John Adams: A Life

"This is an outstanding biography; Adams will not have to be redone for this generation."--Harry W. Fritz, Library Journal (starred review) "This is a.
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Ferling unequivocally stated that Hamilton's Federalists served to "enrich the few" and did much to "foster corruption" and described Hamilton as having a "low, cunning dishonesty," and Washington among others as "but a puppet of Hamilton. Flexner warned against seeing the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans in terms of today's parties or simplifying them as one being the party of the rich and the other of the poor--a trap Ferling seemed to fall into. Flexner's account didn't make either Jefferson or Hamilton look good.

But Flexner certainly made a case for a Hamilton much more loyal than Ferling admits, and a Jefferson much, much more dishonest, even treacherous, than Ferling ever hints at. At times Ferling's account seemed contradictory.


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He claimed the Federalists' survival depended on war with France, yet admitted Hamilton urgently advised against war with France. Ferling cited plenty of evidence that Adams was an advocate of monarchy, that he considered "hereditary rule inevitable" then excoriated Hamilton and others as unfair for attacking Adams on that basis. In the end, Ferling's John Adams: A Life was a thought-provoking and entertaining biography--even moving in parts.

Never more so than at its end when relating the rapprochement and friendship of Adams and Jefferson in retirement, both struggling to live until the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. My next read is a biography of Thomas Jefferson by Cunningham. If the Stockholm Syndrome-like attachment of biographers for their subjects holds there, I somehow doubt Alexander Hamilton is going to fare any better.

It makes me want to read a biography of that much maligned man. Certainly the biographies of Washington and Adams so far reveals a much more complex picture of history than the plaster saint pablum served up about the "founding fathers" suggests. View all 6 comments.

John Adams

May 02, Daniel Ligon rated it it was amazing Shelves: Ferling's biography offers an excellent perspective of John Adams. I read McCullough's better known bio a few months ago, and of the two, I slightly prefer Ferling's. McCullough's book is excellent, a page-turning, sweeping narrative that tells rather than analyzes John Adams' life. Ferling, while not as good of a story-teller, shines in explaining the way Adams thought and what motivated him.

Ferling gives a philosophical and topical examination of Adams and his times rather than a strictly chr Ferling's biography offers an excellent perspective of John Adams. Ferling gives a philosophical and topical examination of Adams and his times rather than a strictly chronological story. For example, Ferling does a great job explaining the political context of colonial Massachusetts. Later on, Ferling shows the clear philosophical differences between the Federalists and Republicans in a way that I had not fully grasped before. A bonus of the book is that Ferling gives brief biographical sketches of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Hamilton as they are introduced to the story.

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The highlight of the book for me was the afterword, where Ferling examines Adams' thoughts on greatness and the significance of his life's work, and then offers his own analysis of Adams' greatness and most important achievements. I would agree with Ferling in his ranking of Adams just below Washington, but on a level with Franklin and Jefferson as the greatest Americans of their era.

May 06, Steve rated it it was amazing. A Life" is the fifth of nearly a dozen books authored by John Ferling, who has written extensively on the revolutionary era and several of its most important figures. This biography was first published in and has received consistently high marks since, although its popularity has faded somewhat in recent years as several additional biographies of our second president have been published. Ferling's biography of John Adams is almost the perf http: Ferling's biography of John Adams is almost the perfect balance of detail versus brevity, of hard facts prudently dosed with the author's opinions and conclusions.

The author's descriptive capability is on consistent display and set the context in most scenes magnificently. Much to my surprise, as this is the fourth book on Adams I've read thus far, Ferling provides relevant and interesting insights throughout the book that I do not recall encountering elsewhere. In contrast to his more recent biography of George Washington, Ferling's work on Adams is not only thorough and colorful, but also well-balanced and non-combative. His books of our first two presidents considered together, one senses Ferling's disappointment that history has relegated Adams' to the "near great" category of presidents for a variety of reasons he well explains while elevating Washington to more exalted status, in part on the basis of being a reluctant hero a concept with which the author vigorously disagrees.

A bit of a bonus, "John Adams: A Life" incorporates several short sketches throughout the book on other important figures of the era, such as Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin. These introductions added unique color, character and additional context, and laid the groundwork for analysis and conclusions to come later in the book. Compared to the other biographies on Adams I've read, Ferling is the least friendly to Adams and his relationship with Abigail. McCullough, Smith and Ellis each show a warmer, more consistent relationship between the John and Abigail, but Ferling's case seems well argued in any event.

Having not read the source material for myself, I don't have an informed view on which perspective is more accurate. As is often the case, the truth is probably not as romantic as some would like, but may not be as harsh as Ferling depicts. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Ferling's biography of Adams other than its judicious use of the reader's time without diminishing its ability to be both thorough and penetrating is the set of analyses and conclusions left behind in the final pages. Ferling tackles the subject of Adams' "greatness" or lack thereof and critically examines the role of Adams' personality, his actions while president and luck or misfortune , as well as the evolution of history's perspective on the topic.

Again, in contrast to his analysis of Washington which I found strident and one-sided, his approach to Adams is balanced and considered. A Life" proves itself a fantastic biography of Adams. It serves not only as an excellent introduction to the second president, but also as quite a complete treatment of him as well.

Ferling is not quite the storyteller of, say, McCullough, whose work on Adams proved a somewhat better story, but not a better biography. But in the end, while not quite perfect and admittedly somewhat aged, "John Adams: A Life" was nothing short of outstanding.

John Adams Biography

Aug 02, Eric Sevigny rated it really liked it Shelves: Part of it was that the treatment of the revolutionary War was so much better in Chernow. IN the end, a good read. Ferling's biography is fascinating and wonderfully written. I think he paints a more complete picture than David McCullough of both Adam's personality and his relationships with family, friends and associates.

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After I finished McCullough's book I remember being particularly impressed with the level of Adam's education, the decades-long pivotal role he played in the founding of our country and the rich written record he left behind. As I read Ferling's biography I was interested in the similaritie Ferling's biography is fascinating and wonderfully written. As I read Ferling's biography I was interested in the similarities and differences between his times and ours.

He lived with Abigail continuously for only four years of their marriage until after he retired from the presidency. He was a largely absentee husband and father. Over the years, Abigail became increasingly independent and grew to appreciate her autonomy. Interestingly, Adams did no campaigning. This was common in those days but he also felt it was beneath his dignity.

Despite this fact that he did not actively campaign, mudslinging and negative campaigning were widespread back then. Although he made many good decisions, Adams was also party to some very regrettable legislation. The Alien and Sedition Act, passed during his presidency, looked very much like G. Even in the late 's politicians used patriotism and military spending to retain power. In spite of his shortcomings and mistakes Adams was a "near-great president," perhaps because he had great integrity.

I'm so hoping that Obama's presidency will resemble Adams' in this very important way. This Adams biography tends towards the personal side of President Adams. Casual readers might stay away but anyone with an interest in American History, Biographies, or Adams himself will enjoy it greatly. Feb 01, Jim rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is an exceptionally insightful and frank biography of our second president, John Adams.

Ferling notes both the strengths and the weaknesses of this man, who after losing his bid for re-election to the presidency in , was convinced that he would be forgotten by history and his presidency would be considered far from a success. In fact, as Ferling points out, John Adams is rated by historians who examine the nation's presidencies as a near great president, very close to the top of the This is an exceptionally insightful and frank biography of our second president, John Adams. In fact, as Ferling points out, John Adams is rated by historians who examine the nation's presidencies as a near great president, very close to the top of the ratings.

He was not the greatest man of his revolutionary generation - that attribute can only go to one man - George Washington. However, as Ferling notes, John Adams is certainly among the second tier of the great men of the revolutionary era along with Franklin and Jefferson. Ferling believes that Adams' greatest weakness and failure was his inability to use his talents for a greater good. While Adams never, as some would contend, advocated a monarchical type of government for the United States, he did distrust the common man - the farmer, the craftsman, the laborer - to use liberty wisely.

Consequently, he did believe that the Chief Executive - the President - of the country needed to be vested with strong powers and that the legislature should be bicameral with the upper house being comprised of men of wealth and property and given the power to offset the actions of the lower house, which would more represent the common man. He never truly trusted his fellow citizens with the full extent of liberty. As for his achievements - they are numerous: This is an excellent biography.

It brings John Adams to life for the reader - with both his positive and negative traits - with the positive far exceeding the negative. Jul 31, Brent Ecenbarger rated it really liked it Shelves: Any book that followed Ron Chernow's biography on Washington would likely come up looking worse by comparison, which is definitely fitting considering John Adams the person. Prior to reading this book Adams was one of my favorite presidents mainly due to his portrayal by William Daniels in the excellent musical and also because Washington always seemed passive, compared to the feisty or obnoxious Adams.

Whereas Washington was elevated by Chernow's book by actually having many of the perso Any book that followed Ron Chernow's biography on Washington would likely come up looking worse by comparison, which is definitely fitting considering John Adams the person.

John Adams: A Life by John Ferling

Whereas Washington was elevated by Chernow's book by actually having many of the personality traits and important moments that form our picture of him, Adams appeared to have less of a role regarding American independence than I'd previously thought. When choosing this book, I compared the reviews to McCullough's biography on Adams, as these were the two most highly rated. The negative reviews on that book however, talked about how McCullough tended to gloss over Adams's faults, and tended to make excused for him in order to keep on point about his greatness. This will probably be the first president I double-dip on biographies for because this book certainly didn't do that.

The result was an educational read, but none of the passion or amazement that came from reading Chernow's biography. As with Washington, I'll look at different aspects of Adam's life covered in the biography, so I can look back and compare all these different presidents down the line: Born into - Adams was the oldest son of a modest man, and as a result was put through school instead of having to work the field or be a soldier, or any of the other more likely jobs his relatives went into.

While not quite a rags to riches, a la Alexander Hamilton, he didn't inherit money like Washington or have the physical attributes that commanded respect. In that way, he comes out ahead for thriving with fewer advantages. His role in rebelling against Britain really didn't begin until about , long after his cousin Sam was really making a difference in public opinion.


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Adams writing was also never impressive, so it can't be said that he was influencing people passively like Thomas Paine. Although he was on the committee with Jefferson for writing the Declaration of Independence, he didn't believe it would be anything that would be remembered.

Adams served as a Diplomat to France, but spent most of his time bickering with Benjamin Franklin, who this author at least believes accomplished much more while overseas. Adams credited himself with the great accomplishment of getting the aid of Holland during the war, but this was done after the Battle of Yorktown, the turning point of the war. He also served as the first vice president, and historians have only found two instances Washington even consulted him. Where he did shine was in outworking any other man in Congress more hours and more committees and in taking most any assignment given to him.

Still after reading this book, it's tough to give him too much credit for most of the things he's famous for. Both are considered negatives historically, but the author here minimized Adams culpability for both. For the prior, the acts were pushed through by a Federalist congress, and Adams only used the Sedition Act which was still bad, prosecuting critics of himself or his party , never the Alien acts deporting citizens that were threats to the country ; for the latter, appointing people of your party is something most people in power will do while they are still able to.

The one great accomplishment of Adams presidency was keeping America out of a war with France while his own party was pushing for one. Adams was wise enough to seek counsel from Washington, and utilize him as needed to prepare for war, but also to depend on diplomacy and time to avoid the conflict. It's likely only Adams or Washington had enough clout in the Federalist party to avoid war in a similar situation. Adams also would spend six months in office and six months back home. Adams was a one term president. Vice President - Thomas Jefferson was Adam's vice president, and once again the officeholder did nothing to assist the sitting president.

This time, the two men were also rivals and of opposite parties. Although the two were friends earlier in life, and reconciled in the end, once again at this point in history they did not have this office figured out. In particular, he went years without seeing his wife or children for his appointments in Europe. Abigail kept the farm running, but I didn't get the feeling it was a happy life for her or the children.

Of the four children that grew to adulthood, 2 became alcoholics, and another had a disastrous marriage that kept her dependent on her family for her entire life. Abigail's most interesting time was basically when she was writing letters to other men while her husband was away. Although the two seemed to settle down together better into old age, this certainly was a romantic marriage to envy, and she did nothing of note while her husband was in the White House.

Most of his time was spent writing letters to his colleagues, and trying to set the record straight with various historians. The author correctly points out that Adams was elevated in popular opinion by his manner of death dying on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, on the same day as Thomas Jefferson. That's a story I've heard for years, and was certainly more interesting than anything else Adams did in his final years.

Book overall - I learned a lot reading this book, which is always a goal. I don't believe Ferling was a big fan of Adams, which transfers onto the reader. Ferling seemed to only put quotes from Adams's writing when it included a spelling or grammatical error, of which I noticed a few in Ferling's own writing which is more of a critique on the editor. The book seemed like a fair interpretation of Adams the man, and you can't ask for much more than that.

If it had also been more entertaining, or generated more passion in either direction I'd have likely given it a five. Mar 03, Diana rated it really liked it. I knew close to nothing about John Adams, so I learned quite a lot from this book. Overall, it was a good biography that mixed the personal with public well. Adams was truly remarkable in his worth ethic and intelligence, and is largely responsible for our USA system of checks and balances in government.

However, he was thin-skinned, obsessed with fame and prestige, and obtained his power at the expense of his family. As usual, one of my favorite things learned from this book is about the women' I knew close to nothing about John Adams, so I learned quite a lot from this book. As usual, one of my favorite things learned from this book is about the women's lives.

His wife lived pretty independently as Adams was gone most of the time, and ran the farm on her own like a boss. Overall - again just stunning what people were willing to sacrifice to establish the USA and work for its sustainability. It's always surprising to see how many times this country may have been smothered in its infancy.

Adams did more than his share to prevent that, despite his many personal failings. This is an excellent biography of John Adams. I read it for the Presidential Biographies challenge and based my selection on Stephen Floyd's recommendation. Adams was not a great man but, as Ferling says, "Adams deserves to rank with Franklin and Jefferson, just beneath Washingon.

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Ferling does a good job of fairly presenting Adams, warts and all. I particularly This is an excellent biography of John Adams. I particularly enjoyed Ferling's "Afterword" which nicely encapsulates John Adams. Apr 17, Olivia rated it really liked it Shelves: Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in John Adams and looking for a more traditional biography as opposed to, perhaps, the McCullough version.

I thought that the first half of the book seemed to drag on and was a bit tedious. Adams grandson Charles Adams Sr. Secretary of State, — U. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, — 1st U. Minister to Prussia, — U. Ambassador to the Netherlands, — Postage stamps Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar.

Profiles in Courage book television series The Adams Chronicles miniseries Mutiny on the Amistad book Amistad film John Adams book miniseries. Louisa Adams wife George W. Adams son Charles Adams Sr. Works of David McCullough. Truman John Adams miniseries Retrieved from " https: Pages to import images to Wikidata.

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