This book started as a real sleeper after reading Chernow’s biography on Washington. Part of it was that the treatment of the revolutionary War was so much better in Chernow. However, the book picked up considerably with Adams’s experiences as a diplomat in Europe during and after the Revolutionary War. IN the end, a good read.

http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/...

"John Adams: A Life" is the fifth of nearly a dozen books authored by John Ferling, who has written extensively on the revolutionary era and several of its most important figures. This biography was first published in 1992 and has received consistently high marks since, although its popularity has faded somewhat in recent years as several additional biographies of our second president have been published.

Ferling's biography of John Adams is almost the perfect balance of detail versus brevity, of hard facts prudently dosed with the author's opinions and conclusions. The author's descriptive capability is on consistent display and set the context in most scenes magnificently. Much to my surprise, as this is the fourth book on Adams I've read thus far, Ferling provides relevant and interesting insights throughout the book that I do not recall encountering elsewhere.

In contrast to his more recent biography of George Washington, Ferling's work on Adams is not only thorough and colorful, but also well-balanced and non-combative. His books of our first two presidents considered together, one senses Ferling's disappointment that history has relegated Adams' to the "near great" category of presidents (for a variety of reasons he well explains) while elevating Washington to more exalted status, in part on the basis of being a reluctant hero (a concept with which the author vigorously disagrees).

A bit of a bonus, "John Adams: A Life" incorporates several short sketches throughout the book on other important figures of the era, such as Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin. These introductions added unique color, character and additional context, and laid the groundwork for analysis and conclusions to come later in the book.

Compared to the other biographies on Adams I've read, Ferling is the least friendly to Adams and his relationship with Abigail. McCullough, Smith and Ellis each show a warmer, more consistent relationship between the John and Abigail, but Ferling's case seems well argued in any event. Having not read the source material for myself, I don't have an informed view on which perspective is more accurate. As is often the case, the truth is probably not as romantic as some would like, but may not be as harsh as Ferling depicts.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Ferling's biography of Adams (other than its judicious use of the reader's time without diminishing its ability to be both thorough and penetrating) is the set of analyses and conclusions left behind in the final pages. Ferling tackles the subject of Adams' "greatness" (or lack thereof) and critically examines the role of Adams' personality, his actions while president and luck (or misfortune), as well as the evolution of history's perspective on the topic. Again, in contrast to his analysis of Washington which I found strident and one-sided, his approach to Adams is balanced and considered.

Overall, "John Adams: A Life" proves itself a fantastic biography of Adams. It serves not only as an excellent introduction to the second president, but also as quite a complete treatment of him as well. Ferling is not quite the storyteller of, say, McCullough, whose work on Adams proved a somewhat better story, but not a better biography. But in the end, while not quite perfect and admittedly somewhat aged, "John Adams: A Life" was nothing short of outstanding.

Overall rating: 4¾ stars

A very interesting look at the people of the revolutionary era, through the eyes of a non-soldier, and a fascinating insight into how the popular press had a huge effect on how events turned out.

Boy, I am glad to be done with this one...

That is not to say it is a bad book, rather, it is a difficult one...at least for me.

First knock, I am not a big fan of biographies.

Second, biographies read like the individuals they portray, somewhat like how dogs bear uncanny resemblances to their owners. And while Ferling is convincing in his case that Adams is immensely consequential, comported himself with high ethical standards, was the consummate statesman, and selflessly devoted to American national interests, he is also compelling in making the case that Adams was vain, ambitious, acerbic, resentful, and, perhaps most annoyingly, intensely insecure.

Lastly, the book has an awkward cadence to it. While the overarching narrative is sequential, the book moves forward and back in time without a lot of context. It is as though Ferling has a topic based narrative structure and he draws from sources and anecdotes throughout Adams' life to illustrate his point. I wouldn't dream of criticizing this as a valid tool for writing history, but it did make the book a trying read.

That said, I wanted a book that gave me a sense of John Adams. The book covers the breadth and depth of his life. The closing paragraph even tries to make explicit judgement of the man in both public and personal domains. I think it is a telling and laudable indication of Ferling's effort to account for all of Adams' life that the Adams' presidency receives some of the least in depth treatment of the whole book. It would be easy to reduce major historical figures to the highest office they achieve.

Upshot: this seems a good survey of Adams' life, but I would not call it a fun or easy read.

A beautiful biography about our American History from prior to the Declaration of Independence to 1825 when both john Adams and thomas Jefferson died on the 4th of July.

The book about john Adams is essentially written through the beautiful letters written between John and his beloved Abagail.

Probably the best biography I ever read. Turbulent times, romantic ideals, romance and war. .

A little slow in places but very very good in places. I think I’m going to watch the HBO series now, and I’m on to Jefferson. I’m going to read a biography about each of the Presidents this year.

A very balanced, wide ranging biography that seems to cover all aspects of Adam's life. (Including Abigail and the kids -wonder why Ferling didn't write a book about John Quincy since he was so immersed in Adames.) I liked how Ferling stated and compared the different opinions of historians -very interesting. The same for his analysis and rating of Adams's historical standing. The book had no taint of the disingenuous and silly rewriting that corrupts modern histories. (Which is why I usually read premillennium books.) This is great book to learn about the second President and supplement any study of the beginning of the USA.

I went into this book with an open mind about John Adams. I had read all the presidents around him and he was the last founding father I had left. I did come out appreciating him more for what he did in his presidency but not enough to get him out of the D category.
The author does a great job going into detail about his pre 1776 life and post 76 life both political and family life. He doesn't try to add in his own political views like a lot authors do lately. He sticks to the facts and let the facts lead him.
I will say the only reason I gave it 4 stars is that I didn't like the excerpts from the letters. It was maybe a line or two at a time. I like the longer excerpts so I can obtain a better grasp of the letter being referenced.

Besides that it's a great book and very detailed.

A very detailed dive into the history of the life of John Adams. He is one of the most underrated founding fathers, who deserves more recognition than what he’s gotten. The author does John Adams justice. He goes Into details of his political achievements , his personal life, and his shortcomings. I look forward to reading the author’s other books.

A well-balanced biography that perfection explains Adam's background and motivations.

Ferling's biography offers an excellent perspective of John Adams. I read McCullough's better known bio a few months ago, and of the two, I slightly prefer Ferling's. McCullough's book is excellent, a page-turning, sweeping narrative that tells rather than analyzes John Adams' life. Ferling, while not as good of a story-teller, shines in explaining the way Adams thought and what motivated him. Ferling gives a philosophical and topical examination of Adams and his times rather than a strictly chronological story. For example, Ferling does a great job explaining the political context of colonial Massachusetts. Later on, Ferling shows the clear philosophical differences between the Federalists and Republicans in a way that I had not fully grasped before. A bonus of the book is that Ferling gives brief biographical sketches of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Hamilton as they are introduced to the story. The highlight of the book for me was the afterword, where Ferling examines Adams' thoughts on greatness and the significance of his life's work, and then offers his own analysis of Adams' greatness and most important achievements. I would agree with Ferling in his ranking of Adams just below Washington, but on a level with Franklin and Jefferson as the greatest Americans of their era.

This is an excellent biography of John Adams. I read it for the Presidential Biographies challenge and based my selection on Stephen Floyd's recommendation.

Adams was not a great man but, as Ferling says, "Adams deserves to rank with Franklin and Jefferson, just beneath Washingon." He was not a skillful politician but he was committed to liberty and worked tirelessly for decades at the expense of his personal life. Ferling does a good job of fairly presenting Adams, warts and all. I particularly enjoyed Ferling's "Afterword" which nicely encapsulates John Adams.

You can find Steven Floyd's "Best Presidential Biographies" here.