Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
A truly wonderful telling of an extraordinary life.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I wanted to enjoy this book, given how widely acclaimed it is and given how much I enjoyed reading another of his works: 1776. Sadly, though, I was very disappointed. Like 1776, it reads rather easily, and makes a very good story - a good thing given just how influential and action packed Adams' life ended up being. You can learn a lot about him, if you haven't read much about Adams before, and McCullough really really excels at making the story a good one that you want to continue reading.
Where it all falls apart, though, is in its consistency. You'd think that a book titled John Adams would deal rather well with the man, but it spends an inordinate time talking about Jefferson (admittedly for good reason), to the point where it seems to want to be a biography of him. This is repeated with other people as well, to the extent that you lose space to ancillary subjects, and the space isn't reclaimed to important subjects. It starts off at rather quick pace, slows down and then speeds up again, as though the years before his activity with the Congress, and the years after his Presidency weren't all that important. Just one example would be this sentence:
"In December, Federalists from the five New England States, led by Timothy Pickering, met at Hartford to denounce the “ruinous war.” There was even talk of New England seceding from the union."
From this sentence nothing more is elaborated on, despite how momentous it should have been - not just to Adams, John Quincy Adams, or Jefferson, but to the rest of the country as a whole. After all so much of Adams' Presidency was related to the Federalists, so it would be appropriate to elaborate, but apparently that'd be a misnomer.
By the time it gets to the last chapter, you can tell he's basically racing: as though he's lost steam and just wanted to get the job done. Even as Adams, and others start to die, very little is said about their actual deaths or final days (Abigail's death is dealt with in a matter of short paragraphs). Contrast this with Chernow's Washington: A Life, where you feel as though you're there with the person, not just in the midst of their life but at the end of it.
If you're looking for a work on John Adams that is something more than passable: something educational and comprehensive, I'd look elsewhere. You'll learn a lot here, but it really needs to be supplemented with other reading, and by that point you would have been better served reading something else.
Where it all falls apart, though, is in its consistency. You'd think that a book titled John Adams would deal rather well with the man, but it spends an inordinate time talking about Jefferson (admittedly for good reason), to the point where it seems to want to be a biography of him. This is repeated with other people as well, to the extent that you lose space to ancillary subjects, and the space isn't reclaimed to important subjects. It starts off at rather quick pace, slows down and then speeds up again, as though the years before his activity with the Congress, and the years after his Presidency weren't all that important. Just one example would be this sentence:
"In December, Federalists from the five New England States, led by Timothy Pickering, met at Hartford to denounce the “ruinous war.” There was even talk of New England seceding from the union."
From this sentence nothing more is elaborated on, despite how momentous it should have been - not just to Adams, John Quincy Adams, or Jefferson, but to the rest of the country as a whole. After all so much of Adams' Presidency was related to the Federalists, so it would be appropriate to elaborate, but apparently that'd be a misnomer.
By the time it gets to the last chapter, you can tell he's basically racing: as though he's lost steam and just wanted to get the job done. Even as Adams, and others start to die, very little is said about their actual deaths or final days (Abigail's death is dealt with in a matter of short paragraphs). Contrast this with Chernow's Washington: A Life, where you feel as though you're there with the person, not just in the midst of their life but at the end of it.
If you're looking for a work on John Adams that is something more than passable: something educational and comprehensive, I'd look elsewhere. You'll learn a lot here, but it really needs to be supplemented with other reading, and by that point you would have been better served reading something else.
God help me. 782 pages. Six weeks. And we're moving, among other things. IT'S BOOK CLUBS FAULT.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this book, but gotten no farther than page 333 and need to return it today. Note to self to finish it at a less hectic time.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this book, but gotten no farther than page 333 and need to return it today. Note to self to finish it at a less hectic time.
Very good read, if you like history. Recommended. A little dry in places, though.
Every American should read this book. Masterfully written and fascinating. We are lucky that John Adams wrote so many letters and kept records and journals so that we have this incredible insight into the man who played such an enormous role in the founding of our country. A very interesting, informative, and absorbing read.
One my favorite books on an American President. I read this when it was first published in 2001 so it has been a while but what remained with me is the strong character, simplicity, intellect, and love of liberty of John Adams. His love and respect for his wife was unique for the period. The fact that so many letters between them survived, as well as a tremendous amount of correspondence with others of the day, make this non-fiction biography a compelling read.
I read this long ago but the book pops into my head often - especially during the election brouhaha. It was such a tremendous time in our country and such ordinary people rose to great heights, and you wonder how they possibly lived as long as they did!
Very Human and yet an extraordinary man in extraordinary times! McCullough's writing brings him to life.