One of the best biographies I have ever read. Learned so much about the Founding Fathers and have a great deal of respect for John Adams. ( )

I found this biography at a thrift store, and thought, oh, I really should know more about this time in our history. I didn't know very much about John Adams -- he is overshadowed by Washington and Jefferson in classroom history. I had some notion that he and his wife Abigail were influential, but that was about it. Well, after reading this book, I now say that John Adams is my new favorite president. Not only was he supremely intelligent, he was courageous and had a towering integrity. He was one of the few of those early founding fathers who was unabashedly opposed to slavery, an attitude he held throughout his life.

His relationship to his wife was a love story for the ages. He held her in the highest esteem, and consulted her on all things. They never failed in their love and respect for each other. She was his match in intelligence and fortitude, and their letters to each other are a treasure. Indeed, all the Adams family letters are amazing. McCullough quotes from them liberally, and it was interesting and touching to learn about their daily cares and griefs, the friendship he held with other people, and the care he lavished on his children and grandchildren. This biography makes him human, flawed and obstinate and sometimes pompous, but also a bulldog for democracy and a patriot in the true sense of the word.

I also enjoyed learning more about the other founding fathers, especially Jefferson. I was already aware of his long-standing and controversial relationship with his slave Sally Hemings, but I didn't know she was only fourteen when she joined him in Paris (shepherding his young daughter from Monticello, across the Atlantic and Europe). Fourteen! And pregnant two years later. This actually made me ill. Jefferson was a brilliant man in many ways, but his character flaws were deep, whereas Adams' flaws were mostly those of temperament and personality.

The actual reading experience of this book was a little slow, because there is so much packed into this 700 page volume. I put it down several times but always picked it up again. This book is not only the story of one man, but also of the birth of a nation and the many complex individuals that were present at the time. It is utterly deserving of the Pulitzer it won. ( )

Very good bio on 2nd President, readable.

A first rate biography, engagingly written and compelling.

McCullough is my favorite biographer, and this book just reinforced that. It's comprehensive and intimate and captures the titular man well. Easy to overlook among the giants Washington, Jefferson, and others, Adams maintains a firm grasp on his place in history and the founding of our country. My one complaint is that Abigail Adams sounded even more fascinating and I found myself wishing the book was about her more than once. ( )