John Adams by David McCullough Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of John Adams
Book Review: Quite possibly America's MVP
Summary: 5 Stars
Others have written here quite clearly about how amazingly insightful and revealing this tome is - and I wholeheartedly agree. Is there a more "unknown" truly significant founding father than Adams? Jefferson gets a memorial but Adams does not? Jefferson is carved in a mountain but Adams is not? Jefferson was a great man in his own right, of course, but he had some serious "baggage", something Adams did not. I am grateful to Mr. McCullough for this enlightening work - America needs to know what a genuinely brave man John Adams was, and the debt of gratitude we owe him for his unwavering commitment to our independence and freedom. Book Review: My New Standard for the Perfect Biography
Summary: 5 Stars
Given how long this book has been out, I doubt I can add anything else useful to the discussion. Considering, however, that this book has now set a new personal standard for the perfect biography, I would consider it an insult to the author and his subject for me to write nothing at all.
This volume provides an objective focus on the man, his influences, his thinking, and his actions, expertly extrapolated from first hand accounts into an almost novel-like historical narrative. Letters and memos from friends, family, colleagues, and the man himself provide a treasure-trove of humanity in all its gruff and graceful splendour.
Because of the accepted level of media instrusion into people's lives in the 20th and 21st centuries, I doubt that any president of these eras would have ever thought to have put to paper such personal thoughts and observations. To our great credit, John Adams did, and we may now have the most intimate portraits of an American president that anyone could have ever hoped for.
While the man himself is the focus, his times, environment, and family (particularly his strong, humane, and pragmatic wife Abigail) are explored in great detail. From the taverns between Boston and Philadelphia, to the manor houses of Greater Paris, to the canals of 18th Century Amsterdam, to the ports of Spain, and to the rowhouses of Georgian England, everything is rendered with great care and detail, offering incomparable insights into a period of history I'd never dreamed of entering.
Perfect.
Book Review: John Adams The Adventurer
Summary: 5 Stars
David McCullough does a fantastic job detailing the adventures of John Adams. This is a story that we did not learn in High School History class. His road trip over the Pyrenees into France after a life threatening voyage across the Atlantic in 1778 would have been turned into a movie if he had lived today! This guy did'nt know it but he was the Indiana Jones of his time. This is an eighteenth century story about love, family, politics, war and most of all it is about the players that birthed our country. You have got to read it.Book Review: Riveting and Life Changing!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have learned more about U.S. history from this book than from all of my years of public school education combined! An excellent way to get to know our founding fathers and the struggles they endured to secure our freedom. By reading this book, you will not only learn about John Adams, you will learn about Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the French Revolution, and maybe even a little about yourself! A superb novel based on historical truth. I recommend it for every household! Book Review: Great Biography for an Underrated President
Summary: 5 Stars
Mr. McCullough does a great job in describing the life of our 2nd president, John Adams. It's a one of the most complete biographies I have read, and most important of all... It's not boring. I strongly recommend it for those interested in presidential history and politics, and of course leadership.