Adams on Adams

by Paul M. Zall (Editor)

After more than two hundred years in the shadows of Washington and Jefferson, John Adams enjoys fame as one of our top presidents. Of unprepossessing appearance and feisty temperament, he expressed his personal feelings in copious correspondence and public documents along with two unfinished autobiographies.

Paul M. Zall draws from Adams's own letters, diaries, notes and autobiographies to create a fresh portrait. Adams's writings, both public and private, trace his rise from country lawyer to the nation's highest office by the sheer force of his personality. Lacking the advantages of money, connections, class, or patronage, Adams used "the severest and most incessant labor" to promote American independence.

Zall's commentary illuminates Adams's words, focusing on how Adams's inner strengths―in conflict with a sense of inferiority and an obsession with fame―helped win government under law at home and national respect abroad. Borne along by an irresistible sense of Spartan duty and refusing to compromise high principles for cheap popularity, he sacrificed family, fortune, and even fame. In Adams on Adams we are at last able to hear Adams describe his extraordinary journey in his own words.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2004

Reviews

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess up front: I have a bit of a crush on John Adams. He was a man of almost prohibitively strong principles, to which he would stick no matter the pain or criticism he endured. He also had an immense ego, of which he seemed mostly unconscious -- he was concerned with how he would be viewed by history, but at the same time he never swayed from what he thought was right just so that he could be popular or adored. His passion, dedication, and above all his desire to do the right thing for his country mark him as a character worth emulating. He is certainly my favorite of the founding fathers.

This book compiles excerpts from his journal and other writings to tell, as closely as may be, the tale of his journey, struggles, and accomplishments in his own words. It is delightful reading, providing a vivid portrait of the man from inside his own head, with all the caveats and fallibilities that implies. John Adams emerges as a real person, torn between his affection for his family and his duties to the state --- and in almost every case, setting aside personal desires in pursuit of what the country needed most.

As a side note, I was particularly delighted to spot in this book familiar passages from the musical "1776" -- the writers of that production clearly had borrowed from Adams's own writings! (And maybe the other major players, for all I know!) What fun.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book at only 4 stars because it was so quick to read. But really, in all fairness, it is also once of its strong qualities. Where as some would read McCulloch's tome, most would not. Many of the small details of JA's life blossom into reflection points. This was a guy, who, on the trip for his inauguration (all the way from Boston) , SHARED the horse with another .... (ie walked 1/2 the way) and when he got there,. released them for return home (the need for the horse was greater at home) No private corporate jets nor AFOne

So, quick good read, smallish book.