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A review by jbmorgan86
John Adams by David McCullough
5.0
#2 of 43 on my Presidential Quest. It took me sixth months to read this book. Between the start date and end date I read 60+ other novels, non-fiction books, graphic novels, plays, etc. Also in that time, my wife went through two trimesters of a pregnancy!
This is a thick book . . . and I don't mean just the length of it. Every word matters. The prose is beautiful. McCullough weaves together his own prose with primary source material (mostly letters between John and Abigail).
Things that I learned (or relearned)/found interesting/thought noteworthy:
- John Adams started every day with a glass of cider (yes, alcoholic!)
- Adams was the legal defense for the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre
- Adams did not consider the presidency to be the pinnacle of his career. Rather, he saw his entire career as a continuous quest for freedom. In fact, what he did before his presidency was probably more significant than what he actually did in his presidency.
- The relationship between John and Abigail is something to be admired. Over the decades, they acted like kids in love, continuously writing letters back and forth.
- Abigail is just as significant of a figure as John. It is amazing how much she influenced his political career (more than his cabinet?!). She was very wise and often passionate in righteous judgment. She even predicted the Civil War! I was particularly fond of a story about her scolding white students that threatened to boycott school because she sent her literate black slave to the school.
- I was impressed with Adams' stance on slavery. He and Abigail saw it is a sin and saw nothing but bad outcomes from it. He even consider Jefferson's affair with Sally Hemings the fruit of the sinful practice.
- I knew little-to-nothing about Adams' dealings in France, Holland, and England
- Adams picked Washington as the General of the military, helped draft the Constitution, and selected Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. These were monumental choices.
- I was surprised by the lack of interaction between President Washington and VP Adams
- To the people who say "WE HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE DIVIDED!" need to read history. The amount of vitriol and partyism outweighs is going on in 2017. I was especially surprised to see the behavior of Jefferson and Hamilton
- I had forgotten that Washington was recalled to active duty by Adams after his presidency
- The reconciliation between Jefferson and Adams is endearing.
In sum, Adams is an often forgotten president. He made crucial decision before his presidency. He was at the heart of the Revolution. He did some great things during his presidency (such as the resolution of the Quasi-War with the French). He also did some terrible things during his presidency (the Alien and Sedition Acts). Adams was often naive and often showed a violent temper. On the other hand, he was also a passionate, faithful, and loving man. I am thankful for McCullough's work!
This is a thick book . . . and I don't mean just the length of it. Every word matters. The prose is beautiful. McCullough weaves together his own prose with primary source material (mostly letters between John and Abigail).
Things that I learned (or relearned)/found interesting/thought noteworthy:
- John Adams started every day with a glass of cider (yes, alcoholic!)
- Adams was the legal defense for the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre
- Adams did not consider the presidency to be the pinnacle of his career. Rather, he saw his entire career as a continuous quest for freedom. In fact, what he did before his presidency was probably more significant than what he actually did in his presidency.
- The relationship between John and Abigail is something to be admired. Over the decades, they acted like kids in love, continuously writing letters back and forth.
- Abigail is just as significant of a figure as John. It is amazing how much she influenced his political career (more than his cabinet?!). She was very wise and often passionate in righteous judgment. She even predicted the Civil War! I was particularly fond of a story about her scolding white students that threatened to boycott school because she sent her literate black slave to the school.
- I was impressed with Adams' stance on slavery. He and Abigail saw it is a sin and saw nothing but bad outcomes from it. He even consider Jefferson's affair with Sally Hemings the fruit of the sinful practice.
- I knew little-to-nothing about Adams' dealings in France, Holland, and England
- Adams picked Washington as the General of the military, helped draft the Constitution, and selected Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. These were monumental choices.
- I was surprised by the lack of interaction between President Washington and VP Adams
- To the people who say "WE HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE DIVIDED!" need to read history. The amount of vitriol and partyism outweighs is going on in 2017. I was especially surprised to see the behavior of Jefferson and Hamilton
- I had forgotten that Washington was recalled to active duty by Adams after his presidency
- The reconciliation between Jefferson and Adams is endearing.
In sum, Adams is an often forgotten president. He made crucial decision before his presidency. He was at the heart of the Revolution. He did some great things during his presidency (such as the resolution of the Quasi-War with the French). He also did some terrible things during his presidency (the Alien and Sedition Acts). Adams was often naive and often showed a violent temper. On the other hand, he was also a passionate, faithful, and loving man. I am thankful for McCullough's work!