 Stunning. An Absolutely Astounding Life.
I cannot now imagine having NOT read this book.
It now seems impossible to me that a person can understand the beginnings of America without having read John Adams.
The research and writing are impeccable in every respect. The author has made the subject so interesting it is almost impossible to put the book down.
Clearly, the massive corpus of research available -- through John's and Abigail's letters, letters of other family members, Jefferson, and others, made the book possible. But it took master craftsmanship to turn this material into one of the best biographies in existence.
The story is fascinating. The fluff is nonexistent, with every word being essential and relevant.
As a frequent reader of biographical and historical material, I have been offended at the way much of history is colored with political bias and opinion. If there is any such bias to be found in this book, I missed it. As a reader, I had the compelling sense that I was reading the story precisely as it was, or at the very least, the closest rendition that is now attainable.
As to the subject of the book, I can say only that I came away with a sense of respect for John Adams that no other political figure in American history has engendered in me. In every instance, he put his country first -- sometimes, to a fault -- but his country was his first priority, always. He understood the critical nature of what was happening during the time and that the actions taken at that time would not only influence, but dictate, the future of the country -- and he was willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Apart from his extreme patriotism, the importance of Abigail and the relationship with Jefferson were the two overriding themes that were ever-present throughout the book.
Read it, read it, read it.
Should Be Required Reading
What can I say. This was one of those life changing books for me. The lessons that I learned really made me appreciate my american heritage and realize how fragile our democracy is. As flawed as Mr. Adams was you can't deny that he was an intragrul part of what made this country great. (and his wife Abigail too by the way)
History is alive and well.
This book is a project to read, but worth the time spent with it. Made me even more interested in the men who were responsible for our independence. The first independent nation with a diverse population. All Americans would benefit from reading "John Adams".
A Book That Will Affect Future Generations
Growing up in Massachusetts I never felt a connection with John Adams until I read this book. McCullough describes the amazing life of this founding father with a writing style and attention to detail unimaginable for many others. What struck me as spectacular was that John Adams put as much value in his farm work and his family life as he did in writing the Massachusetts state constitution or being our second President. His example as opposed to Jeffersons, was that of a responsible father, grandfather, statesman, laywer and citizen always with an eye to how his actions would affect future generations. Anyone who enjoyed the HBO series must also read the book it was based on to truly appreciate the man, his times and the author who penned it all.
No stone left unturned
I've always been a fan of Author David McCullough, one of the worlds best writers, he leaves no stone unturned in this bio of our 2nd President John Adams, McCullough leaves no smallest detail out.
This book is not for the faint of heart, it's a long hard read & skimming though it is not an option, if you don't pay attention you will find you're self not knowing what is going on chapters latter.
Part of knowing where we are going in sunderstanding how we got there & embracing the past, there are strikingly similarties today that there were 200 years ago.
|
