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0 of 3 members found this review helpful.Frustrated
“I never received this book. I submitted an inquiry but received no reply. Not at all a good experience.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-11-05.
Please advise.
L. Thomas Fife” -
engrossing history
“Learning about John Adams is to learn about how America came to be and no matter how much things seem to change in politics, they really stay the same. I was enchanted with Abigail Adams, their happy marriage and the enormous sacrifices they made. I aso learned a lot about Thomas Jefferson and how different he was than how I imagined; brillant but yet a man who struggled to just be himself without a lot of fanfare and extravagence. Something John Adams didn't endure. The story of how they both stayed alive as they were dying until they knew it was the 4th of July and hence died the same day was a touching piece of history. ”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-24. -
McCullough a Literary Genious
“Perhaps the best writing of any biography I've read. The ease of moving from the 3rd person to the 1st is so smooth its hardly discernible. The storyline is so interesting and entertaining it reads like a master fiction novelist wrote it. Just spectacular. Even knowing what the facts are, its almost a page-turner wanting to continue reading.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-21.
Truly a masterpiece of writing and prose. The review has to be about the author as the art is in the writing about events and facts which have already occurred.” -
A Tribute to John Adams
“I missed the HBO miniseries, so I had no idea of what to expect in David McCullough's biography of John Adams. I was in a bookstore looking for a book, when this title presented itself in front of me. It is a "hefty" book at 651 pages not including bibliography and notes, though that should not discourage one from reading it. For me, it started a bit slow, but it is not written as a textbook in a dry monotone by any means. McCullough makes Adams come alive in these pages with frequent quotations from letters written by Adams, his wife, Abigail, his sons, daughter, Thomas Jefferson or other of his contemporaries. Cullough is obviously a fan of Adams, which might be a drawback for anyone looking for a more objective review of his life.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-21.
Other reviewers have commented on the completeness of McCullough's biography, so you should be aware of that. I, however, was looking for something to read during my lunch hours. Something not frivolous, but not too weighty; something that I would occupy my mind and through which I might learn a little. After the first couple of chapters, I was hooked.
My favorite Adam's quote: "Her face and heart have no correspondence," written of Hannah Quincy. ” -
One of my favorite biographies of all time.
“I couldn't put this book down. McCullough is a masterful story-teller who made me feel as though I was living alongside John and Abigail Adams, immersed in their place and time. I read somewhere that great books disappear in one's hands - in other words, we are so engrossed in the story that we forget we're reading a book. I had this experience reading McCullough's John Adams. I was moved by the portrayal of this man -- a great man, though certainly an imperfect man -- and how he responded to, and shaped, his world. I was particularly moved by the portrayal of his relationship to Abigail, as well as the way McCullough makes John Adams feel truly 3-dimensional, presenting strengths, weaknesses, and simple facts about his life. Biographies sometimes run the risk of getting caught up in dry details, but this one, though highly informative, never lost the art of telling a story. After reading this, I've become something of an addict for reading all things American Revolution, and it's opened up a world of rich reading, researching, and thinking about the origins of this nation and the people who made it happen.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-21.
