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Title: John Adams by David McCullough, Edward Herrmann ISBN: 0-7435-0473-9 Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Audio) Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 6 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.61 (526 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Duty, Honor, and Action!
Comment: John Adams as a subject and David McCullough as a biographer were made for one another. Adams was a prolific letter writer and essayist whose wife, family, and friends also wrote a great deal. With so much raw material from and about Adams to choose from, McCullough could emphasize his obvious talent for creating a smooth narration through simply connecting the most pertinent written materials authored by the key figures.
Most people who read this book will gain three important lessons:
(1) even the most successful people look to their personal lives for their real satisfaction;
(2) exploring deep relationships with remarkable people is far more rewarding than knowing lots of people; and
(3) serious mistakes and antagonisms will dog even the most successful person, so you have to take yourself with a large grain of salt.
John Adams is eclipsed in most histories of the Revolutionary period by the story line of building the new republic, and the lives of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. As a result, your perception of John Adams probably is limited to his role in defending the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, encouraging the break with Britain, his ambassadorships, and the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts during his presidency. From that, you will have a perception of a man who saw his best days in 1776 and may wonder vaguely how his son became the 6th president.
If you are like me, this book will totally change that perspective. His best days were clearly those after he left the presidency when he could enjoy private life as a farmer. His son was raised from a small boy for public life, accompanying his father to France for diplomatic service during the Revolution. John Adams also had a talent for making tough decisions that showed up well in his encouragement of George Washington to become commander-in-chief, his advocacy for the Revolution, selecting Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, his steadfastness in finding allies in Europe regardless of protocol, his steady focus on getting sea power for the United States, and his attempts to avoid war with France while president.
On the other hand, his style made him frequently misunderstood. He believed so passionately in his ideas that he often offended people by the vigor of his pursuit of them. From those extreme actions, people assumed that he had secret, extreme views in favor of authority and monarchy . . . which was probably not the case. Mr. McCullough is probably a little too gentle in forgiving Adams for his sometimes offensive ways because of the purity of his intentions.
His life also helps anyone better understand American history because he was bedeviled by communications and travels delays more than any other American of his day. Decisions about politics normally had to be made in light of limited and out-of-date information. So the man on the spot had to use his best judgment. Many interesting examples of this are well covered in the book.
In many ways, this book is almost a triple biography of Adams, his wife Abigail, and Thomas Jefferson. The interactions of the three are the most interesting parts of the book. Clearly they were among the very most talented of their age, and you get to see how the relationships formed, were put under pressure by public life and politics, and reasserted themselves with leisure and retirement.
My main complaint about the book is that Mr. McCullough could have included a lot more about the implications of what Adams believed and did. For example, although Adams was like Washington and wanted there to be no political parties, his presidency saw that unhappy event occur. How could Adams have helped maintain the consensus that there should be no parties? Clearly, he would have had to have been more active in cleansing his own Federalist supporters . . . which would have required a break with Washington's choices. Adams also kept us out of a war with France. However, would such a war have likely been very serious for the United States? France was well occupied at the time fending off every monarchy in Europe. So, although the book raises many delicious subjects like that, you will have to think them through on your own. That's a good way to learn to think independently, so this is a blessing in disguise.
Another limitation of the book is that Adams is forgiven too easily for the Federalists passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, which clearly could have destroyed our civil liberties. How could someone who had fought for liberty do anything other than oppose such legislation with every ounce of his strength?
After you finish reading this fine history, I suggest that you think about how you could learn from the example of John Adams. What did he do well that you need to do better? What virtues do you have that he lacked?
Even in the midst of crisis, be sure to notice and enjoy the wonder of life all around you!
Rating: 5
Summary: The John Adams You Never Knew
Comment: John Adams by David McCullough is an erudite and eminently satisfying biography of America's most passionate sage. From the very first paragraph, John Adam's dignity, intelect, steadfast character and of course boudless passion spring off the page and into your soul. In reading about Mr. Adam's you truly get the feeling that we Americans are standing on the shoulders of giants. Yet the true fascination of the book lies in the telling of the great feats of Mr. Adam's life; representing the British solderis after the "Boston Massacre" (political suicide at the time), being, without arguement, the foremost leader of the American Revolution despite all the danger that accompanied this position, hand picking George Washington to lead the continental army, Co-authoring the Declaration of Independance and US Constitution, fathering the US Navy (America's Wooden Walls), serving as our second president and avoiding a catastrophic war with France, and of course, as providence would have it, dying on July 4th, exactly 50 years after 1776! All this by the son of a New England Farmer and Shoe Maker! After reading this book one can only wonder why John Adams, our greatest revolutionary hero, has been all but forgotten by generations of Americans. Do not fret though, for Mr. McCoullough has resurrected John Adams who's boundless courage and passion will live forever more in the hearts and souls of all Americans.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent
Comment: All of that said, a great deal has been written about the number two in this particular case. John Adams was not merely the second President of the United States, he was the father of yet another American president (John Quincy Adams) and a contemporary and colleague of such historical players as Thomas Jefferson (with whom Adams seemed to have an eerie and almost supernatural link), Benjamin Franklin and James Madison: all of whom take prominent roles in "John Adams," David McCullough's thorough and deservedly lengthy biography of the longest lived American president's life.
While the rich ground of Adams' life has been probed many, many, many times since his death on July 4th, 1826, no one has blasted as much life into this story as McCullough. The author understands exactly what it takes to breathe life into material that, in other hands, has the potential to be deadly boring. Reading "John Adams," you get the feeling that McCullough could write a biography on your neighbor the plumber and make it at least passably interesting. Working with a historical character like Adams, whose long life was filled with fascinating people and deeds and who lived at a time of great change, the result is little short of mesmerizing.
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Title: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis ISBN: 0375705244 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 05 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Benjamin Franklin : An American Life by Walter Isaacson ISBN: 0684807610 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Truman by David McCullough ISBN: 0671869205 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 14 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis ISBN: 0679764410 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 07 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris ISBN: 0812966007 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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