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“John Adams” is the 2001 narrative biography of our nation’s second president, written by author and historian David McCullough. Of the seven John Adams biographies in my library, McCullough’s “John Adams” is the most popular by an enormous margin, and is widely considered one of the best presidential biographies ever written. Among many other accolades, the book received a 2002 Pulitzer Prize.

As my journey through the best presidential biographies swept me from Washington to Adams, I looked forward to this book with great anticipation. Few books in my library have received as many outstanding reviews as this biography. With all but angels singing the book’s praises, I was only slightly worried about reports of the author’s overly-generous treatment of Adams. And in the back of my mind, I harbored some suspicion that Adams may not have supplied history much in the way of interesting raw material.

On the latter point, my worry was entirely unfounded. Adams proved a character of enormous interest and versatility – not only for his roles during the American Revolution (as a Founding Father and assistant in drafting the Declaration of Independence among other tasks), and as both Vice President and President, but also for his work in France, Holland and Great Britain on behalf of our fledgling country. Adams as a person is simply fascinating. His personality, less enigmatic and opaque than Washington’s, was no less complex. On the surface he was not infrequently a crusty New Englander, but his true temperament was far more complicated.

That McCullough is enormously sympathetic to John Adams cannot be seriously challenged. In fact, Adams himself could hardly be more delighted by his portrayal at the author’s hands. In nearly every instance of possible controversy, the facts of the moment are laid clear and McCullough finishes with a conclusory remark that is invariably favorable to Adams. But the reader is not unaware that the author’s observation is often analogous to a mother doting on her favorite child, when even disagreeable artwork brought home from school is worthy of a prized spot on the refrigerator door.

In hindsight, McCullough’s choice of presidents to profile in this case was fortunate in at least one respect: almost never before has a figure of such historical importance left behind so much evidence to posterity, and yet been so poorly known to modern society and unrecognized for his accomplishments (no offense to Smith, Ferling, Ellis and others who previously authored works on Adams). Unlike Martha Washington, who burned her correspondence with George upon his death, over 1,100 letters between John and Abigail Adams survive, along with countless letters they each wrote and received from other important figures of their day. Along with his frequent diary entries, John left behind a mountain of paper for history to digest.

But if McCullough’s appraisal was usually in favor of “whatever” Adams did (frequently to the detriment of Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson), his gifted storytelling was always in favor of the reader. His descriptive abilities are often second-to-none, and although you are not left with the feeling that you’ve encountered an exhaustive history of the times, you do believe you might have just read the diary of someone who was John Adams’ lifelong best friend and most astute observer.

Stated simply, “John Adams” is an extraordinary epic and a wonderfully told story of John Adams’ life. I can only wonder whether McCullough’s biographical talents could be similarly effective with the less riveting life of Calvin Coolidge. Or Gerald Ford. Or perhaps my “Heat and Thermodynamics” professor from college?

As a critical historical analysis of our nation’s earliest years and of the life of our second president, I found McCullough’s biography very good, but not great. It was at times unbalanced and described the cantankerous Adams like a glass perpetually half-full. Perhaps McCullough saw his generosity as redress for history’s past treatment of the man? However, as a narrative of adventure and adversity, of hard work and perseverance, and as a story of extraordinary devotion to his country and his family, “John Adams” was incontrovertibly excellent.

Overall rating: 4½ stars

Biography of John Adams told in the style of narrative history. Fortunately, Adams left lots of correspondences, which McCullough has used to bring him to life for the reader. We learn about his early life in Braintree, Massachusetts, education at Harvard, marriage to Abigail Smith, involvement in the independence movement, involvement in Continental Congress, visits to France and Holland, vice presidency, presidency, and later years. A good portion of the narrative focuses on his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, their falling out, and reconnection later in life. We learn about his accomplishments and a few blunders. He comes across as a person of integrity, character, and statesmanship.

McCullough paints his scenes in vivid detail. Adams apparently suffered from malaria, which he initially contracted in his travels. He had a bit of a temper, but never let it get out of control. He suffered from bouts of melancholy, which we might call depression. While President, he pitched in to help in a bucket brigade. I was hoping for more on Adams’ time as President, but this part of the book is fairly sparse and does not appear until the last quarter of this rather lengthy book.

Nevertheless, it is easy to recommend McCullough’s vivid portrayal of John Adams, a founding father who gets less attention than some of the other notables such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He comes across as a devoted husband and someone who cared passionately about doing what was best for his country. Fans of American history will enjoy this one.

McCullough’s biography deserves all the accolades. It is written with depth and with passion. More than just a history, this is a penetrating look into the minds of Adams, Jefferson, family, friends and enemies that brings them and their times to life for us. This remarkable accounting of the birth of a country and how it found its early footing foreshadows the civil war and debates that still rage in America. Contrasting the beliefs, politics and personalities of Adams and Jefferson, McCullough exquisitely illustrates the divisions and binding forces of early America that persist to this day. That the deaths of Jefferson and Adams, the pen and the voice of the Declaration of Independence, occurred only five hours apart on July 4, 1826 exactly fifty years after its proclamation is simply astonishing. A must read for every American and anyone who wants to understand America, past and present.

This is a wholly enjoyable book, which is the secret of its success. Merely flipping through and scanning a couple passages was enough to convince me to abandon everything else I was reading and to go on a pleasure cruise through history. McCullough’s writing is charming to a rare degree—elevated yet folksy, readable without being simple, and filled with personality without being opinionated. I can see why he is so popular.

Yet it must be said that McCullough achieves this charm by relegating much of the tedious, dreary, or ugly side of Adams’s life to the background. A serious intellectual appraisal of Adams would require a much deeper analysis of his political writings; but here they are minor episodes. A serious appraisal of Adams’s presidency would require a far more thorough review of his policies and legistlation, most obviously the Alien and Sedition Acts. Yet here they are just touched upon. Obviously, such a book as I am describing would be both longer and, almost certainly, duller.

Instead of attempting any kind of definitive appraisal, McCullough gives us a literary biography, a portrait of a man in his times. And Adams is well chosen for the subject of such a book. He left a huge correspondence and a copious diary, writing with rare candor and verve throughout his life, which gives the happy biographer a great deal to work with. Further, Adams was a personality of rare proportion: prickly, warm, passionate, brilliant, stubborn, loyal, foolhardy, blunt, obtuse, principled… the list is endless. As are all of us, Adams was a strange inter-mixture of virtues and vices, yet none of his were moderate.

Even if Adams had been devoid of character, however, the events of his life would still attract attention. He was at the forefront of the Continental Congress, instrumental in driving the early stages of the Revolutionary War: creating an army, appointing Washington to head it, declaring independence, and then choosing Jefferson to draft the declaration. Then, Adams had a long and adventurous life in Europe, working in England, France, and the Netherlands—a feast for the biographer. What is more, Adams was intimately involved with many of the leading personalities of the times, not to mention being the father of another president. So you can see that McCullough had plenty of grist for his mill.

Apart from all of this, John Adams was married to perhaps an even stronger character, Abigail. She comes across as truly John’s better half, if not more intelligent than wiser than he, with a personality more stable but no less fascinating. Thus the biography is, quite often, more of a dual biography of these two extraordinary people. Jefferson receives almost as much attention as Abigail, alternately friend and foe, serving as Adams’s foil: calm, reserved, duplicitous, underhanded, and often unwilling to live by the principles he professes—which makes him a far more effective politician. McCullough turns Adams and Jefferson into the twin poles of the Revolution, much as Chernow did with Hamilton and Jefferson. I suppose I should read something about Jefferson now.

Even if the reader will not come away with an understanding of Adams’s politics and policies, there is still a great deal of value in this book. As with every McCullough book, it is a window into a bygone age, illuminated by bright personalities. And in my case, that is all I wanted.

This is a masterpiece! McCullough writes history that reads like a novel. I know his access to all the Adams correspondence gave him an advantage, but still, the man can write.
I didn’t realize what a fascinating man John Adams was and the many personal sacrifices he made for our country.
I felt like I knew the Adams family and actually slowed down my reading because I didn’t want the book to end. In fact, I want to read it again instead of the Thomas Jefferson biography next on my tbr list.

I know this is a long book, but it is worth it. I knew very little about John Adams, having forgotten many facts from my high school history class. This book does a very good job of describing all of the events leading up to the American Revolution War and all of the major players in it. It is written in a story telling way that is not another "boring history book." This book really captures the times John Adams lived, his life and love for his wife, and his friendship with Thomas Jefferson. It captures the true hearts and spirits of our founding fathers and the patriots they were - fighting for the "good" of this great country even when there were opposing views on how the government should be. I also admire their letter writing abilities at that time. They seem to be so much more eloquent than the way we use our language today.

I know biographies are not for everyone and I probably wouldn't finish reading it, but it is a very enjoyable as an audiobook.

I wish I could give this book 10 stars. David McCullough has written not only the best biography on the life of John Adams, until now one of America's most unappreciated founding fathers, but an incredible view into the age of the American Revolution. At times I felt as if I had traveled back into time and was watching the historical events fold before my eyes, seeing many events, sensing many emotions.

John Adams was an original American Patriot, brilliant, one of courage and honor, but portrayed also as a common man, who struggled with pride and ambition, experienced victory and loss. He adored his farm, deeply loved his wife, enjoyed all that life brought him, and struggled as all men do. This is a must read!

An Excellent biographical book to read about John Adams.

John Adams is a politician, writer, diplomat.

He is also, the former President of America, one of the Founding Fathers.

The biggest take away -- I learnt from John Adams - What is it?

He says, knowing history is important.

Human nature doesn't change, this made him on the contrasting side with Jefferson.

John Adam's Political thought, could be summarized into

1. Practical Application of Past Government into Present Government (Study of History)

2. Scottish Enlightenment, that valued reason, expressed itself more egalitarian values

-All Members of Society could possibly achieve virtue and material progress

-Scottish writers gave a space for faith, through believing a person is truly human by being born in image of God

I fell in love with his constant correspondence of letters with his wife.

She was supportive of him -- I feel letters are special.
His marriage reflected his values. Adams was well read and taught me to be frugal.

Virtues are more important and you ought to stand what you believe for.

Some quotes which are in my head,

Quotes I enjoyed:

"I will not die as an ignorant fool." - Adams

"Never speak unkindly of anyone, speak only handsome things." - Abigail


Have fun reading the book.

What can I say? This book took me months to read and challenged my thinking on a number of preconceptions I had about the Revolution and the Founders. Instead of "correcting" me and forcing me into a new way of thinking, McCullough gently and deftly inspired me to soak in everything he had to say about Adams and to seek out biographies of other Founders to compare and contrast the men, their ideas and their accounts of history. This book is verbose but in a very engaging and pleasant way. It would seem to the reader that McCullough believes Adams to be the primary hero of our nation's birth and establishment and I suspect that he might be right. I knew little of Adams before reading this text but I have fallen in love with he and Abigail and plan to read their letters as a follow up.

I wish that every high school in America would throw away their white washed, pc, editorialist American history textbooks and require all students to read biographies like this. Our passion for America, her heroes and her challenges could only be kindled by such a move.

This book was truly inspiring, on many levels. A real blessing.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the American Revolution. I would call this David McCullough's masterpiece, except I've read several of his remarkable books, including Truman and The Wright Brothers, and they are all so good I don't think I could pick a favorite.

But let's get back to John Adams, who, along with Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, was a critical founder of America. If you've seen the impressive HBO miniseries based on this book (starring Paul Giamatti and the amazing Laura Linney as Abigail Adams), you already know the outline of events. John Adams was a lawyer in Massachusetts, and after the Boston Massacre in 1770, he agreed to defend the British soldiers, arguing that "facts are stubborn things." Despite widespread anger toward the British, John Adams won the case.

Meanwhile, the colonists were growing increasingly dissatisfied with their English overlords, especially with their "taxation without representation." When a Continental Congress was formed in Philadelphia, Adams was chosen to represent Massachusetts. It was there that he found his voice in politics, and met the other men who helped design the American government we know today.

Adams was also sent to France and England as an ambassador, and the stories of him abroad were charming in their fish-out-of-water-ness. Oh, and let's not forget Adams became our second president (and his son, John Quincy Adams, became our sixth).

In short, John Adams lived an amazing and full life, and had an impact on history that few have the opportunity to do. Aside from being a fascinating person, what really makes this biography shine are the passages from letters that John and Abigail wrote to each other. This is where McCullough excels as a writer of history, in weaving together the best quotes and stories and making the narrative flow as smoothly as a novel.

I came away from this book a great admirer of John Adams, and grateful that he was in the right place and the right time to help build this new country. He was smart and fair, but also stubborn and vain. He was a good man with flaws, as many of us are. As I write this, Hamilton the musical is a huge hit on Broadway, but in my mind, John Adams deserves his own show.

Favorite Quotes
"The source of our suffering has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think ... Let us dare to read, think, speak, write."

"Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives."

"So, it was done, the break was made, in words at least: on July 2, 1776, in Philadelphia, the American colonies declared independence. If not all thirteen clocks had struck as one, twelve had, and with the other silent, the effect was the same. It was John Adams, more than anyone, who had made it happen. Further, he seems to have understood more clearly than any what a momentous day it was and in the privacy of two long letters to Abigail, he poured out his feelings as did no one else: 'The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.'"

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study paintings, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

"The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think and the more anxiously I inquire, the less I seem to know ... do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough."

Wonderful take on a fascinating and accomplished life. I did especially enjoy the careful attention paid to the complicated and temperamental relationship between Adams and Jefferson. David McCullough painted a vivid picture of the man to the point where the personalities of John and Abigail were leaping out of the pages, and I can safely say that I've come away from the experience with a fond appreciation for the second President.

I will agree that the author meanders a bit here and there and that the pacing perhaps suffers a bit as a result. I got the impression that McCullough had such a love and fascination for the 10 metric tonnes of Adams' letters that he couldn't bring himself to cut many of them from the book.

Overall a thoughtful and, to my mind, fair portrait of a good and scholarly man.