RECOMMENDED for hardcore American History buffs. In fact - you are not one until you have read this book. Long and laborious with delightful and deep insights here and there.

These letters make John and Abigail and Thomas Jefferson come alive on the page. What most intrigued me was the conflict that grew between Adams and Jefferson, Adams' jealousy of his wife's friendship with Jefferson, and the letters between Abigail and Jefferson attempting to deal with the schism. Fascinating!

The book started off a bit dry, and perhaps a bit too detailed for me. The chapter previews that give a highlight of the content of the letters from each period are great, and their correspondence from the time of their return to the states up until the end of their lives was fascinating. I wish we had minds like these in US politics today.

I once spent a week snowed in the house in Plymouth, unable to leave, during which I read this complete correspondence. Few weeks have been so instructive as to the nature of some of our founders.

A great book. Their use of the language and phrasing is incredible.

This is one of the greatest books that I have read. Two of our most prominent statesmen writing letters back and forth during the early days of our republic. Though there was a long absence during which they were at odds with each other, they still managed to put those differences aside and rekindle their friendship during the last decade of their lives. Not only were they writing about problems our early republic faced, but also topics such as philosophy, religion, education, and their families. I think our politicians today should read these letters and learn from them. It is amazing at what these two gentlemen could even speak of problems that we face this very day. Great book and worth the read for anyone.

This is THE great collection of the letters between the Adamses and Jefferson. The letters stretch from May 1777 almost until their deaths on the same day: July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. As he passed away, Adams' last words were, "Jefferson lives," not knowing that the sage of Monticello had passed just hours before. These letters are amazing, covering the Revolution and the Revolutionary War (apparently two different things: one in the hearts and one on the battlefields), the peace and struggling infancy of the country, the debates over paying tribute to the "pyrates" of the Barbary States vs. building a Navy and which course would be cheaper in terms of dollars and lost prestige, their respective diplomatic affairs in Paris and London, Shay's Rebellion, the French Revolution, the quasi-war with France, the strife between Adams and Jefferson as they served the country in opposing parties causing a rift and cessation of letters for many years, the successful efforts of Dr. Benjamin Rush to repair the breach which led to a rich correspondence in their final years out of office, the War of 1812, Napoleon, the Presidency of John Qunicy Adams, etc., etc.

Nuggets, compleete with endeering Mispellings and Weird punktuation:

John to Thomas, 1777, "The great Work of Confederation draggs heavily on, but I dont despair of it...Financiers we Want, more than Soldiers."

Abigail to Thomas, 1785, writing about a "sublime" performance of The Messiah in Westminster Abbey, "I should have sometimes fancied myself among a higher order of Beings; if it had not been for a very troublesome female who was unfortunately seated behind me, and whose volubility not all the powers of Musick could still."

Abigail to Thomas, 1788, "I have lived long enough, and seen enough of the world, to check expectations, and to bring my mind to my circumstances, and retiring to our own little farm feeding my poultry and improveing my garden has more charms for my fancy, than residing at the court of St. James's [London] where I seldom meet with characters so innofensive as my Hens and chickings, or minds so well improved as my garden."

John to Thomas, 1789, "In four days, the new Government is to be erected. Washington appears to have an unanimous vote: and there is probably a Plurality if not a Majority in favor of your friend-it may be found easier to give Authority, than to yeild obedience."

Thomas to John, 1812 (upon their rapprochemont and recommencement of letters), "A letter from you calls up recollections very dear to my mind. It carries me back to the times when, beset with difficulties and dangers, we were fellow laborers in the same cause, struggling for what is most valuable to man, his right of self-government. Laboring always at the same oar, with some waves ever ahead threatening to overwhelm us and yet passing harmless under our bark, we knew not how, we rode through the storm with heart and hand, and made a happy port."

John to Thomas, 1813, "Poor Bonaparte! Poor Devil!"

John to Thomas, 1817, "You and I have had Children and Grand Children and great grand Children. Though they have cost us Grief, Anxiety, often Vexation, and sometimes humiliation; Yet it has been cheering to have them hovering about Us; and I verily believe they have contributed largely to keep Us alive. Books cannot always expell Ennui."

John to Thomas, 1817, "I have, however, either Friends who wish to amuse and solace my old age; or Ennemies who mean to heap coals of fire on my head and kill me with kindness: for they overwhelm me with Books from all quarters, enough to offuscate all Eyes, and smother and stifle all human Understanding. What should I do, with all this lumber?"

Thomas to John, 1819, "But the Missouri question is a breaker on which we lose the Missouri country by revolt, and what more, God only knows. From the Battle of Bunker's hill to the treaty of Paris we never had so ominous a question."

Enough with spoilers, so I urge that the letters be read, if only especially to read of the forgiveness extended by Thomas to John in his October 12, 1823 letter, near the end of their lives, when enemies of Presidential candidate John Quincy Adams sought to pour salt into old wounds between the friends.

Good, but I would have liked less of the early correspondence. It's not as interesting as the 1811 forward, when friends reunite. It clutters the book a bit.

The first 3rd of this book, minus Abigail's notes*, is pretty dull business--because it's really just that. But, then, during Jefferson's tenure as President, it suddenly got personal and beautiful. I feel like Adams especially would have been a good friend. Which probably says more about me than him. They covered all the topics... except, directly, slavery. It would have been interesting to get their opinions. As it is, their voracious reading and writing habits exhaust me.

It's interesting that these 2 men, so involved in the 1776 business were so distanced from the Constitutional Convention. Their candid, off-hand remarks on the document in their European correspondence telling. And, as time goes on, we see Adams put forth the opinion that the constitution itself isn't a guarantor of good government. What matters is the people of the country.

John Adams is great fun. He doesn't mince words nor is he afraid to admit what he doesn't know. He's frank about his faith, his life, philosophy, and his intentions. Jefferson is hesitant, somewhat non-committal, and proper---making it impossible to forget the differences in their lives and the fact that slavery was a large, if unmentioned, part of his life.

Possibly should be read with My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. To be fair, most of the rating is due to Adams(x2). Jefferson contributed 1 letter to every 6 or so of theirs.

*One cannot help loving Abigail.

The first part was pretty boring so I skipped ahead and read from April 6th, 1796 until the end of their correspondance.

Second half is the best.

Every American citizen should be required to read these letters, especially in this current moment of division in the country. It was incredible to discover that most of the arguments we're having now were actually woven right into the fabric of our nation from the beginning. In these letters between Jefferson and Adams, sent over a period of 50 years, I rediscovered that our real problem as a nation is not the problems we're facing; it's the asinine way we're talking about them...or rather, NOT talking about them. In these letters, Adams and Jefferson remind us how it's done. This book points directly at what has made our country so amazing, and how it can be that way again.