John Adams, Vol 2: 1784-1826

by Page Smith

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Genres: Biography, History

596 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Charles Page Smith, who was known by his middle name, was a U.S. historian, professor, author, and newspaper columnist.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Smith graduated with a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College in 1940. He then worked at Camp William James, a center for youth leadership training opened in 1940 by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, a Dartmouth College professor, as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Smith was awarded a Purple Heart for his service as a company commander of the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army during World War II. (wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jdb · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rating, a continuation of the excellence of Volume I

A more personal portrait of Adams and Abigail emerges, with all the flaws a normal human being possesses.

The hero of this volume is Abigail, a modern independent 21st century woman living in the late 18th century. Intelligent and unafraid to express her opinion, supporter of equal rights for the Negro, devoted to her husband and family, farm overseer, family nurturer, and astute political observer, and soother of John when he dropped into moods of pessimism and cynicism. It is doubtful there has ever been a team in the White House to match this couple.

Perhaps the author, Page Smith, was too fond of his subject for he appears to rationalize Adams’ support for the Alien and Sedition Acts. But then almost every biographer ‘likes’ his subject or else he would not have the patience to pour through the records to ferret out the details key to understanding.

This is simply the 2nd best biography I have ever read (and I have read a lot of them !).

Page Smith’s writing is often lyrical and this quote is a good example and excellent summary:

“ Throughout the spring and summer (1818), Abigail and John rode out together whenever the weather was fair, an old man and his wife, bound together by a multitude of things, by love grown into habit and habit graced by love so that the small details of daily life had a sacramental quality about them”

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a much easier read than Volume I, probably because it covered the entirety of JA’s presidency and his final years. At times it still suffered from too much detail just like Volume I. John Adams by McCullough still is the best biography on John Adams, but having read others, this set is a close second and if you are wanting more than a cursory biography, this is for sure for you.

[Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in John Adams, founding fathers or early U.S. history.