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John Adams | 
| Author: David Mccullough
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $15.17
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New (8) Used (9) from $8.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 64519
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Touchstone
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 752
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.4
ASIN: B0001PIOWU
Publication Date: September 3, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new! Beautifu!! May have a small remainder mark (ink mark) along the edge. gift quality, crisp, clean, multiple copies available, prompt shipping, excellent service.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams--who, David McCullough writes, was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics--came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties--including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation. Overshadowed by the lustrous presidents Washington and Jefferson, who bracketed his tenure in office, Adams emerges from McCullough's brilliant biography as a truly heroic figure--not only for his significant role in the American Revolution but also for maintaining his personal integrity in its strife-filled aftermath. McCullough spends much of his narrative examining the troubled friendship between Adams and Jefferson, who had in common a love for books and ideas but differed on almost every other imaginable point. Reading his pages, it is easy to imagine the two as alter egos. (Strangely, both died on the same day, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.) But McCullough also considers Adams in his own light, and the portrait that emerges is altogether fascinating. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who thought, wrote, and spoke out for the "Great Cause" come what might, who traveled far and wide in all seasons and often at extreme risk; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was rightly celebrated for his integrity, and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history. Much about John Adam's life will come as a surprise to many. His rocky relationship with friend and eventual archrival Thomas Jefferson, his courageous voyage on the frigate Boston in the winter of 1778 and his later trek over the Pyrenees are exploits few would have dared and that few listeners will ever forget. Like his masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Truman, David McCullough's John Adams has the sweep and vitality of a great novel. This is history on a grand scale -- an audiobook about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, it is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
Should be mandatory High School reading April 19, 2008
I don't like to just run with the crowd, but for this book I have to agree with all the 5 stars. I'm a slow reader, and it took me all last summer to finish it, but picking up that book for a few hours everyday was the sweetest part of my day. I hated for it to end! All the real sacrifice and hard work to cobble together a new country and government, all the blood, sweat, tears, terror, joys, and hopes for the future just drench every page. When I went to see the Portrait Gallery in Philadelphia and stood in the room where all the real live characters in the book argued and debated as to how to make it all work as best as humans could make a government, I nearly wept. John Adams and the rest of the country worried about almost exactly the same things as we do today...terrorists, free trade, federal debt, race relations, etc, etc. They worried about future generations...yes, they worried about us! David Mccullough and his staff bring everything together so beautifully. And, by the way, the HBO series is also absolutely suberb!!
John Adams will gain your respect April 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you had the basic American History education, you will not even come close to understanding how important John Adams was to the American Revolution and to the development of the United States. Even though this book is thick, your interest will not fail, as his life goes through many stages. I was the most touched by how much John and his wife, Abigail, truly loved each other and expressed it in their letters to each other. I think a book just about Abigail would be just as interesting, as she held down the fort in the Colonies while John was in Europe. If you like American History, you will enjoy this book.
Could Not Put it Down! April 13, 2008
Although I know a lot about the founding of the American republic, I was amazed at the depth and reach of David McCullough's work on John Adams. This book, although many pages long, does not overwhelm the reader, rather it brings the reader into the life and times of John, Abagail and their contemporaries. As a fan of McCullough's work, I was not surprised by this superb book, and it deserved every award it received - and more.
If you are interested in American history and great Americans, I can heartily recommend this book.
Unsung American Hero Gets His Due April 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am compelled after reading and re-reading this magnificent biography to write that any person wishing to avail themselves of America's second president must read this book. America's often-overlooked and criticized second president emerges here in full and beautiful form. McCullough does justice to Adams with his assiduous effort and sends the dust of history flying with this lively, engrossing biography of a man often misunderstood.
The times in which Adams lived and his contributions to the infant America at home and abroad against the backdrop of some of the most exciting, thrilling events in America's history are nothing short of amazing; Adams' administration was about more than the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Anti-Federalist response, i.e. the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions which brought to the fore the doctrines of nullification and interposition.
Throughout his work, McCullough shows the reader what can arguably be considered the finest rendering of this humble hero, the dilligent if testy New Englander whose personal integrity, ethics and experience drove him to champion the goals he believed in, and fulfill, to the best of his ability, his duties as he understood them: Though a federalist like first President George Washington, the old general was a tough act follow and Adams, while as committed as any Founder, simply lacked the charisma of his predecessor and successor. His certitude and apparent unwillingness to compromise often worked against him.
Nonetheless, it is almost impossible to come away from this book without a great respect and admiration for Adams, a man who, in all seasons (and not always with success or the greatest circumspection) tried so hard to do what he thought was right.
McCullough's inclusion of the correspondence between Adams and Jefferson in their later years and his presentation of the circumstances surrounding that correspondence, the issues raised, show Adams to be every bit the luminary and sage Jefferson was, if in his own contentious way.
This is, among other things, the story of an honest man who was not afraid to speak his mind and, perhaps most importantly, was honest with himself. Here's to John Adams, rendered by McCullough: An honest man working hard in extraordinary times! Would that there were more men like Adams and his contemporaries today.
One of the Finest Biographical Novels I've Read February 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
McCullough's skills are well documented (fascinating fact: none of his books have ever been out of print!) but they are appreciated to the utmost degree in this wonderful biography of John Adams. The writing is personal enough to give you a real sense of the emotions of John, Abigail and many of the other actors who John encounters in his momentous life. The history lesson is indeed educational -- even if you consider yourself well educated, there are aspects of the struggle for independence, the Revolutionary War, his travels to Europe and his presidency that will enlighten you. Most significantly for me was the depth of the struggle for independence and the role that John Adams played. It is very clear, after reading McCullough's account, that many players contributed to the breakaway from England, but none contributed more than John Adams. When rattling off the "founding fathers", I would typically get through quite a few names before getting to his...no more. John Adams' contributions were in the same gravity as Washington and Jefferson. The paperback version of this book is over 800 pages, but McCullough's writing hurtles you over that obstacle quickly. It is a wonderful read!
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