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John Adams
John Adams
Author: David McCullough
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot -- "the colossus of independence," as Thomas Jefferson called him -- who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second Pr...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780684813639
ISBN-10: 0684813637
Publication Date: 5/22/2001
Pages: 736
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 101

4.1 stars, based on 101 ratings
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed John Adams on + 174 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
There is so much more in this book than the life of John Adams. You become entwined in the birth of a nation and also learn many little bits of history that are not common knowledge. It makes you wish the era of telehones, radio, TV, etc. had never been invented. So much more is to be learned of history through the writing of personal letters, etc. This is the first "history" book that, in the end, made me cry.
reviewed John Adams on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Very much enjoyed reading this book. He was an interesting man with humble beginnings and his journey was very American! I learned a lot about the history of the American revolution. The writing was quite readable, not too dry or stuffy for the subject. I had trouble at times, but overall was very glad I read this book.
shukween avatar reviewed John Adams on + 118 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Fantastic book! This biography reads like a novel--engaging, period detail, and delivers a clear, authentic picture of the greatest of our founding fathers. One grows to appreciate the unsung hero who was Adams--not always likeable, not willing to bend to popular opinion, but always putting his country's long term needs first. My respect for Adams only grew.
Kmarie avatar reviewed John Adams on + 529 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
It is a life encompassing a huge arc -- Adams lived longer than any president. The story ranges from the Boston Massacre to Philadelphia in 1776 to the Versailles of Louis XVI, from Spain to Amsterdam, from the Court of St. James's, where Adams was the first American to stand before King George III as a representative of the new nation, to the raw, half-finished Capital by the Potomac, where Adams was the first President to occupy the White House. This is history on a grand scale -- a book about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas.

Above all, John Adams is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.

reviewed John Adams on
Helpful Score: 2
Brilliantly written.
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buzzby avatar reviewed John Adams on + 6062 more book reviews
I read the whole book (kind of unusual for me), it gave a flavor of what a narcissic a**hole he was (I mean that in a loving, patriotic, way). You wonder whether we would be an independent nation if it wasn't for him.
iiskipper avatar reviewed John Adams on + 3 more book reviews
An intriguing account of the times and the life of John Adams in Puritan Massachusetts. Read Benjamin Frankin's bigraphies for countering views and opinions to get a glimpse at how Franklin, and perhaps others, viewed John Adams as narrow and small minded.
reviewed John Adams on + 2 more book reviews
This book didn't win a Pulitizer Prize for nothin! It is skillfully written and a brilliantly told story. A must read if you are into early american history. It tells the story of Adams's life with all of the myth of a founding father stripped away.


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