, or adhere to any party line. This latter is particularly important, as it allowed Adams' to circumvent the Federalists' desire for war with France, in the early days of the republic - something that would have been disastrous. Of course, our strengths are often also our weaknesses, and the very strength of character that allowed Adams, in certain venues, to stay true to himself, also sometimes exposed him to ridicule, and made him rather rigid at times. This last is particularly evident in the sad story of Adams' middle son Charles, an alcoholic whom Adams disowned.

If I had any criticism of McCullough's book to make - and overall, I maintain its excellence - it would be that it is far stronger in depicting Adams' intimate relationships - his lifelong loving partnership with Abigail, his friendship with Thomas Jefferson - than his public ones. It's unfortunate that I read it just after a book that managed to do both brilliantly - I cannot recommend Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life enough, and consider it the single best political biography that I have ever read! - but there you have it. I came away from Chernow's book with a list of at least fifteen people I wanted to read more about, but not so here. On the other hand, McCullough really does nail both Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and their roles in Adams' life. And he also, needless to say, nails his main subject as well, his irascible greatness: his desire for love and approval, which was always sublimated by his unyielding sense of right and wrong, his astonishing work ethic, his fiery independence, and often adversarial manner. That he accomplished so much, and overcame so many obstacles, steering the nation through many dangerous moments, is a testament to that greatness, and to the fact that Adams, despite the neglect of a generation of scholars, deserves to be placed in the forefront of the founding generation. Thank goodness McCullough has come along, and done him justice! show less

If you love the Revolutionary Era like I do, read this book. It's an appropriate testament to the epic life of a titan of American history, a gripping narrative that encompasses so many other legendary characters, and just an all-around awesome tome.

So many incredible people gathered in 1776 and the decisive decades that followed in order to produce this country: Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton--and Abigail, whom I have to count in this list as one of the most lovable characters in American history. She's so awesome and good and just tells it like it is. And her husband totally knew what a catch he'd found.

I think what makes Adams himself so relatable is that he left so much of his mind out in the open to posterity through his show more letters. He also, as McCullough sometimes implies, just seems so much more honest than Jefferson, and so much less mysterious than Washington. His intentions were always good, whereas Jefferson comes off as sly and two-faced at many moments. He's a great character: Flecked with conspicuous flaws, gifted, ambitious, and genuine, John Adams would totally've been my BFF, and Abigail too. (He was also a skillful writer, one of the best of the founding generation, and for that, too, I would more than allow him to be friends with me.)

Another reason why I love this era of American history, and why it seems so epic, is that to us, the Revolution seemed inevitable, "Common Sense," and the assured duration of the country even more so--yet to the founders, the Revolution and the United States were anything but. I think Joseph J. Ellis in Founding Brothers, which I read almost three years ago to the day for APUSH and absolutely loved, articulates the evitable-ness of the era most beautifully. (That book is so awesome, btw. These two complement each other really well.)

Speaking of beautiful writing, David McCullough is the bomb. I was totally hooked on this book and on every turn and twist in Adams's path. (Not gonna lie, I cried when Abigail died.) Though Adams's life and personality just lends itself to a fascinating biography, and though one would think the job shouldn't be too hard with all the evidence to posterity that he left during his life, McCullough could not have done a more elegant job. show less