Synopses & Reviews
John Ferling's masterful
John Adams: A Life is the most comprehensive single-volume biography of the man who succeeded George Washington in the presidency and shepherded the fragile new nation through the most dangerous of times. Drawing on extensive research, Ferling depicts a reluctant revolutionary, a leader who was deeply troubled by the warfare that he helped to make, and a fiercely independent statesman.
Review
"This is an outstanding biography; Adams will not have to be redone for this generation."--Harry W. Fritz,
Library Journal (starred review)
"This is a wonderful biography of John Adams--more revealing of his personal qualities than Peter Shaw's The Character of John Adams, more integrative of his public and private life than Page Smith's John Adams. . . . By inserting short sketches of the other leading founders, Ferling places Adams carefully among them and delineates Adams's preeminent contribution as a revolutionist and nation builder."--Ralph Ketcham, American Historical Review
"Substantive, well crafted . . . Ferling's Adams now has claim to the standard biography of its subject."--Richard Alay Rherson, Journal of the Early Republic
"Ferling has produced a dense, rich text and a wealth of information on our second president. In this sprightly book, he succeeds admirably in placing Adams in a context that is both true to his own time and relevant to ours."--Wendell Garrett, New York History
"Better than any other full-scale biography to date, Ferling's book places Adams in the context of his swirling times and makes clear why he deserves our admiration for his political courage and stubborn independence."--Joseph J. Ellis, the New England Quarterly
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [515]-521) and index.
About the Author
John Ferling is the George Washington Distinguished Professor of History at the State University of West Georgia. He has written several acclaimed books on the Revolutionary War period, including
The First of Men: A Life of George Washington.