2nd USA President John Adams Biography Pulitzer Prize Father #6 Prez John Quincy

Description

John Adams by David McCullough.
DESCRIPTION:
Softcover: 752 pages. Publisher: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks; (2002). Size: 9¼ x 6¼ x 1½ inches; 1½ pounds.
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot; "the colossus of independence," as Thomas Jefferson called him; who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history.
Like his masterly, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Truman, David McCullough's "John Adams" has the sweep and vitality of a great novel. It is both a riveting portrait of an abundantly human man and a vivid evocation of his time, much of it drawn from an outstanding collection of Adams family letters and diaries. In particular, the more than one thousand surviving letters between John and Abigail Adams, nearly half of which have never been published, provide extraordinary access to their private lives and make it possible to know John Adams as no other major American of his founding era.
As he has with stunning effect in his previous books, McCullough tells the story from within; from the point of view of the amazing eighteenth century and of those who, caught up in events, had no sure way of knowing how things would turn out. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, the British spy Edward Bancroft, Madame Lafayette and Jefferson's Paris "interest" Maria Cosway, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, the scandalmonger James Callender, Sally Hemings, John Marshall, Talleyrand, and Aaron Burr all figure in this panoramic chronicle, as does, importantly, John Quincy Adams, the adored son whom Adams would live to see become President.
Crucial to the story, as it was to history, is the relationship between Adams and Jefferson, born opposites -- one a Massachusetts farmer's son, the other a Virginia aristocrat and slaveholder, one short and stout, the other tall and spare. Adams embraced conflict; Jefferson avoided it. Adams had great humor; Jefferson, very little. But they were alike in their devotion to their country. At first they were ardent co-revolutionaries, then fellow diplomats and close friends. With the advent of the two political parties, they became archrivals, even enemies, in the intense struggle for the presidency in 1800, perhaps the most vicious election in history. Then, amazingly, they became friends again, and ultimately, incredibly, they died on the same day; their day of days; July 4, in the year 1826.
Much about John Adams's life will come as a surprise to many readers. His courageous voyage on the frigate Boston in the winter of 1778 and his later trek over the Pyrenees are exploits that few would have dared and that few readers will ever forget. It is a life encompassing a huge arc. Adams lived longer than any president. The story ranges from the Boston Massacre to Philadelphia in 1776 to the Versailles of Louis XVI, from Spain to Amsterdam, from the Court of St. James's, where Adams was the first American to stand before King George III as a representative of the new nation, to the raw, half-finished Capital by the Potomac, where Adams was the first President to occupy the White House.
CONDITION: Light shelf-wear consistent with book store open shelf stock, reminder mark on bottom, otherwise New, never read, Ready to Ship.
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR JACKET DESCRIPTION(S) AND FOR PAGES OF PICTURES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
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REVIEW: Told by one of our country's greatest historians, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Truman, here is the extraordinary history of the birth of our country, seen through the lives of two extraordinary men: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Deftly, and with a key eye for detail, McCullough describes the childhood, youth, and coming of age of these two very different Americans who, though bitterly opposed to each other, profoundly influenced the destiny of America. This is history on a grand scale, a book about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship, and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, "John Adams" is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
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REVIEW: One of America's greatest storytellers has turned to one of America's greatest stories as the source for his most recent inspiration: a tale of one of the most influential, and often the most misunderstood, Founding Fathers: John Adams. The result is a tour de force and pure joy for the reader. "John Adams" is a sweeping epic, often cinematic in its lively sense of everyday detail, that moves at a wonderful pace from Adams's earliest days in Massachusetts as a country lawyer to the halcyon days of American Revolution; the enormous work of diplomacy in Paris, The Hague, and London; the earliest years of government in the fledgling Republic in both New York and Washington; and the establishment of the large Adams clan, whose own lives were to become so interwoven in the fabric of the young nation. The book reexamines both the most famous and least well known stories of Adams's contribution to the experiment in American democracy; from his complex and often troubled relationships to Thomas Jefferson and the manipulative Benjamin Franklin to a brilliant interweaving of some of the most moving of the now-famous conversations on paper between John and his beloved wife, Abigail. David McCullough has given us a biography written in a style that allows us full glimpses into the workings of palace intrigue, early presidential scandals, the birth of the two-party system, and quiet days on a beloved farm. All are presented with a grace that makes this book an essential read for any lover of history.
REVIEW: Here a preeminent master of narrative history takes on the most fascinating of our founders to create a benchmark for all Adams biographers. With a keen eye for telling detail and a master storyteller's instinct for human interest, McCullough resurrects the great Federalist (1735-1826), revealing in particular his restrained, sometimes off-putting disposition, as well as his political guile. The events McCullough recounts are well-known, but with his astute marshaling of facts, the author surpasses previous biographers in depicting Adams's years at Harvard, his early public life in Boston and his role in the first Continental Congress, where he helped shape the philosophical basis for the Revolution. McCullough also makes vivid Adams's actions in the second Congress, during which he was the first to propose George Washington to command the new Continental Army. Later on, we see Adams bickering with Tom Paine's plan for government as suggested in Common Sense, helping push through the draft for the Declaration of Independence penned by his longtime friend and frequent rival, Thomas Jefferson, and serving as commissioner to France and envoy to the Court of St. James's. The author is likewise brilliant in portraying Adams's complex relationship with Jefferson, who ousted him from the White House in 1800 and with whom he would share a remarkable death date 26 years later: July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration.
REVIEW: This life of Adams is an extraordinary portrait of an extraordinary man who has not received his due in America's early political history but whose life work significantly affected his country's future. McCullough is here following his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, "Truman", and his subjects have much in common as leaders who struggled to establish their own presidential identities as they emerged from the shadows of their revered predecessors. The author paints a portrait of Adams, the patriot, in the fullest sense of the word. The reader is treated to engaging descriptions and accounts of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, among others, as well as the significant figures in the Adams family: Abigail, John's love and full partner, and son John Quincy. In tracing Adams's life from childhood through his many critical, heroic, and selfless acts during the Revolution, his vice presidency under Washington, and his own term as president, the full measure of Adams a man widely regarded in his time as the equal of Jefferson, Hamilton, and all of the other Founding Fathers is revealed. The authentic John Adams has been concealed too long in the glamorous shadows of Jefferson and Washington, and some rectification is past due. McCullough's biography will go far to provide it, for none before it, not even Gilbert Chinard's classic of a generation or more ago, has attained its height of narrative art. But that is only to be expected of the writer who is our historian laureate in waiting. This excellent biography deserves a wide audience.
READER REVIEWS
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REVIEW: John Adams and the menagerie of revolutionaries that pass through his story are so interesting that you may have trouble putting the book down, despite the 700+ page count. If you are a fan of philosophy, history, and especially political science you will find this a good read. Most striking are David McCullough's endless parade of characters in, out and through the biography of one New England farmer. You get splashes of Puritan Scholars, New England farmers, Middle State Merchants, Southern Generals, and misplaced Loyalists, among others. Netherlander journalists, English Ambassadors and a touch of Absolute Monarchs fall between the pages. I found it fascinating. But then, I don't mind the length and breadth of descriptions that give the book such volume. A little patience and a great deal of imagination may be required for enjoyment. Mr. McCoullugh's descriptions and references to personal correspondence touch a great deal on human nature and capacity; inspire then-now comparisons of government, civic duty, and everyday tasks and expectations. More than the guided adventure through successful revolution (which I loved), I was affected by the frail humanity of such historic figures and the personal and national implications of an 'if then, then why not now' regard. A great read!
REVIEW: Reading David McCullough's John Adams is an enlightening experience. This 'forgotten' man, whose presidency is squeezed between Washington and Jefferson, is a true American hero, who devoted more of his life to the liberty and birth of this nation than any other man of his generation, and perhaps more than any other man in the history of our nation. How sad that this great country has no real tribute to such a patriotic American. One can question whether this country would still be in existence as we know it if not for the hard work, dedication and true patriotism of John Adams. Yet, there is no monument, no picture on currency, no honor paid to this incredible man and his dedicated and strong wife Abigail. This book will open your eyes to the amazing accomplishments of John Adams and the support of his wife. I was completely surprised by the dedication John Adams had to this nation, and dedication to the individuals of this country, without concern for party or his own political career. This is an absolute "must read" book for anyone, well written by David McCullough's, whose ability to pull you into this man and the era is unmatched.
REVIEW: This book was recommended to me and I admit I was reluctant to give it a try. However, once I did, I couldn't believe the depth of information and the frame of reference provided of this epic man who played an epic role in an epic time of our nation! The book gives incredible insight to the events that shaped the man and how the man responded by shaping this fledgling nation. It is also an enlightening view of the follies of man then and how those same follies plague man still today. The book provides an interesting perspective on John Adams' relationship with Thomas Jefferson and how it survived the tumults of the ambition of both men. I found myself amazed at how little I knew of John Adams when he had played such a pivotal role in forming these United States. I learned from the book that even today, John Adams can be a role model for all of us as we face our daily challenges.
REVIEW: I think John Adams definitely was among the intellectual elite of his time, only surpassed by Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who were in my opinion genius level patriots. The Alien and Sedition Acts, made him a very unpopular president. This does not mean he was not a very important founding father, after all the weight of the revolution did not weigh solely upon the back of one man. Individuals such as John Hancock, John Hanson and Layfette, played a very significant role in the fight for American independence, yet most people have only vaguely heard of those patriots. John Adams was a great patriot, a terrible president, and a father to a president who was just as unpopular as he was as president. His son John Q Adams in my opinion was a far better president than his father (John Q Adams was author of the Monroe Doctrine), probably due to the influence Benjamin Franklin had on him at an early age. John Adams was a misunderstood patriot whose heart was in the right place. A great read.
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