John AdamsThe Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling biography of America’s founding father and second president that was the basis for the acclaimed HBO series, brilliantly told by master historian 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 who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second president of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as “out of his senses”; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history. 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. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - m.belljackson - LibraryThingAlthough the Presidency of John Adams ended as the result of the moral and practical mistake of sponsoring, with the support of Congress and Abigail, the indefensible Alien and Sedition Act, at least ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - MichaelGlenn - LibraryThingI enjoyed the book but it was a slow read for me, except for the last chapter, at which point I felt so comfortable with John Adams that I enjoyed his company. Read full review
Contents
15 | |
True Blue | 78 |
Colossus of Independence | 125 |
Distant Shores | 165 |
CHAPTER FIVE | 228 |
Abigail in Paris | 287 |
INDEPENDENCE FOREVER | 389 |
Statesman | 515 |
CHAPTER ELEVEN | 568 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 653 |
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Common terms and phrases
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Popular passages
Page 41 - ... mastery of the seas; and then the united force of all Europe will not be able to subdue us. The only way to keep us from setting up for ourselves is to disunite us.