John Adams and David McCullough's "1776": A Comprehensive Look at the Revolutionary War

vicki: Husband loves history and is really enjoying this book. This book is in his hand all the time. He plans to read it a couple times. He has read parts of book to me, this tells you how excited he is about this book. It contains stories and letters people have written and gives the reader glimpses into the many personalities.

United States on Sep 16, 2023

Livio: 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.

Italy on Mar 18, 2023

Dr Mervyn Eastman: From a life time of reading biographies, there are a number that are outstanding and a few that are exception. McCullough's life of John Adams is however beyond even beyond that. I knew about Adams from the DVD based on the book, but not surprisingly, no adaptation could possibly reflect the written word (narrative) McCullough provides.

The portrayal of Abagail ( Adams wife) is superb & the correspondence between them have not just spirit but heart to their years of marriage. I wept at her passing, and in terms of Adams, I will hold for what remains of my days admiration and even awe! I learnt so much about the early years pre & post the American Revolution, the 2nd, 3rd & 6th Presidents and the conception, birth and early years of the Republic.

A 5 star rating is totally insufficient to reflect my view of this book.

United Kingdom on Nov 25, 2022

D. Mikels: John Adams. Husband and father. Patriot. Intense lawyer. Founding Father. Minister to France, Amsterdam, and Great Britain. First Vice President of the United States. Second President of the United States. Father of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams. Lifelong associate of fellow patriot Thomas Jefferson; although the two became bitter political rivals, they reconciled during their twilight years to become faithful correspondents. All of the above is presented in David McCullough's extraordinary, Pulitzer prize-winning biography JOHN ADAMS, an historical triumph that spawned an award-winning HBO miniseries  adaptation , which this reviewer is currently massively enjoying.

To suggest that this biography rescued the one-term second president from political obscurity is sheer folly. In the 18th Century, patriot John Adams was already larger than life. He faced the mob and defended the British soldiers accused of murder in the bloody Boston Massacre, obtaining acquittals. Along with Jefferson, he helped launch the Declaration of Independence. Never to refuse service when his country called him for duty, he went overseas--leaving his Massachusetts...

United States on Mar 22, 2022

Nicholas Casley: I was inspired to read this biography of the second president of the United States, as it was the basis for the excellent HBO series.

As McCullough's writes in the introduction, "John Adams was a lawyer and a farmer, a graduate of Harvard College, the husband of Abigail Smith Adams, the father of four children. He was forty years old and he was a revolutionary." Why was that so? The biography reveals a man passionate about virtue and liberty, a man who would never give up the fight, and a man who was the real driver of independence. When people think of the fight for independence, they naturally bring to mind Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin - but it was Adams who was the driving force.

I am also glad that I read this book because I was able to see where the truth of Adam's life has been sacrificed for the drama of the TV series: the Hollywood version of history is just as active on America's own as well as the rest of the world's! For example, in the first episode I learn that Captain Preston was actually tried separately from his men, and of the eight soldiers, two were found guilty of manslaughter.

But there are also scenes that should have been in the...

United Kingdom on Sep 10, 2017

skiwiman: 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...

United Kingdom on Mar 11, 2013

lexo1941: I too bought David McCullough's biography of John Adams because of the TV series. However, in my own case I haven't watched the TV series yet; I bought it, but my wife and I are still making our way through the fifth season of 'House', so 'John Adams' is sitting on a side table waiting to get watched. In the meantime, I like a good biography so I thought I'd read the original book, to give myself some background on Adams - arguably the least glamorous Founding Father.

Never having read a book by David McCullough before, I wasn't sure what to expect. The guy can definitely write a gripping tale. In the special features of the TV series (which I snuck a peek at), he talks about how he wanted to write a work of 'literature'. Well, that I suppose is what 'John Adams' is. I'm just not convinced that it's what I expect of a biography.

How much you enjoy the book will depend very much on the extent to which you're prepared to put up with McCullough's gushing admiration for his hero. This is the opposite of a critical biography. McCullough is hard on Adams only when the overwhelming consensus is that Adams was wrong, such as the occasion in 1798 when, as President, he...

United Kingdom on Nov 03, 2009

Mike Powers: David McCullough has done it again! McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of several previous superb works of history and biography (most notably, "Mornings on Horseback," "The Path Between the Seas," and "Truman"), has written a wonderfully well rounded picture of a man to whom every American owes a tremendous debt of gratitude. John Adams' many contributions to establishing this great Nation of ours, and the freedoms we cherish, are incalculable. He was indeed, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, the "colossus of American independence."

"John Adams" is literate, elegant in tone, entertaining, and, above all, highly informative. It's not, however, your typical Presidential biography. In this masterful book, there's much less emphasis on the political career of its subject, and more weight given to Adams' personal life. And it was indeed an extraordinary life!

In 1735 John Adams is born into a middle class family in Quincy, Massachusetts. During his childhood and youth, his father decides upon a career in the ministry for his son; but John has other plans. He wants to become a lawyer. After attending Harvard, he practices law intermittently until the outbreak...

United States on Mar 12, 2002