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In this fresh and illuminating biography, Fred Kaplan brings into focus the dramatic life of John Quincy Adams—the little-known and much-misunderstood sixth president of the United States and the first son of John and Abigail Adams—and reveals how Adams' inspiring, progressive vision guided his life and helped shape the course of America.
Kaplan draws on a trove of unpublished archival material to trace Adams' evolution from his childhood during the Revolutionary War to his brilliant years as Secretary of State to his time in the White House and beyond. He examines Adams' myriad sides: the public and private man, the statesman and writer, the wise thinker and passionate advocate, the leading abolitionist and fervent federalist who believed strongly in both individual liberty and the government's role as an engine of progress and prosperity. In these ways—and in his energy, empathy, sharp intellect, and powerful gift with words both spoken and written—Adams was a predecessor of Lincoln and, later, FDR and Obama. Indeed, this sweeping biography, rich in literary analysis and historical detail, makes clear how Adams' forward-thinking values, his definition of leadership, and his vision for the nation's future is as much about twenty-first-century America as it is about Adams' own time.
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, John Quincy Adams paints a rich portrait of this brilliant leader and his vision for a young nation.
Anonymous
Posted Sat May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Another book about J Quincy Adams and why? Comparing him to progressive presidents
FDR and OBama is enough to float this book into the circles of supposed intellects.
Please publish a bio once and a while and leave the progressive stamp out please.
4 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jfk1942
Posted Wed Sep 17 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Fred Kaplan has written an excellent bio on John Quincy Adams. Even though technically he is not a Founding Father, he served in the administrations of all the first 4 Presidents. His time in Congress after he was President was very interesting. If you are interested in the early history of the United States this book is a must read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EBucknerEB
Posted Thu Aug 21 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I've barely started this book--read the Intro and several sections scattered throughout--but I've read enough already to know I'm going to enjoy it. Although I'm a progressive Democrat by inclination, Kaplan deftly shows the reader that a "Republican" (the party had not yet been organized in John Quincy Adams' day, but he was a member of the party that helped give rise to the Republicans, a party Lincoln was also active in, of those days was very different from a 2014 Republican.
Kaplan writes with real flair and is plainly a big fan of JQA, and he seems poised to turn me into a fan as well. I knew already that JQA was the only US President to serve after his presidency as a Congressman, and I knew something of his role in the famous Amistad anti-slavery case. But I didn't know he--JQA--was such a literate writer himself or such an interesting person. My preliminary evaluation--could be revised after I read the book, but I doubt it--is that this is well worth reading.
Anonymous
Posted Mon Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2014
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Overview
In this fresh and illuminating biography, Fred Kaplan brings into focus the dramatic life of John Quincy Adams—the little-known and much-misunderstood sixth president of the United States and the first son of John and Abigail Adams—and reveals how Adams' inspiring, progressive vision guided his life and helped shape the course of America.
Kaplan draws on a trove of unpublished archival material to trace Adams' evolution from his childhood during the Revolutionary War to his ...