John Adams
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John Adams description
Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams--who, David McCullough writes, was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics--came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties--including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation. Overshadowed by the lustrous presidents Washington and Jefferson, who bracketed his tenure in office, Adams emerges from McCullough's brilliant biography as a truly heroic figure--not only for his significant role in the American Revolution but also for maintaining his personal integrity in its strife-filled aftermath. McCullough spends much of his narrative examining the troubled friendship between Adams and Jefferson, who had in common a love for books and ideas but differed on almost every other imaginable point. Reading his pages, it is easy to imagine the two as alter egos. (Strangely, both died on the same day, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.) But McCullough also considers Adams in his own light, and the portrait that emerges is altogether fascinating. --Gregory McNamee |
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John Adams Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Great story about interesting man
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There's not much for me to say here that hasn't been said about this biography. It's an absolutely wonderful book by a great historian and writer. John Adams deserves more credit than history has given him for the role he played in developing our nation, and McCullough illustrates that.
The book, like many biographies, is sympathetic toward the subject. McCullough barely criticizes Adams for the Alien and Sedition Acts during his presidency, for example. However, the book effectively presents a brilliant, hard-working, opinionated and insecure man who had strengths and faults. Being a Massachusetts native may have helped me enjoy the book even more. I was glued to the pages of this book and was actually sad when I finished. As far as biographies go, it's hard to improve upon this one. |
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