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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Exhaustive and exhausting. A wonderful primer on our independence, and a deeply moving rendering of the most famous Bostonian. Never have I been so proud to be from New England.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I feel pretty accomplished reading this book in its entirety. I had to put it down a couple times, but the writing was engaging enough for me to continue. Let's face it: any biography of the minutia of an American President can risk running a little on the dry side. And I felt there was a little of that here. But overall, I enjoyed it. It seemed to be as much about Abigail Adams as John, which was gratifying. One might think that a book named solely for the subject of the biography would center around that figure. But McCullough makes a point to say that Adams was a family man from start to finish and that he never took Abigail and her political savvy for granted.
I read this in celebration of the Fourth of July. I am glad to have a better understanding of the tribulations of revolting against the monarchy, the ties that made the early Americans rely on France so and then the unravelling of those ties that almost, thanks to Adams, resulted in war. Not only did I get a sense of Adams' role, but I got a picture of how the first 6 Presidents came to gain the title and their relationship to one another.
Now on to the HBO series to see how they did it!
I read this in celebration of the Fourth of July. I am glad to have a better understanding of the tribulations of revolting against the monarchy, the ties that made the early Americans rely on France so and then the unravelling of those ties that almost, thanks to Adams, resulted in war. Not only did I get a sense of Adams' role, but I got a picture of how the first 6 Presidents came to gain the title and their relationship to one another.
Now on to the HBO series to see how they did it!
I've only ever heard incredible things about David McCullough histories and decided to pick this one up when I passed by it on the library's audiobook shelf. I've been on a history book kick the past half year or so, getting in at least ten books focusing on people or events over the last 250 years, but this is the first one where I really felt as though I knew the characters and understood the environment in which they lived.
By the end of the book (spoiler alert: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both pass away) I felt as though I knew the characters, naturally John Adams the best, so personally that the weight and impact of their death made me tear up.
I doubt I'll read it again anytime soon (so many books, so little time) but definitely one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid glance into the past and for those curious about the inarguably incredible men that helped found the USA.
By the end of the book (spoiler alert: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both pass away) I felt as though I knew the characters, naturally John Adams the best, so personally that the weight and impact of their death made me tear up.
I doubt I'll read it again anytime soon (so many books, so little time) but definitely one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid glance into the past and for those curious about the inarguably incredible men that helped found the USA.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
David McCullough is such a great historian and good writer. John Adams is far more interesting than I would ever have imagined. Wonderful insight into the formation of our country through the eyes of one of its key founders.
Great read, maybe a little dry at times, but a good look into the oft-misunderstood, hard-working, honest 2nd President of the US. I was a bit disappointed that McCullough seemed to gloss over Adams' faith/religious beliefs, especially considering they were so different from Jefferson's, his lifelong friend.
challenging
informative
slow-paced