John Adams was one of the most pivotal characters and longest lived of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. But what makes this book possible is the immense volume of letters he wrote though out his life time... letters to friends, family, co-conspirators, rivals, foreign powers, enemies, politicians, soldiers, and scholars. He may be the most prolific writer of the period, possibly any period.
David McCullough uses this mass of writing to bring insight into the formation of our government, foreign relations, politics, culture, world events, etc...
John Adams is an exemplary character, he was called 'incorruptible' by friends and foe alike. But his integrity, unmatched by but a few, pales in comparison to his passion and love for his country, friends, and family. This book is full of insights, quotes, personality development, and history.
Adams was so in twined with the characters of the day, that no study of the American Revolutionary War would be half complete without it.
Along with John Adams, his wife ,Abigail, also stands out as one of the greatest minds and characters of the ages. Her involvement in both world affairs and home life is amazing. Their love and commitment for each other stands as one of the most powerful love stories ever written.
Buy it, read it.
Thom Boswell

This book has a lot of history that you don't hear about that make this book more enjoyable to read.

I've never enjoyed a biography more than this one. The portrait that McCullough paints of John and Abigail Adams left a great impression on me and an appreciation for the sacrifices that they and others made to give birth to our nation.

I was really impressed with the way that McCullough let John, Abagail, Jefferson and others speak for themselves. The amount of primary sources quoted at length is massive but never daunting, and McCollough is helpful in getting past the colloqualisms of the time (I had no idea a "pip" was a sore throat). Abagail impressed me more than John through her own words. The only drawback was that the narrative style at times was more anecdotal and less analytical. But eggheadism aside this book is truly a masterpeice, and so enjoyable to read. It affirmed my love of history and my love of reading.

I am amazed that more people have not commented on how extraordinarily boring this book is. I am an avid reader and a David McCullough fan, but this book is a chore to read. I rarely fail to finish any book I start, but I think this one will be going into the Goodwill bag before I get to page 300. I keep reading. I keep expecting it to get better, but it has been slow going - mostly because I invariably fall asleep after 30 - 40 pages.

This book (and the resultant HBO mini-series) rescues John Adams from being the "forgotten" Founding Father with a very human portrait. Prior to this book, I always pictured Adams as a crotchety, bitter, old New Englander. In one of the book's first paragraphs this image is quickly dispelled by a description of Adams that ends, "He was forty years old, and he was a revolutionary."

A forty year-old farmer, lawyer, father and husband - who is a revolutionary? What type of person would be a revolutionary at that stage in life? The rest of the book answers that question. It paints a vivid picture of him, Abigail and the rest of his family. In short, it does what any good biography should do, it brings the person to life in an engaging way.

My only criticism is that the book (or Adams by virtue of an excerpt) will reference one of Adams's faults, but never really examine those faults. Therefore, while not a hagiography, the book certain rubs any sharp edges off of Adams.

In the end, I think the book is accurate depiction of Adams as a man who enjoyed interacting with people. This perception was reinforced during a recent trip to the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy. Near the park office is the church in which Adams, Abigail, John Quincy and his wife Louisa, are entombed. The four of them are in above-ground tombs that you can walk around and touch. The impression is that even in death, Adams is among his countrymen and thereby challenging them to live up to the ideals for which he fought.

An excellent resource for those desiring to know HOW to draw closer to God. Clear and honest, bite-size scriptural insights with relevant, practical application.

John Adams comes to life in this outstanding biography. I was especially interested in his relationship with Jefferson as well as his wife Abagail. This well written piece is far from boring and reveals how history does repeat itself.

Good thing J&A took good notes so we can now all profit from their experiences.

John Adams (1735-1826) is probably the most underrated thinker and actor participating in the birth of our nation, the birth of practical liberty (for society at large for the first time in history). The simple truth: were it not for Adam's fierce determination and hard intellectual work of persuasion at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, 1776, independence from England would not have been declared, much less achieved....

Certainly, my own appreciation of the book and miniseries focuses on the ideas whose time had come: political liberty and rejection of "any form of tyranny over the mind of man." John Adams is a fascinating story of how the Colonists lived, how they thought, how they fought, and the many obstacles they faced... even among their own people.

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2008

This biography was outstanding. It was complete and to the point, while letting the mind explore the life and times of one of America's first great men. Mr. McCullough is an incredible biographer and John Adams is clear evidence of that. It flowed so smoothly and was filled with so much good information. For sure, it did not disappoint and I learned more than I ever thought I would.

This book is fabulous. It is second to none, and I have read many many books on our founding fathers. This book, though non-fiction, reads like a great fiction tale - in part due to McCullough's great writing, but also due to the prolific letter writing between John and Abigail Adams which is intertwined so well within the book. This book evoked emotion in me that I have never before felt in reading a biography. This book is a MUST.

I read this book (in hardcover) shortly after it was published in 2001. My review has nothing to do with subsequent events (TV docudramas, etc), so readers beware (I refer only to the hardcover first edition).

The founding fathers were not artificial beings born in some alien Eden. They were all too well acquainted with hardship, risk, and adversity. To read John Adam's life is testimony to the potential of a one fate might well have relegated to obscurity, but (given the pluck of the man and his wife) determined otherwise.

He defended reviled British soldiers charged in the `Boston Massacre of 1770 by defining the `motley rabble' they confronted and (citing "facts are stubborn things") and got six (of eight) acquittals. The risk of popular disfavor (a very real threat) was put aside before the devotion to the law.

A few years later he was one of the new `motley rabble' that cited grave offense justifying separation from the motherland (and his former client). The same affection that wed him to the crown now forced him to break with the crown, and he became a criminal in the eyes of the empire he'd served.

Perhaps the most amazing thing, given the tempest of their times, is the steady, intelligent influence each half of the couple provided, in the most self-effacing circumstances, without the assumption of regal presumption.

Lucid, entertaining, essential reading.

I watched the 7 part series on HBO and loved the documentary. So, the book was the next best thing for me. Being an elementary school teacher, I don't get to read a lot for enjoyment during the school year. I enjoyed the book. It helped develop the lives of John and Abigail Adams for me and also helped bring some familiarity of the time period. I love history! This brought to life a part of American history for me. Thank You!

David McCullough does a masterful job of taking 250-year-old records and turning them into a live, interesting story of the life of John Adams. As readers, we are not burdened by countless footnotes and 'ibids,' although his bibliography and list of notes at the end of the book leave no doubt that this story was based on academic research. Instead, we are given a story, as if it might have happened yesterday, and we are able to get into the head of Mr. Adams to see what he was thinking at the time, along with manhy of the other folks--Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, et al. who led us through the revolution and got this country underway. Brilliant.

First, the good news. David McCullough writes well, albeit long-windedly (more of this below). You'll learn more about the personal life of John Adams (and Abigail, for that matter) than you ever dreamed, including his rather bizarre and extraordinary up and down relationship with Thomas Jefferson. Obviously, any book written about revolutionary times can hardly help but be interesting, considering the legendary dramatis personae and the exhilirating events. So even though McCullough often seemingly tries hard to slow down the story, it does, indeed, excite at times.

Now here's the bad news: McCullough seems obsessed in his quest to present us with the "real" John Adams, by relating every excruciating detail and minutia of trivial events. Mr. McCullough, we get it! We know how faithful John was to Abigail and how much they loved each other throughout their lives! Why the need to tell us about it over and over again? This is but the most egregious example of my general on-going observation that McCullough's editor must fear their perhaps too highly renowned master, because apparently, not one word was edited out.

Second, "John Adams" is not so much a biography as a (very lengthy) essay, or hagiography, which should have been entitled something like "Why John Adams was clearly greater, more virtuous and wiser than the other Founding Fathers, who are all overrated." In writing this book, there is no question in my mind that McCullough had an agenda. He basically adopted Adams as his favorite Founding Father, and was attempting to justify his position. So even Adams' critical points (i.e. "The Alien and Sedition Acts," or his well known tendency of being pompous and judgmental) are turned by the author into strengths. As one might expect, Jefferson and, to a lesser extent, Hamilton, serve as the foil, and McCullough does his best to knock them down a peg or two. While Adams obviously made substantial contributions to the birth of the nation, McCullough has this annoying habit of over-stating them even when he doesn't have to.

Of course, many biographies I've read have the problem described in the last paragraph: the biographer tends to fall in love with his/her subject. What would be interesting to me is to see a debate between McCullough and perhaps Willard Sterne Randall (representing Jefferson) and Ron Chernow (representing Alexander Hamilton) concerning who was the hero and who the real scoundrel. Heck, there's even a writer or two that will make an argument of the greatness and nobility of Aaron Burr!

In short, "John Adams" will probably be enjoyed by any buff of this time period, but a better, more accurate, more unbiased, and more concise account could (and should) have been written.

Before reading this book I never once really thought of John Adams.He was very unexciting to me as far as history goes. Thank goodness for this book because I now realize how ignorant I was to think that. John Adams was one of the most instrumental forces in the revolution. Without his Patriotism America might not have become the independent nation that we know today.

I ADORED this book, for what it is worth!!! If you are an American then this is a MUST read. I always hate to argue other opinions but for the few reviews that said this was a hard read.... I have to say....you must not be interested in history???? I agree that it can be a hard read at times but only in terms of vocabulary and if you are the least bit interested in the founding of this country as well as the lives of our forefathers then you will be riveted from beginning to end. This was a wonderful story that I hated to end.

An incredible book! I had little knowledge concerning John Adams before reading this and now I understand his critical role in the birth of our nation. The book also opened my eyes regarding the founding of our country. I have a greater respect and admiration for our founding fathers and their great sacrifices. I had no idea of the incredible opposition they faced from within our own Congress and people. This book has radically changed my understanding of the founding of our nation and given me a greater appreciation for the incredible events that led to the birth of our country. I am also in awe of Abigail Adams and her wisdom and sacrifices on behalf of our nation. This has become one of my all-time favorite books and I highly recommend it to anyone. In the past I have not particularly cared for history, but now I can't wait to read more!

I searched and located this book after seeing the HBO miniseries. I now see why this book has received so many accolades and awards. The author has researched and triangulated the facts of the lives of not only John and Abigil Adams but also revealed to us the lives of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and many others who were the basis of the development of our nation. As I read the book, I found it to be so well written that I hung on every word because I did not want to miss any part it. Whether you are a writer trying to learn your craft or whether you just want a good rainy day read...this book fits the bill. I now classify it as one of my favorite books.

I have only lately picked up this biography; I purchased it on my Kindle for an international airline flight. I read it through, quickly becoming entranced. The book focuses more on the thinking and motivation of Adams, his wife Abigail, and to a lesser extent the people around them. I found it so moving that my wife and I selected it as a book we would read aloud to each other, so I am now reading it for the second time. We have often speculated aloud whom we are more like--Adams, Jefferson, etc. The book has kindled anew my love of history and well written biographies, and would be a great read for a young student, to show them how character can strongly influence a nation.

This is an awesome book and gives incredible insight to the challenges and issues that faced our founding fathers. Just the difficult decisons that they were forced to make and the sacrifices required of them makes for an awesome story.

I'm not sure I'm qualified to review this book, especially where I'm only not even half-way thru it. It has, however, been a revelation for me due to my ignorance of US history. I find of very real interest the fact that he was born and lived in my state of Massachusetts, and that he has created the laws of the commonwealth, in addition to his other great accomplishments. I can appreciate the massive amount of research that Mr. McCullough must have done in order to write this book. It is very well done in my estimation. However, I find myself comparing this to "Team of Leaders" which I read fairly recently and which I found absolutely fantastic, so that will tell you where I'm coming from. It was like reading a novel. I think "John Adams" has a touch of the text book in it.

I had heard about this book on NPR when they did an interview with the author. It sounded fantastic but I normally do not read biographies so I didn't bother with it. THEN I got my Kindle and remembered the NPR interview and thought WHY NOT? reading it on my Kindle is not going to break my hands (It's 762 pages long)! I quickly downloaded it and dove in.

What a surprise. This book is well-researched and correlated to present a side of the formation of our nation/government and several well-known historical characters that I previously never knew. Adam's own letters and those written to him by others, including his beloved with Abigal, show real-time action and opinions as things happened. I saw a side of Jefferson I never knew existed and the characterization of Benjamin Franklin makes one wonder how either of them would get on in politics today.

The one thing I learned was the more things change, the more they stay the same, and the struggles of our fledgling nation in that time and space do not seem so different than the things we face today. The names have changed and time has marched on, but people will be people and nothing makes that more clear than this amazing biography. I strongly suspect that were John Adams alive today he'd be in the thick of things in Congress sticking to his morals and fighting for the rights of the PEOPLE versus the rights of the government to interfer.

(Did I mention that I love my Kindle?)

Wonderful picture of the times and the man. McCullough gives us a fascinating picture of a great man with public and private flaws (the Alien and Sedition Acts were wrong, and his relationship with his second son Charles could have been repaired if he was more compassionate). He also shows us the tumultuous times in which he lived and the people in his orbit (you rock, Abigail). Although I agree with reviewers that note that McCullough does become too fond not only of John but most of the Adams family, I think as a whole the biography works well. I'll never again underestimate how truly perilous the founding of our country was.

There are many more erudite descriptions of John Adams. I decided to write a review because it is my favorite non-fiction book and I felt that the HBO series took the wind out of Adams' sails in so many ways. The HBO miniseries, which I long awaited, bored me to tears. There was none of the excitement in the series that I read in the book. Paul Giamatti's Adams could not speak above a whisper and did not convey, at least to me, the spirit of John Adams, which I read in 2001 and still remember vividly. John Adams had such an interesting and varied life, that to distill it as it was done in the HBO series leaves the viewer questioning how this complex man was anything more than a bombastic autocrat.

David McCullough's use of primary sites and his use of the many letters written to his wife Abigail makes this book one of the most memorable and romantic of all the founding fathers. He clearly writes about his personal life - his treatment of his children, the favoritism of John Quincy, his life-long love affair with his wife and their juxtaposition with his duty to his fledgling country as well as his interest in his own epitaph. He brings to life a human who was so multi-faceted and brings most of those facets to life.

I am not an historian, so I realize there are many things missing knowledge of John Adams. However, that which was included was readable, interesting and kept me turning those many pages with ease.

David McCullough is to history was John Grisham is to literature: he's lite fare, easily digestable but not particulary nourishing. To me, the book seemed like a watered-down and streamlined portrayal of an important historical figure. It's reasonable well-written and moves along at a good clip; it just seems superficial. I guess that's o.k. if your target audience is people who don't normally read history. If you fall into that category, the JA is probably the book for you. Personally, however, I usually like to read "serious" works of history. History-lite just doesn't seem worth my time....

Not terrible but not recommended.

Of course it is only a metaphorical question, but if there were more politicians around who adored their wife and their country, America would be a pretty different place. He said what he thought and he thought deeply. He had a strict moral obligation to his God, country and his family and would never consider going against any of these things. This book reveals all these things about a complicated man. It is not a dry academic novel but a fascinating story. You cannot find too many of these out there and I have had to read many of those to get through bachelors degree and halfway through my masters. One of the things that impressed me the most was the level with which he treated his wife. In the time that he lived this was phenomenal.

I can't put the book down. It's a well written story, very entertaining and educational. I'm learning so much about our founding fathers and the birth of this nation that I didn't learn in school.

This is an excellent book about a man that I previously knew very little about. Very interesting and flows well. It gave me a new perspective on some other historical figures as well, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. I highly recommend this book.

So I'm sitting here bawling because John Adams just died. It doesn't seem to matter that it happened 182 years ago.

The best biographers understand that a biography is not only a history of the title subject but a time machine to the time in which he or she lived. Having read this book I feel like I was in the room when John (look at that, we're on a first-name basis) rose in Congress to speak in support of the Declaration of Independence, like I was sitting at Abigail's elbow when she wrote to him wherever he was, Philadelphia, Paris, Amsterdam, London. There are so many great word pictures, like the one of John helping to repel boarders when his ship came under attack crossing the Atlantic, told this time in the words of the ship's captain.

And Abigail. Has there ever been such a woman? Has there ever been such a partnership? It's almost enough to make me believe in marriage.

Of course it helps that John and Abigail both were such indefatigable correspondents (they weren't happy that they were so many times separated but we sure lucked out) and such amazingly good writers. The quality of their writing, as well as that of their multitude of other correspondents is certain to leave you wondering where the hell that ability went.

McCullough's organizational skills in plucking just the right phrase from just the right letter are astonishing, and his own prose doesn't suffer by comparison, either. A glorious, you-are-there book.

This review is not about the writing itself; there's been enough said on that. I just wanted to point out that this book--all 768 pages of it--is large, heavy, and unwieldy. I love to read in bed, but it's nearly impossible for me to do so with this book, especially considering that it's paperback and not hardcover. The only way I can comfortably read this book is at my desk--not my first choice of locales for pleasure-reading!

I doubt this is helpful to most people considering buying this book, and I'm not trying to deter anyone from doing so. It's just not the ideal beach-read, IMHO.

As always, David McCullough has written a great read of the founding of our nation.

"John Adams" fills in so many of the blanks that leave viewers of the miniseries wondering, and leave history buffs yearning for more. Those who want insight into the inner workings of a man who seemed to have been somewhat overlooked in common history texts will love the facts that the author has culled and provided for us. "Huzzah" for a book that gives readers a story they won't want to put down about a man who deserved much more praise and notice than he received.

I just started reading "John Adams". I have only read about 35 pages so far. However, I am hooked. I couldn't believe this would be a "fast read", but it certainly has been so far. Mr. McCullough provides a very compelling picture of life in colonial New England. I won't be putting this book down any time soon.

I loved this book. The way it was written I felt as if I went back in time. I learned so much about John Adams. We where taught in school about Gearge Washinton, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson. I think John Adams story is incredible and fasinating. He was so much more than I ever realized. I now have an even greater appreciation for all of the Founding Fathers. If it hadn't been those men, at that time. Who knows, we could all be British subjects.

John Adams is an intriguing work about a fascinating man and it was a true pleasure to read. It deserves all of the praise that it has received. For anyone who is interested in rare quotes from John Adams concerning his thoughts on the interrelationship between religion and public virtue, I would recommend another book that I have recently read entitled God of Our Fathers: Advice and Prayers of Our Nation's Founders Quotes from his cousin Samuel and from Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and other of the Founding Fathers are contained therein as well.

This book is very interesting and informative. It arrived on time and was a pleasure to read.

David McCullough's book is an interest tale of John Adams' life, and I would recommend it for a good historical read. John Adams is one of the "forgotten Founding Fathers," and McCullough does a adequate job in recounting the life of Adams.

However, I must quibble with McCullough's writing style. I'm a historian, and it was apparent to me in reading that McCullough's own political and personal viewpoints are not totally kept in check. Of course, no writer can (or should) completely remove his bias, nevertheless McCullough sometimes steps over the line, I think. Particularly, his treatment of Jefferson bothered me. As the book accurately recounts, Adams and Jefferson had a furious rivalry for the office of President. The lengths and excesses on both sides were regrettable, yet McCullough is clearly more forgiving of the actions of the Adams faction than he is of the Jefferson faction. This fairly personifies the entire book's treatment of Adams' political opponents. It appears that McCullough's personal political beliefs mirror Adams much more than Jefferson, because more than once McCullough strays into an apologeia for Adams' policies and a refutation of Jefferson's.

Indeed, for a biography of John Adams, the book dwells at length on Jefferson. Such is a reasonable tactic, considering the relationship between the two men exerted such a profound influence on both and upon the new United States. Yet, on several occasions, McCullough seems more focused on subtly supporting the policies of Adams over Jefferson.

Unfortunately, most Americans are woefully unfamiliar with their Founding Fathers. This is primarily due to the attempted marginalization of these amazing men by the liberal educational establishment. Yet, McCullough's book does a good job describing the sacrifice and brilliance of one Founding Father, John Adams, and, along the way, several others. This work does a praise-worthy job of bring Adams and many of the other characters of the time to life.

The book is a good read and well worth your time. Anyone with a passing interest in American history (as we all at least should) will enjoy the book. My only critique is over McCullough's subtle political agenda occasionally bleeding through. However, the instances of these are fairly limited, and do not keep me from recommending it.

Summary:
Readability: 5/5
Accuracy: 4/5
Bias: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

After reading countless biographies, I must say that McCullough has given a masterful representation of John Adams.
Serious, studious, determined, headstrong, and introspective, the reader will walk away with a picturesque picture of the President who had the worst job in the world: following the majesty of George Washington.
Adams did make it easy for McCullough, with so many journals and letters available.
However, where McCullough really shines through is giving an encompassing view of history. This is done by going into the painstaking detail of the story of the Continental Congress and their break with Great Britain. We also venture into the voyage of Adams across the sea, his illness that almost killed him, and the reprecussions of the French Revolution.
McCullough's attention to history also reveals how different historical events related to each other. One really can understand how the French Revolution affected our nation, especially in the progress of political parties in the U.S. We also understand how plagues often affected urban areas during the Colonial period.
What I really found interesting, though, was Adams take on other figures in history. We feel the disappointment in his dealings with Benjamin Franklin, who did not live up to his expectations. We also get his pain in the friendship he had with political rival, Thomas Jefferson. The audience will also get the pain he experienced as a President who tried to please everyone while holding true to his personal convictions.
Finally, his relationship with his wife Abigail is the one thing he truly relied on. Even her letters and journals are used to give her character, which affected John in so many ways.
John Adams is not just a biography of our second President, it is also an encompassing view of history and humanity through his eyes. Not only did he have great thought and perspective on people and history, but his own life as well.

I'm having a bit of a time finishing this book, as after a couple chapters, for me, I got it. The country needed these men and we should be blessed for them and their wives for the scarifices they made. The rest is all politics , boring with the kissing up to even more boring Europens.
But as all battles go , its was the blood and guts of the soldier left on the field that won our freedom.

As with many of this book's recent and current readers, my interest in David McCullough's 2002 historical biography was sparked by the seven-part miniseries now airing on HBO, John Adams. Much like his superb 2005 book, 1776, the printed version is an epic undertaking which the author handles with his usual aplomb. His subject is perhaps the least heralded of the Founding Fathers. Lacking the precocious brilliance of Franklin, the prodigious intellect of Jefferson or the blazing charisma of Washington, Adams (1735-1826) is often left in the shadows as a decent man who bridged the first and third administrations. Much of his legend may have been of his own doing as McCullough paints a textured portrait of a reluctant politician who preferred being at home with his family rather than serve in public office. However, he was also a man who responded without question when the colonies were in need of unity and leadership, and his tenacity throughout the American Revolution did a great deal to inspire his more media-friendly colleagues.

In his unmistakable style, McCullough illuminates us on Adams' significant career accomplishments. He first came into public consciousness in 1765 with his opposition to the Stamp Act, which deprived the colonists the right to be taxed only by consent and the right to be tried only by a jury of one's peers. In groundbreaking works like his letter, "Thoughts on Government", Adams argued tirelessly for a republic designed with a legislature balanced between executive and judicial branches. He was the one who defined policies that exist to this day within the U.S. Constitution, such as lifetime appointments for judges and the executive veto. The author gives particular credit to Adams for his discouragement of the level of imperialism of which England was guilty, as he proposed alliances with France and Spain to gain the needed leverage for the colonists in the fight for freedom. He realized much earlier than others that the war would endure mush longer without his key support. One could easily conclude from this impressive list of achievements that a lack of a savvy PR handler prevented Adams from showing up on any of our paper currency.

Most intriguingly, the author drills down on the two key relationships that shaped much of Adams' life: an idyllic marriage with Abigail, the daughter of a liberal Congregational minister, and his complicated rivalry with Jefferson. In Abigail, he truly found his soul mate, and their correspondence (already published in 2007's splendid My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams) is a testament to their enduring love and support for one another. McCullough reveals a sharp, contemporary-sounding woman who was not only anti-slavery but also a vocal advocate of women's property rights and providing women with more opportunities, particularly in education. She was pivotal in bolstering her husband's confidence until her death in 1818 (sadly before her son became our sixth president). Jefferson, however, was not as reliable in Adams' life. Joined at the hip when they drafted the Declaration of Independence, they were a study of contrasts - Adams a model of civility and temperance, Jefferson a more extravagant figure who ran up debt to fulfill his luxuriant tastes and intellectual curiosity. Party politics eventually caused an irrefutable rift as Adams leaned farther and farther toward Federalism and Jefferson became Adams' bitter opponent in the 1796 and 1800 presidential elections. As we all know, Adams won the first and lost the second.

The yin and yang of Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson does not explain the entire Adams persona, and thanks to the voluminous research that has become his trademark, McCullough is masterful in filling in the details of his subject in a way that makes Adams a more relevant figure today. In 768 pages, McCullough has the unerring propensity to bring all three figures down to a human scale. In particular, we recognize Adams for both his personal flaws and his public virtues in terms we can appreciate. Starting life as a simple Massachusetts farmer, Adams, in the author's view, shows himself to be a man who knew how to rise to an occasion no matter how daunting the circumstances.

Mr. McCullough in his usual best. The story of John Adams IS the story of the revolution. Where was John Adams' story in Kennedy's "Profiles?" John Adams was a living breathing flawed human being, just like all of us. He was also however, a courageous individual with a great devotion and love for his country and his wife and family. Further, he demonstrated all of these points through his actions and deeds. He was a simple man, a farmer, a worker. He was often misunderstood, and scandalously charged by politically motivated rivals and opponents. This I learned from this book.

I also learned that he was deeply in love with his wife, Abigail. And, that he sought counsel from her often. She was his partner and confidant. The book is a love story above every thing else. The love of his wife and a love of his country and how at times the devotion to both threatened to tear him apart without mercy. This too I learned from this book.

I learned that things then are awfully similar to things now. A badgering press, political scandals, deceit, and intrigue are all part of human nature that has not changed much in the history of mankind. John Adams knew that then and his knowledge of that prevented this country from going down a path of destruction in its early stages. His surprise and deep disappointment in discovering that his political friends and allies could and would often betray, deceive, and lie for their own political gain stands in stark contrast to his knowledge of man's own nature to do so. It is proof to me that he was the eternal optimist. This too I learned from this book.

This author never lets me down. You must read this book.

Have you ever been concerned about the intrigue of National American politics and longed for a simpler time? Are you comfortable in the thought that the Founders never dealt with some of that nonsense? Unfortunately, that time never existed: the first election in the United States introduced modern political intrigue. Adams lived in a different time that is more similar to the current, politically, than different.

John Adams, from my middle- and high-school memories, was not as central to the American Revolution as it seems he actually was. It might have been due to poor studying (most probably), poor memory, poor history books, or John Adams' all too human foibles which may have prevented his veneration in a central role in the American psyche. In any case, for years I wondered why Adams appeared in so many period paintings and why he occupied the central position in some. Mr. McCullough's book resolved that particular curiosity for me and I hope it does for you as well.

Despite his intellect, character, and nature, John Adams suffered from the same worries and personal flaws from which people today suffer. While this book may be considered `too detailed' for some, it is precisely due to the wealth of the Adams' correspondence that Mr. McCullough can give us the most in-depth knowledge of a Signer and New England man of the American Revolution.

I've read a few books on the Founding Fathers, but this was by far the most detailed and most enjoyable yet!

- JT Pickering

This book is heralded as a great book filled with the mysteries of the revolution and John Adams's part in them. I agree that I learned a lot about John Adams, but did it have to be so boring? Did the author have to quote almost every line from every letter written by the man? I love reading histories and biographies, but the author seemed to suck the life out of one that was very eventful.

This book shows just how important to this country President Adams was. A member of both Continental Congresses, one of the three delegates sent to France to garner their support, one of the group of 5 that wrote the Declaration of Independence, the man who suggested President Washington to lead our army, the first ambassador to be recognized by a foreign country, the first ambassador to England, the first vice-president, the first president to live in the white house, the father of our sixth president, and the list does not end there. Without this man, the United States of America would not exist today. A well written book that backs up everything it says with facts.

McCullough is the best when the books are on history, I read all his books and pass them around.

McCullough does a wonderful job at describing the Adams family. Abigail and John Quincy emerge as far more impressive and interesting than John Adams himself. Their personalities and temperaments are revealed expertly, and you really do end up feeling like you know and understand them all. McCullough's writing is clear and his expert use of private letters makes the account almost as fascinating as "1776".

Maybe it is his reliance on letters that explain it, or something else, but McCullough privileges the private over the public far too much. The biography succeeeds as a domestic portrait and perhaps also as a psychological study. But it disappoints as a work of history.

I'm not left with a clear sense of how John Adams was shaped by the culture and events he lived through. Was Adams a man of his times? Behind his times? Ahead of his times? Hard to tell, as McCullough neglects "the times".

I'm not left with any kind of profound appreciation (as in "understanding") of John Adams' accomplishments; the things he did to shape the culture and events he lived through. McCullough does describe them, but casts Adams more as someone who reflects or comments on events than as a partcipant in them. McCullough manages to make a forceful personality seem passive. Adams' tendency toward fatalism may be a partial explanation, but McCullough seems to put too much emphasis on his subject's words compared to his actions.

Adams' long relationship with Jefferson is handled very unevenly. For example, the two men disagreed radically on the role of "the Church" vis a vis "the State", yet McCullough barely mentions this and doesn't answer any questions about how this affected their relationship, etc. McCullough states THAT Adams and Jefferson discussed religion in their later letters, but not what either had to say. He devotes more time to their shared love of gardening than to their opposing views on religion! In sum, McCullough devotes maybe 15-20 scattered pages to their correspondence, even after describing it as the most important one in American history, possibly in the English language.

There's not much for me to say here that hasn't been said about this biography. It's an absolutely wonderful book by a great historian and writer. John Adams deserves more credit than history has given him for the role he played in developing our nation, and McCullough illustrates that.

The book, like many biographies, is sympathetic toward the subject. McCullough barely criticizes Adams for the Alien and Sedition Acts during his presidency, for example. However, the book effectively presents a brilliant, hard-working, opinionated and insecure man who had strengths and faults. Being a Massachusetts native may have helped me enjoy the book even more. I was glued to the pages of this book and was actually sad when I finished. As far as biographies go, it's hard to improve upon this one.

This is an engrossing account of the life of our 2nd President, John Adams. Mr. McCullough's fine narrative style captures the reader in the opening pages and propels us through the events that shaped our early history as a nation. Mr. McCullough uses President Adams' prolific correspondence to tell the story in his own words. He illustrates effectively all the key players in the drama - General Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin. Without overdoing it, he also shares the relationship with his beloved Abigail, her strength and character. This is an outstanding portrait of one of our Founding Fathers and the times that shaped him.

A wonderfully written biography that is not simply dry facts, dates, and list of accomplishments. David McCullough brings John Adams to life and allows the reader to live in the times of the revolution and see into the mind our one of this country's greatest fore fathers. The book is long and it's a biography so of course if you do not like history or do not like biographies this book may, sadly and to your determinant, not interest you.

Every American should read this book.

I am saddened by how far astray we have gone as a country from our founders' vision, but I am even more hopeful that we can right ourselves and regain some of the greatness. I am thankful to David McCullough for bringing to life the story of John Adams.

I found the book well worth the time to read about the man who started it all, our revolution. He prognosticated that there would be no statues or mausoleums decided to him. He was right, and as a nation we are sadder for the lack of us recognizing this great mind and insight into how to build a constitution and a nation.