Book Price Comparisons
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 Fantastic Biography 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. Good read 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. A Masterpiece Of A Mastermind The opening sentence of two men on horseback riding through the snowy countryside alerted me to the adventure that was written ahead in the many pages to follow. The unfolding of the American Revolution didn't begin in the early 1770's and certainly continues to be tested as I write today. Our nation is a living document and must be nurtured by true statesmen, the likes of John Adams, Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and a cast of thousand others. The role he played in the Declaration, followed by the Confederation and finally the Constitution was the hallmark in our nation's initial development. As our first vice-president, he had to create the office. As our second president, he had to modify the acts of our first president. Washington was the glue while Adams and others like him were the cog and gears that made it all work. Our early history comes alive and literally jumps off the pages. Many founders' names we are familiar with, but have no real idea as to what they contributed to our nation building. David Mc Cullough has penned another historical masterpiece that reads like a novel. What a delightful and informative read. It makes you appreciate the untiring efforts of so many early Americans, both significant in rank as well as literally the salt of the earth. Do yourself an immense favor and read this book cover to cover. And while you are at it, watch the HBO series on John Adams. Informative and Wonderfully Written This book, like all of those by David McCullough, is very informative and wonderfully written. He makes Adams life, from birth to death, come alive. Adams is perhaps the least appreciated of the important founding fathers and early Presidents. McCullough rectifies this deficiency in a most comprehensive, yet entertaining, manner. Much of our picture of Adams, such as his being irascible and stubborn, was based on the propaganda of his enemies. McCullough paints a more favorable picture and explains why his steadfast refusal to abandon his principles led to these characterizations. One gets a better appreciation of Adams strong character. Unlike many subsequent Presidents he did was he thought right in spite of strong public pressure against his policies, thus creating enemies in his own Federalist party as well as the opposing Republicans. He kept the US out of war with Britain and France, in spite of a great groundswell in favor of war. He was his own man and history has shown that the courses he followed to the right ones. He did not look at the polls (there were none) in order to determine what to do. He did what he knew was right, even though he knew it would cost him a second term as President, and indeed it did. McCullough paints a clear picture of the man as well as the public figure. Adams the husband and father was as interesting as Adams a driving force behind the Declaration of Independence, the ambassador, the vice president and finally as president. I also learned a lot about the politics and living conditions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I have two small caveats to note. This book is an excellent biography, but it is not a comprehensive history of the period of Adams life. One really should have some understanding of the history of the period to get the most from the book. Since Adams was in Europe during much of the war (trying to get recognition and support) he was not a witness too much of the fighting, so it is not discussed very much. But then again, the causes of the revolution are also not discussed in very much detail; in spite of the fact that Adams was a force in channeling the discontent with British policies into war. The second caveat concerns the partisan nature of the book. As has been stated, McCullough ascribes the more negative picture of Adams to the propaganda of his enemies, but if you read biographies of Washington, Hamilton or Jefferson you will get a somewhat different picture. In those less biased sources Adams is painted as being somewhat paranoid and erratic. McCullough mentions these charges, but pictures them as not being severe and as a product of the machinations of Hamilton and Jefferson. Other historians disagree. They describe the paranoia and erratic behavior as being out of all proportion to the external forces acting on him. The truth is probably somewhere between that presented by McCullough and less partisan sources. I recommend the paperback with the picture of Adams on the cover, instead of the one with the picture of an actor playing Adams in the HBO miniseries. The text of both books is the same, so why not get the one with a historical picture rather than a theatrical one on the cover. | |||||||||||||
