For some time, I avoided picking up this book because I was so disappointed with Ellis’ treatment of Jefferson in American Sphinx and perhaps I was still impressed with McCullough’s treatment of Adams in his masterful biography. But I finally summoned up the energy to tackle Passionate Sage—and I’m glad I did.

Ellis’ focus in this biography is on Adams’ later years, from the time he left presidential office until the time of his death. Substantial time is spent examining the mercurial Adams who stood in sharp relief to his more subdued compatriots. One of Ellis’ excellent observations is that Adams felt before he thought. And it was this passionate temperament that led him to be both revolutionary and also less influential than his contemporaries.

This biography does much to rehabilitate the image of Adams. Instead of the Adams of aristocracy and high Federalism, we are presented with Adams the pre-modern Classicist. Adams’ desire to elevate caution over progress, morality over money, and ideal leaders over mob rule are all explained in a fresh and stimulating way—particularly coming to a surface in the Jefferson-Adams letters.

Unlike Jefferson American Sphinx, Ellis’ treatment of Adams involves both interesting biographical information as well as thorough engagement with Adams’ thought. While Ellis is quick to caution readers not to read too much of the current debates into the modern-classical debate of Jefferson and Adams, the touchstones of the debate seem far clearer and more applicable than in the other volume.

I would highly recommend this biography to anyone interested in early American history. It would be worth pairing this biography with McCullough’s work in order to get a bigger picture of the entire life of this enigmatic Founding Father.

"Passionate Sage" is Joseph Ellis's analysis of John Adam's life after he left the Presidency and retired. It's much more philosophical than most of Ellis's other works and Ellis spends a great deal of the book analyzing Adam's character and Adam's penchant to always be on the "wrong" side of an argument--the devil's advocate if you will. I particularly liked the chapter on the relationship between Jefferson and Adams. Their letters and discussions are truly incredible. They show a much more mellow side of Adams though he never really gave up his intractability.

Adams has become one of my favorites of the Founding Fathers and this book just reaffirms that conviction.

John Adams is the most well known of the founders. Jefferson never revealed his feelings, sphinx like, Martha burned most of Washington's correspondence (great person in life, truly loved George, bitch to historians for this act). John Adams knew he was writing for history, yet at the same time couldn't help being blunt about his feelings especially with intimates.

This book is on the years after Adams' presidency. The first years of which he still had anger towards many federalists. He would never forgive nor show mercy towards Alexander Hamilton which I consider a shame considering their intellectual might between them. If Hamilton lived perhaps there would have been an understanding, but I doubt it as the attacks were too personal. Adams who was thin skinned grows a thick skin in his later years. He seems resigned to what will happen to his reputation, that he will practically disappear until historians really looked at the evidence of the past. He proved correct as history evolved and by the 1950s his reputation began to rise.

Adams did not believe in revolutions where things changed overnight. He believed in evolutions and spent a lot of time arguing that the American revolution began earlier and perhaps its seed was planted with Jamestown. I feel Adams is right that there is never a revolution in thinking. People can only get ideas based on the knowledge they know, whether scientific or political. In this sense Adams does rank with Washington to me because both men were not dreamers. They were practical and saw humanity for what it was, in all its compassion, intelligence, ignorance and ugliness. The new term of ideology had come into being with the French revolution and Adams hated those who were the true believers. He saw the problem with reducing humanity into ideology and that was it dismissed human nature completely. People do not base their decisions the same way as their neighbors. Nor do they make the same decision twice in a row, consider any hold my beer decision. Adams understood humanity was not always rational but it needed to be, then again to Adams great changes only came with passion.

Joseph J. Ellis is one of the greatest historians America has and one can never fail to learn something, no matter your knowledge base of the subject, when reading his work. Ellis' work are short in comparison to others but it is his pithy style, not lack of information. I will always recommend Joseph J. Ellis to anyone wanting to know more about the Founders.

Few chroniclers of U.S. history are as gifted at communicating the founding generation's saga as Joseph J. Ellis. His ability to write about this period with clarity and succinctness is matched by only a small number of authors.

Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams sets out to tell the story of the second president's post-presidency. Anecdotes from his four years in office do figure prominently in efforts to buttress or give context to statements made during his retirement, but the goal of Passionate Sage is to give the lay of the land during Adams's twilight years.

The letters between Adams and political ally Benjamin Rush play a small role in Passionate Sage, and guidance provided to his son John Quincy is looked at during the latter's entry onto the secretarial and eventually presidential stage.

One of the book's overriding themes is the pride the elder Adams took in being a promoter of unpopular causes. Passionate Sage makes him out to be a man who was willing to pursue what he perceived to be in the national interest regardless of the popularity of the particular item in question's popularity. He is also made out to be an unappreciated contributor during the lead up to the Declaration of Independence, overshadowed by the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Ellis chalks this up, not completely in jest, to a lack of good public relations folk in his immediate inner circle.

The book's second, and most frequently recurring theme, is the implication of the relationship between Adams, the sage of Montezillo (the tongue-in-cheek title given to his Massachusetts home, "little hill") and Thomas Jefferson, the sage of Monticello. The political heavyweights were fierce rivals during their active years on the national scene, with the former losing out to Jefferson during the election of 1800.

It was only in the years after the Jefferson administration wrapped up in 1809 that they put aside their animosity and began a mostly cordial correspondence. This was allegedly done at the insistence of Benjamin Rush, and the subsequent correspondence between these two men of the founding generation allowed Ellis to examine their governing philosophies.

Although a Federalist during his years on the political stage and therefore expected to possess a pro-British slant, Adams throughout remained critical of High Federalists of the sort who called the borderline secessionist 1815 Hartford Convention. His disdain for Alexander Hamilton, nominally a fellow Federalist yet a man who he held in absolute contempt, far exceeded his dislike for the republican Jefferson.

Adams held a more cynical view of human nature than Jefferson, adopting a conservative view of evolutionary change that recoiled at the same French Revolution cheered by the Sage of Monticello.

Adams felt government should be present as a corrective to the greed inherent in human nature and had a duty to curb both social and economic excesses. Jefferson, on the other hand, seemed to be much less suspicious of materialism and wanted the new government to provide fertile breeding ground for constant economic expansion. He was more favorably disposed to the idea of democracy in general, whereas Adams viewed it as a double-edged sword that did not always produce the outcomes most in line with the nation's interest.

The issue of slavery was one both men mostly shied away from during their letter exchanges. As a southerner and prominent Virginian slaveholder, Jefferson held mixed views on a way of life the Massachusetts born-and-bred Adams viewed with contempt. They all but ignored the topic once it became clear neither man would budge much on this issue.

Abigail Adams was as close to a feminist as one could be expected to come in the early nineteenth century, and the small sections on the relationship between Adams and his wife make for compelling reading. Adams's dismissal of the likes of Mary Wollstonecraft, however, showed the limits to which he would entertain feminist notions.

The exchanges between Adams and Virginian John Taylor further demonstrate the former's ability to respectfully engage men on the side of the political spectrum. Taylor was highly critical of the Federalist Adams, yet they were able to carry on a meaningful dialogue about the way each viewed the world. The author seemed driven to write this book largely out of a desire to demonstrate the high intellectual plane of much of the early nineteenth century's debate and discussions.

Passionate Sage provides a unique take on a former president. Looking solely at the out of office years grants readers a perspective not often provided in presidential biographies, yet this tactic ends up enriching the story and shows the point of view of a man looking back on a long-ago sowed harvest.

Both Adams and Jefferson passed away on July 4th, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing.

-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado

Having written frequently of the history of the Founding Fathers, including an excellent biography of John Adams, and a wonderful account of the special partnership of John and Abigail Adams, author Joseph Ellis is clearly in the best position to dig into John Adams' relationships with his fellow "Band of Brothers" and other influential persons of revolutionary period. Because of Adams unique character, a first class intellect, a strong background in the classics of literature a mix of short temper and occasional self-deprecating humor he was not everyone's cup of tea. The author presents not a defense of Adams character but a more complete explanation of who he was and why his standing among the his contemporaries has changed over time.

Ellis is my personal favorite American History author/historian. This is an excellent read about a true American hero in John Adams. Unfortunately, in public school, Adams is hardly mentioned. He was essential to the founding of our country.

Excellent, excellent, excellent! A new found appreciation regarding John Adams after reading this book. A wonderful portrait of the Sage of Quincy.

Why Read: Like I said two weeks ago, American history has become more than a simple past time for me. I find myself seeing out books that try to go in-depth and analyze who the people were who founded America. How am I supposed to see and understand the different parts of my country without understanding the people who made it? Two weeks ago, I posted my review of Thomas Jefferson's biography by Ellis as well, so it only felt right to follow that up with one of Adams- the temperamental cousin to Jefferson's stoic nature.
Review: If there's one way to describe John Adams, my first word choice would be saucy. What would our own revolution be without Adam's snarky remarks and sassy moments that made? I don't know if I want to know the answer to that, and Ellis doesn't either. Luckily for me, I was already convinced of Ellis's great biographical skills after reading his analysis of Jefferson - so expectations were high - and were met. Passionate Sage was an absolute ride from start to finish, and even though I was sick while reading it, it was well worth the longer healing time from staying up late reading about the absolute Adams.
Ellis takes apart Adams, from his overly dramatic letters to his attempt at following up Washington as second president. If you think about it, we as a country don't think of Adams in the same way that we regard Hamilton, Washington and Jefferson - even though he was the top Federalist in the country, and had to deal with growing partisanship, internal struggles and petty fights alike. After finishing Sage, it struck me how much Adams is ignored. Where are the accolades honored in his name? Where is the hit-track Broadway musical? (Actually 1776 The Musical has just become critical listening for all of you)
As he did with the Jeffersonian biography, Ellis slowly makes his way through the life of the second president - from humble beginnings to the very sad end. It happens with all of the biographies of great men, that they end up falling into old age, and then into history. Adams, like Jefferson, knew that he was important and that what he wrote would be passed into posterity. Somehow though... that didn't stop him from wanting (and definitely being) a sass monster in all of his late letters to Thomas Jefferson (Thank GOD they reconnected). Those letters are partially what was worth reading this biography for. That's not to say he wouldn't continue to be close to Abigail (his wife) until her death, upon which he said "I wish I could lay down beside her and die too."
Wow. That was depressing. I just had to work in that quote somehow, since it really touched me. All jokes and deathbed comments aside, it is an absolutely beautifully written text and I think everyone should read it. End.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Good solid read that looks mainly at the post-presidential John Adams, living out his days in his childhood home in Quincy, MA. This book focuses a lot on the various correspondences Adams carried out in his retirement--and some of his writings and literary squabbles--with a major emphasis on the rekindled friendship between President #2 Adams & President #3 Jefferson. Interesting stuff. Ellis is a gifted historian and writes in a fairly readable text. I liked David McCullough's book on Adams much more overall.

John Adams, perhaps alone among the Founding Fathers, foresaw the predicament in which we now find ourselves. Adams, ever the realist, knew that Americans, despite their best intentions, would never be free from the emotions and foibles of people everywhere. Thus, he could never accept Jefferson's bland assurances that wisdom and creativity would flow from Americans once they were relieved of the burdens of an intrusive government. I don't often underline and mark pages, but did so frequently in this brilliant book. Because it is not a traditional biography, we might consider Ellis's look at our national sage to be an ideal complement to McCullough's more lyrical "John Adams."

Strange book that is more like a long ramble or a series of esoteric essays. This is only for those with a lot of background knowledge about the period. Ellis's judgement are as always fair, but ultimately the scope is limited and hurt by his confusing layout. His prose saves the book from utter mediocrity.

This book was one of those which inspired David McCullough to write his biography of Adams. Not a traditional biography, Ellis chooses to focus on small sections of Adams' personal life, particularly his correspondence with Jefferson. He reveals some keen insights about Adams (I was most intrigued by Adams' observation that men are motivated by a need for esteem--be it love, fear, etc).