"John Adams" Paperback – 29 Jan. 2008

Rarely have I read a book where, as I come to the end I am saddened that I must leave the character(s) and read of them no more. This is no dry historical record. McCullough has written as if he had been present at the time. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover.I had no prior knowledge of John Adams, having first encountered him when I was enthralled by the HBO mini-series with Paul Giamatta as Mr. Adams.The size of the book when it arrived was somewhat daunting. However the easy style of writing and the layout made for a fascinating insight into one of the chief movers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as Washington, Jefferson and Franklin.From birth to death we follow John Adams in his single-minded approach to life, which didn't always assist him in his endeavours. We can be thankful that he and his wife, Abigail were prolific, detailed and eloquent letter writers as the author had a treasure trove of material from which to gain an insight into their personalities, relationships and the times they lived in. The horror of his daughter Nabby undergoing a mastectomy without anesthetic is an example of the tough times people endured without our modern inventions.Adams, perhaps like no other President in the history of America travelled extensively BEFORE he became president, established the first American mission in The Hague, secured funding for the new born republic, was ambassador to the Court of St. James, vice-president and then President. It was remarkable to learn that on the day of his departure from the White House, he caught the public stagecoach at 4am for Baltimore. Can we imagine Obama catching the 4am bus as he leaves the White House? Fascinating insight after fascinating insight.I cannot rate this book highly enough. The 18th century truly was a time of tumultuous changes in America and Europe and that so many 'famous' Americans lived in that period and were players in the times they lived in is truly remarkable. Buy the book. Take your time. Enjoy the eloquence of the letter writing. Read of a life lived to the full and to the end!

Like all David McCullough's books, this one doesn't disappoint. It's the story of John Adams, America's second, and underappreciated, President. It's a biography and not an in depth look at the historical and political issues surrounding his life, so you'll have to have a good working knowledge of the events surrounding the American Revolution. But it will surprise you too. The 4th of July is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a day every school child in America knows. But it was actually 2 July when Americans declared their independence and the day Adams thought would be the "most memorable epocha in the history of America." And I was equally surprised to know that Adams represented the British(!) in the trial of the Boston Massacre, that famous moment of British tyranny before the Revolution. As a child, learning about the Revolution in school, it seemed almost inevitable to me that the Americans would win. Until I read this book, I never appreciated how close America came to losing and how many promiment colonial men supported the Tory cause! It's an amazing book, well written, and brings to life one of America's greatest statesmen. It's also a bit irreverant when it comes to that other great statesman, Thomas Jefferson! Adams has always taken second place behind those prominent and celebrated leaders (Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, among others), but McCullough shows us that Adams was much more than he has been remembered for. I would highly recommend it (as I would any of his other books). Five stars is not enough.

I read this book having watched the John Adams serial on Sky Atlantic. The series closely followed the book and gave a fascinating insight into the lives of the Founding fathers of USA with all the politics. A very personal account of the relationships of friends and foes and at home and abroad. It filled in a big gap in my knowledge of this time. Very readable, thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone interested in American Independence

A big gap filled in a Canadian 's knowledge of American history.

John Adams foi o primeiro vice-presidente e o segundo presidente dos Estados Unidos. Disputou a reeleição e perdeu para seu vice, Thomas Jefferson. Anos depois seu filho, John Quincy Adams se elegeu presidente e igualmente só conseguiu um mandato.Adams, o pai, foi indiretamente responsável pelo nascimento do controle de constitucionalidade das leis, que surgiu durante a presidência de Thomas Jefferson (1803/1811) e pelas mãos do Chief Justice (Presidente) da Suprema Corte dos Estados Unidos, John Marshall. Ocorre que um ato de Adams não foi implementado na presidência de Jefferson o que motivou o ajuizamento de um Mandado de Segurança, que teve como autor William Marbury e "réu" os Estados Unidos, representado pelo então Secretário de Estado James Madison, daí o caso Marbury v. Madison (1803).No livro "Suprema Corte dos Estados Unidos - Principais Decisões" (Atlas, 4a edição, 2021) o autor João Carlos Souto discorre minuciosamente sobre o tema, dedicando-lhe todo o capítulo II.Com relação ao livro de David McCullough, é um clássico, escrito por quem conhece a fundo a História/EUA e escreve com clareza e objetivdade.

Uno dei più bei libri che io abbia mai letto.Emozionante, avvincente.Scritto con maestria ed accuratezza.E poi John Adams.Una vita incredibile, un uomo che diede, e dà ancora, lustro al suo Paese, al quale dedicò tutta la sua vita con devozione, senso del dovere ed equilibrio.Un esempio anche oggi, tremendamente attuale, per l'amore che profuse per la libertà, la democrazia e la pace, che ricercò sempre lottando strenuamente e incessantemente per ottenerle.Un grande uomo che McCullough, un maestro in questo campo, ha saputo valorizzare egregiamente.Indimenticabile.

Mein Sohn studiert Anglistik und Amerikanistik und war über diesen großen Schinken sehr erfreut und angetan! Alles richtig gemacht :-)

A very well written book which covers a momentous period in American history. John Adams contribution to the early development of the USA was incredible.