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treylusk's review against another edition
3.0
Very controversial ending of the book, “This is why we honor Jefferson and not Adams” I couldn’t believe that he choose to end the book like that especially because this book is a monument to his character and derivation to our nation.
I also wish that he had focused more on the reasons that they were such good friends, he decided to not include stories of their trips together in Europe and such.
He also included some legends that helped illustrate his point while not addressing other more famous ones such as president Jefferson’s dying mention of Adam’s.
Over all very good
I also wish that he had focused more on the reasons that they were such good friends, he decided to not include stories of their trips together in Europe and such.
He also included some legends that helped illustrate his point while not addressing other more famous ones such as president Jefferson’s dying mention of Adam’s.
Over all very good
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
2.0
During the American revolution, John Adams & Thomas Jefferson agreed on virtually everything. After, they were rarely on the same page again (except maybe for their mutual hatred of Hamilton). This academic examination of their up-&-down bromance hits the familiar character chords (stubborn, irascible John; aloof, intellectual Tom) & puts both Jefferson’s brilliance & contradictions front & center. But the dry text by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian is more about ideas than individuals. Where’s the fun in that?
ladyzluvcooljim's review against another edition
3.0
As I read Friends Divided, there were times when I wondered if this was really the same Gordon Wood who's American Revolution I read in college. My review, however short it may be, will focus on two aspects of this book: the fanaticism with which it was researched, and the laziness with which it was written. I haven't read a biography of Jefferson or Adams, so I certainly learned a lot about both men and their contributions to the Revolution. Certainly, the collective we know much more about Jefferson than Adams (and that's coming from a native New Englander). And that seems to be Wood's "thesis," if he really had one. The last line of the book may lead the reader to that conclusion: "That's why we honor Jefferson and not Adams." However, all of the content, all of the facts, tid-bits, anecdotes, etc. were occasionally presented in a contradictory manner. And throughout, the book read as if it was a "Compare and Contrast" essay written by a disgruntled teenager. I thought about counting the number of times Wood said, "Jefferson thought...however, Adams..." or "Although Adams..., Jefferson..." because it would surely exceed the price of the hardcover. Furthermore, in my writing, I pride myself on a diversity of vocabulary, not repeating a word within a sentence or between two sentences if it can at all be avoided and Wood made no effort in this regard. This may be a personal annoyance of mine but it makes for stilted reading.
Notable Quotable:
"'I have spent an Estate in Books.'" (P. 45)
"In his inaugural address Adams tried to counter some of the impressions his publications had made. It was as if he suddenly realized that as president he couldn't talk to the country in the blunt way he had in his writings." (P. 292)
"'May every human being,--man, woman, and child,--be as well informed as possible.'" (P. 430)
Notable Quotable:
"'I have spent an Estate in Books.'" (P. 45)
"In his inaugural address Adams tried to counter some of the impressions his publications had made. It was as if he suddenly realized that as president he couldn't talk to the country in the blunt way he had in his writings." (P. 292)
"'May every human being,--man, woman, and child,--be as well informed as possible.'" (P. 430)
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
4.0
Consumed via audiobook.
Things I never thought I'd say: "Huh. I can really relate with John Adams."
I went into this with some trepidation, but it was not dry as I feared and in fact very interesting. The contrast of Adams and Jefferson was effective in making them each stand out in their own way.
My biggest criticism is that I wish it had been apparent as Wood went through the timeline where exactly they were in relation to the events around them. Recommend if you're interested in the Revolutionary War or the people surrounding it.
Things I never thought I'd say: "Huh. I can really relate with John Adams."
I went into this with some trepidation, but it was not dry as I feared and in fact very interesting. The contrast of Adams and Jefferson was effective in making them each stand out in their own way.
My biggest criticism is that I wish it had been apparent as Wood went through the timeline where exactly they were in relation to the events around them. Recommend if you're interested in the Revolutionary War or the people surrounding it.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
4.0
What a writer Prof. Wood is. This was a very interesting dual bio of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and their relationship. I really enjoyed it.
rahobeth_benson's review against another edition
4.0
The author tries to tell the story of the evolving friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The author does a good job of using letters sent between Adams, Jefferson and others to help explain the potential motivation and reasoning behind decisions made by Adams and Jefferson before, during, and after their presidencies. An insightful read. Because the author uses first hand references, some of the reading may be difficult because the English language has changed in the past 200 years. However, I'd much rather have the original documents and an explanation of the words over a paraphrased version.