Product Description
HENRY ADAMS, the founder of the Adams family in America, fled from ecclesiastical oppression in England, and joined the Colony at a very early period, but at what precise time is not recorded. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images from the Cornell University Library Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images from the Cornell University Library Historical Monographs collection. ... Read more

Book Description

A new chapter in John Adams's diplomatic career opened when the Dutch recognized the United States in April 1782. Operating from the recently purchased American legation at The Hague, Adams focused his energies on raising a much needed loan from Dutch bankers and negotiating a Dutch-American commercial treaty. This volume chronicles Adams's efforts to achieve these objectives, but it also provides an unparalleled view of eighteenth-century American diplomacy on the eve of a peace settlement ending the eight-year war of the American Revolution.

John Adams was a shrewd observer of the political and diplomatic world in which he functioned and his comments on events and personalities remain the most candid and revealing of any American in Europe. His correspondence traces the complex negotiations necessary to raise a Dutch loan and throws new light on his conclusion of a treaty of amity and commerce with the Netherlands, achievements of which he was most proud. Events in England and elsewhere in Europe also provided grist for his pen. Would the establishment in July of a new ministry under the earl of Shelburne hinder or advance the cause of peace? That question bedeviled Adams and his correspondents for the fate of the new nation literally rode on its answer. The volume ends with Adams's triumphal departure from The Hague to face new challenges at Paris as one of the American commissioners to negotiate an Anglo-American peace treaty.

Book Description
JOHN ADAMS by John Ferling is part of the American Political Biography Press collection of definitive bigoraphies of the American Presidents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

John Adams: A Life
I will echo what others have written. This book gives almost every detail of John Adams life. It is an outstanding biography that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical books.

A complete look at his life
By the last page of this book you'll feel like you personally know John Adams. You'll know what drove him to succeed, his stregths, his weaknesses, his personality and most everything that can be known about a person.

As a detailed and thorough look at the life of a man, this biography is superb.

John Adams: A Life
This is an excellent biography, following Adams from birth to death in one volume, and detailing both the positive and the negative aspects of the man clearly and fairly. I've been fascinated by Adams ever since seeing the movie "1776", which gives a marvellous "based on fact" dramatization of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this book gave me a more thorough, more strictly factual look at the man. I wasn't disappointed on that score; he's just as interesting without the dramatic liberties taken by the movie.

My only quibble with this book is that the editing, at least in the edition that I have, is rather poor. There are numerous errors in grammatical structure and word choice, the kind of errors that I have become accustomed to in mass market paperbacks but refuse to accept in a scholarly historical work. Things like "he requested that the Congress name his successor be named in his place" and "...the British ... was ready" and "the New England sates" (rather than "States") and "the House of Representative" (even back then, there was more than one representative in the House) and "the dreary weather proved not be a herald of the months ahead" and many others. I understand that mistakes happen, and don't demand perfection. But there are just too many of this kind of error in this book for me to say that it is well-written; probably two dozen, if I had to guess.

Overall, this is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating president. Hopefully, future editions will clean up the writing a bit more.

A great Man, an equally great work on history!
The first book I read about the times surrounding the American Revolution was "John Adams A Life" by John Ferling. It had the effect of tuning me in to the enormous impact the Adams had during that time. David McCullough has written an equally glorious work on the man who many are unaware of his historical relevance. There is no other American - no other patriot- with the exception of George Washington, who did more toward winning the Revolution and establishing our republican form of government than John Adams. I will go on record as saying that I believe Adams impact on the success of the revolution to be unparalleled. Yes, even George Washington's contribution cannot supplant Adams' role in history. Although Washington's work in the battlefield approaches genius, the key to the victory was Adams' diligent and selfless role in bringing the budding nation's leaders together for the common cause. Without his leadership, the likelihood of victory in the war would have been much more difficult for Washington. Although Adams was admittedly overly concerned with his place in history, his actions were selfless and directed to a single noble cause. Adams could very well have authored the Declaration of Independance but deferred to Jefferson as he knew that his value on the floor of the Continental Congress was much more important. His oratory skills were far superior to Jeffersons and they both knew it. Moreover, much of the verbage in the document came from Adams pen. Adams was a man with many personal flaws, but what makes him so interesting to study is his awareness of these flaws and his honesty in his personal documentation. Reading Jefferson's writings on the contrary seem to be made for the public. Jefferson was also one to avoid conflict while Adams had no fear. If the CC was filled with men like Jefferson, the revolution would surely have been relegated to the next generation. It is unfortunate that Jefferson has received more repute than Adams and hopefully books such as these will change this. Adams wrote to his beloved wife Abagail, "Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men". He may have been correct, but this question would not have been decided if not for his leadership. He also wrote "Mausoleums, statues, monuments will never be erected to me". Hopefullly this statement is not correct and the nation will more fully give him his appropraite due.

The definitive work
This book remains the best biography of our second president.Ferling manages to properly place Adams in the top tier of American Presidents, but at the same time recognizing his significant character flaws, including his occasional bouts of "insensibility" and his sometimes embarassing love for pomp and circumstance as when he would wear a sword at ceremonial events as President).

But the bulk of this biography charts the many roles that Adams played -- lawyer, delegate, ambassador, author, Vice-President and President -- and in each role, his decisions seemed to come down on the side of what he thought was right, no matter the personal consequences.His life was courageously lived, and he remains a titan in American history. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Ansel Adams at 100 celebrates the centenary of one of America's best-loved photographers. This superlative catalog of an exhibition organized by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art presents the most dramatic and the most delicate of Adams's formal compositions, from spectacular mountainscapes to grasses on a pond, all reflecting his avowedly religious relationship to nature. Previously unpublished examples of Adams's early images show how he worked through the day, using changing light and different vantage points to interpret a subject. A fascinating comparison of his darkroom techniques is given in two printings of a 1948 negative of Mount McKinley, made in 1949 and 1978 to very different effects, one brooding and luminous, the other crisp and monumental. (The conventional wisdom is to prefer the earlier, but this reviewer loves them both.) The text by John Szarkowski, director emeritus of New York MoMA's photography department, gives biographical details and gracefully places Adams in the history of 20th-century photography and the conservation movement. Impeccable technical standards were a hallmark of Adams's work, and this book follows his tradition. Each black-and-white image is a tritone, meaning that it was printed from three different plates corresponding to different parts of the original photograph's gray scale, resulting in an extremely rich chromatic range. Light really does appear to glisten off a wet rock, and white aspens to glow. The images have been very carefully chosen, each page of a double spread complementing the other. The book's paper is custom-made, it is bound in linen and presented in a linen slipcase, and a complimentary facsimile of one of Adams's icons is included. The whole adds up to a most unusual and pleasing artifact: Ansel Adams at 100 consciously sets out to be the definitive study of a master, and it succeeds. --John StevensonBook Description
Ansel Adams at 100 celebrates the centenary of one of America's best-loved photographers. This superlative catalog of an exhibition organized by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art presents the most dramatic and the most delicate of Adams's formal compositions, from spectacular mountainscapes to grasses on a pond, all reflecting his avowedly religious relationship to nature. Previously unpublished examples of Adams's early images show how he worked through the day, using changing light and different vantage points to interpret a subject. A fascinating comparison of his darkroom techniques is given in two printings of a 1948 negative of Mount McKinley, made in 1949 and 1978 to very different effects, one brooding and luminous, the other crisp and monumental. (The conventional wisdom is to prefer the earlier, but this reviewer loves them both.) The text by John Szarkowski, director emeritus of New York MoMA's photography department, gives biographical details and gracefully places Adams in the history of 20th-century photography and the conservation movement. Impeccable technical standards were a hallmark of Adams's work, and this book follows his tradition. Each black-and-white image is a tritone, meaning that it was printed from three different plates corresponding to different parts of the original photograph's gray scale, resulting in an extremely rich chromatic range. Light really does appear to glisten off a wet rock, and white aspens to glow. The images have been very carefully chosen, each page of a double spread complementing the other. The book's paper is custom-made, it is bound in linen and presented in a linen slipcase, and a complimentary facsimile of one of Adams's icons is included. The whole adds up to a most unusual and pleasing artifact: Ansel Adams at 100 consciously sets out to be the definitive study of a master, and it succeeds. --John Stevenson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Packaging !
Thank you for everything except the weak packaging, Most of the new books received are now in a state just good for a second hand shop !

The Ansel Adams Mystique
A number ofyears ago, I was perambulating through the local Barnes and Noble bookstore.Annie Leibovitz' book Women, which had just been released, was on display.A pair of college-aged girls (i.e., part of the target audience for the book) passed by and one commented to the other: "Oh, this looks interesting," and reached for the book.The other said, "I don't know, like, the only photographer I like is Ansel Adams."As the first girl thumbed through the book, the second reached for a volume of Adams' photos, as though to protest having to see another photographer's work.

I do not relate this anecdote in order to make a direct comparison between Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz. Their work really cannot be compared, as they are representative of two widely divergent genres.What I am getting at is this: The Ansel Adams mystique is overpowering enough to bypass not only reason, but also a cursory glance at other photographers.

Now, among photographers and art enthusiasts "in the know," this would not be an issue.However, for the general public, an almost impenetrable barrier -- rather much akin to the Berlin Wall -- has been erected.Take a poll of the American public.Ask them to name a well-known photographer. When about 90 per-cent of respondents instantly reply "Ansel Adams," wait just a moment. Then ask: "Can you name another?"

That "deer-in --the-headlights" expression that will suddenly come over their faces arises out of fear and embarrassment at being unable to recall the name of any other photographer out there.

It is as though Ansel Adams has sotto voce been billed as "the only photographer who ever lived."My mind returns to the bookstore incident and the pathetic attempt at debate the closed-minded girl tried to initiate. But, how can one debate, when one is totally unaware that there is another side out there? Or, if when made aware, ignores the evidence of her senses and acts as though there is no other side?

This essay is painful for me to write because when I first seriously pursued photography almost 20 years ago, I was deeply inspired by Adams' photographs.Moonrise, Hernandez to me is nothing if not sublime.It is true that -- to those touched by Adams' muse -- his photographs have the power to inspire, to move, to affect deeply.

It is because his images are so powerful that, for the novice or the dilettante, they can preclude the desire to look behind the horizons of Monument Valley or Yosemite. In fact, it is not a stretch to say that Adams' most ardent devotees comprise a cult following. Their monomania for the guy is akin to that of 1960s objectivists, followers of the philosopher Ayn Rand. Both Adams and Rand share a highly charged, stylised and absolutist way of viewing reality.

The Adams mystique is no accident: Since early on in his career, Adams hired a high-rolling public relations firm to market him as the greatest master of photography.Further, he held a deep and abiding personal resentment for photographers whose work he disliked or those he felt were nudging onto his territory.

Consider the strange case of pictorialist William Mortensen:For the f/64 Group, spearheaded by Adams and Museum of Modern Art curators Beaumont and Nancy Newhall, it was not enough merely to disagree philosophically with Mortensen. Granted, the pictorialist school had pretty much run its course, and purists in the mold of Adams and Edward Weston did indeed usher in an exciting new era in photography.

Had they respectfully disagreed, it would have been unlikely that Mortensen would have been forgotten and ignored so during his own lifetime and after his death, for he was something more than just another painterly salon photographer: Mortensen's compositions were steeped in Gothic and Romantic traditions, his subject matter often whimsical, often bizarre, his style a strange combination of Lorenzo de Bernini, Edgar Allan Poe, Man Ray, Salvador Dali and Maxfield Parrish.

In his essay, "Beyond Recall," photographer A.D. Coleman -- who is quite sympathetic to the Adams aesthetic -- presents a scathing indictment of Adams and the Newhalls, and their active campaign to completely shut out Mortensen from the elite artistic inner circles.Adams in particular launched a smear campaign to destroy Mortensen's reputation.He couldn't even bring himself to call him by his rightful name; in conversation, Adams called Mortensen "the Anti-Christ." Mortensen died a broken man.

Even after Mortensen's death, Adams tried to prevent Mortensen's work from being archived at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona. Fortunately for posterity, curator James Enyeart (who, though a friend of Adams) remained objective, and was instrumental in finding a permanent home for Mortensen's artistic legacy.

Because of Adams' spiteful behaviour, little remains of Mortensen's artistic output: Most of his negatives are missing, whereabouts unknown.He also left few notes or letters.No conclusions can be drawn, but it can be strongly inferred that by the time he died, Mortensen felt so irrelevant to the history of photography that he never bothered to leave much behind.

This almost total annihilation of the career and reputation of another photographic artist was carried out ruthlessly and consciously by a man revered by his followers as "Saint Ansel."

Let me go out on a limb here: Ansel Adams is dead. His work stands among the greats. But, he has become a caricature of himself in death as hangers-on exaggerate his importance by turning him into a sort of a demigod. Yet, this was done with his consent and wholehearted approval.

Strangely, Adams once penned the following:

In the past photography has been largely plagued by imitation, apology, and pompous defensiveness.The "salonist" continues the sham of the turn of the century.The photo-journalists (some, not all!) are "non-art" people, turning to the factual experiences of life as their anchor to reality.The advanced subjectivists reject the world and develop inner awareness -- of their inner beings....But there are, fortunately, a growing number of men and women who practice photography at a fully adult level.

Having winnowed down what defines "photography at a fully adult level" to a select few photographers who avoid such implied juvenile genres as pictorialism ("Salonists" need not apply) and photojournalism (most, not some successful enough to need Adams' cherished imprimatur!), Adams yet has enough gall to write:

The art of photography is the art of "seeing."....People are afraid to admit they "see" something all on their own.They are constantly making comparisons.This is a phenomenon of the Virtuoso Age; the few extraordinary craftsmen -- and sometimes creative artists -- stand clear and aloof, terrorizing the lesser gifted but nevertheless highly expressive individual.We need a return to the spirit of the madrigals, of the communal participation and joy of creating beauty in every form.True, "the perfect is the enemy of the good"; complete perfection can lead to total extinction.But the good has to be good.

That is on paper.In practice, we've already witnessed how Adams terrorized "the lesser gifted but highly expressive individual."But, let us do some "reading between the lines" here, for Adams is hardly making the case for artistic individualism; Far from it, he is making a pitch for artistic leveling.

Despite making the claim that "Most great photographers violate `pictorial rules,'" Adams prescribed a wholly regimented process of "pre-visualization," which -- when coupled with the pretzel-logic of "zone system" exposure -- actually makes for technically stunning, but aesthetically anemic, prints.(Can you imagine Robert Frank having shot The Americans employing the zone system?)

Both Adams and Weston the Elder created this rigid and stifling atmosphere for "keeping the tradition alive" with their Yosemite workshops.The workshop circuit is the Amway multi-level-marketing-pyramid of the art world.Unimaginative sycophants can learn how to photograph nature and employ the secrets of the Zone system in the kind of "communal participation" only the well-heeled can afford.These "madrigals" create carbon copies of Adams' masterpieces under the tutelage of Adams' aesthetic heirs.

The singular quality that strikes the viewer about Adams' work is simplicity; take a long look at Clearing Winter Storm.Adams' work at least had soul."A return to the spirit of the madrigals, of the communal participation" instead becomes conformity, fawning and outright imitation, when people submerge all individuality in order to become the "next" Ansel Adams.

But, even that cannot be done: Of all the work I've seen of John Sexton, Jeff Nixon, Patrick Jablonski, Jeffrey Conley or Alan Ross at www.anseladams.com, all of it is technically marvelous.But, their work doesn't have that intangible genuineness (and in what Adams did, I don't question his sincerity to his subject matter).To me, they are just going through the motions.It is as though they "are afraid to admit they `see' something all on their own," to borrow a phrase.

The difference between Adams and his progeny is the same difference between spring water fresh from the well and distilled water; the former may have some minerals, and even the taste of rust and sulfur, but you know you're drinking something whole, despite its impurities.The latter is so pure that it's flavourless, without any character whatever.The perfect may be the enemy of the good, but at least the money's good.

By deifying Adams, his followers are actually making mockery of him in death, promoting the corpse of his work like Lenin's Tomb as envisioned by Charles Addams.By turning him into an icon, they have proscribed future iconoclasms.

The Ansel Adams centenary came and went recently with all the attendant hoopla and fanfare one would expect from his acolytes and disciples: PBS aired a hagiography, museums and galleries recycled his prints in commemorative exhibitions and Bulfinch released Ansel Adams at 100, a ridiculously oversized book, ceremoniously ensconced in its own protective linen slipcase.Strangely, the Sierra Club -- his old ecological haunt -- was silent about this excessive slaughter of precious trees.

Curiously, this very next year we now find ourselves at the tail end of the Walker Evans centennial. As he lived his life, so is Evans being celebrated in his death: Rather quietly. No media blitz. But there is a retrospective exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, curated by Alex Harris, who photographed the seminal work on Northern New Mexico life, Red, White and Blue, God Bless You.

Then again, take a look at those photographers (Harris included) who were influenced by Evans. From Diane Arbus, Robert Frank and Lee Friedlander, to Louis Faurer, Garry Winogrand and Wim Wenders, you will find a rather diverse lot who took Evans as a starting point and branched off in their own, unique, directions.

Because Evans was sui generis, and an individualist to boot, his "followers" were only such in the loosest sense of the term. Evans encouraged not proficient mimicry of his work, but kept an eye out for refined taste and an independent streak.

Consider even the work of William Christianberry, the one photographer who went out and mounted his tripod in the same rough hewn Alabama soil visited by Evans almost 40 years before: Christianberry's work is strictly homage; an almost purely social document, Christianberry made no pretence of overwhelming profundity, whether under the spell of Zone or Zen.

I wish that aspiring photographers' introduction to Ansel Adams be similar to that of a Japanese photography assistant I once employed. She had seen little of Adams' work prior my lending her Ansel Adams in Color.Her words regarding it were "he takes pleasant photographs of pretty subjects in nature."I later introduced her to Adams' black-and-white "greatest hits" that Little, Brown, also published.Her assessment: "His compositions are generally conventional, but not novel.But, with a red filter while shooting and many darkroom methods and formulas, he uses technique to bring drama to his prints."

Ditto. It was refreshing to hear this opinion of Adams, because my friend did not have the yoke of artistic correctness hanging about her neck to remind her to speak of Adams in reverent, hushed, tones. To her, he simply a very good artist and great technician. He ranks somewhat higher in my own estimation as a great artist and a peerless technician.

If understanding art in general, and photography in particular, is about seeing, then my friend saw -- unaided -- something in Ansel Adams' photography that eludes the eyes of so many here in the New World.What she saw was context.

She saw Ansel Adams' work for what it was, no more, no less.And, unaware of the bulk of legend built up around him during his own lifetime -- and especially since his passing -- my friend was more able than most to assess him objectively.Further, she was able to place Adams' work within its own genre, just as valid as and just as distinct from other genres.She considered his photographs at no more or less "fully adult level" of photography than Weegee, William Mortensen, Shoji Ueda, or Walker Evans.That is, she was "fully adult" enough not to buy into the alluring trap of buying wholesale into one school of thought at the expense of all others.Hers was a more sophisticated, eclectic, view that eschewed the easy dogmatism of the likes of Ansel Adams and his more rabid successors.I'm sure that if she met him today, she'd see him not as "Saint Ansel," but just plain "Mr. Adams."

This, I think, is the proper perspective necessary for an honest appraisal of Ansel Adams' oeuvre.

Beautiful book
This is a really beautiful book; everything from the cloth-lined box, the
paper, the printwork is a pleasure to hold and to view.It is hefty, well
made and feels like a book one should open with gloved hands, so as not
to spoil it.

John Szarkowski has written a short, but fine introduction to the life and
work of Ansel Adams, which I enjoyed much.

There are some 115 plates of photographs, some are quite small, as the
plates are scaled to the original size, many cover the full large format
page.

I am of two minds whether the small prints are better as they are, or
whether I would have enjoyed them more, blown up to the maximum size
allowed by the page.

I have seen most of these photos before, as I became aware of Adams's
photos in the eighties, and have obtained some other books of his.
Nevertheless, I do not regret having added this volume to my library.
The prints are better quality than the ones I already have.

The hardcover is good but the softcover is much better!
Hardcover - 3 stars
Softcover - 5 stars

I am a little dissapointed in the hardcover version.Some prints seem vague and a few with ink offset problems.Overall, the prints look quite low in contrast.I've seen AA's original prints, including the exact AA at 100 exhibit, and find the low contrast hard to accept.If you are interested in this book, the softcover version is a lot better, almost flawless - a true must-have for AA fans.Yes the print size is smaller than those in the hardcover, but the price is also smaller.It's interesting to notice that the softcover is printed in Germany while the hardcover I saw is in the US.

A pioneer of photography and art
Ansel Adams at 100 by John Szarkowski is a beautiful collection of Adam's finest work. The first fifth of this 191 page book contains a bibliography about Ansel Adams. I was able to read about the trials and tribulations of Adams' family issues, life, and his discovery of his passion for photography. It was in this book that I found out where Adams' passion began - Yosemite National Park. Though, after viewing the book, the audience would probably acknowledge that Adams had a secret love for Yosemite by the plentiful photographs of the historical national park.

This book reminds me of the beauty in nature. Adams took the simplest objects, "grass and water" and makes it into a work of art. The lighting, contrast, and angles makes simple objects shine. Also, the different photograph on each page harmonizes one another. I like the way Szarkowski strategically placed certain photographs together to enhance the effectiveness of the book. Furthermore, the quality of the photographs is remarkable. The photographs are amazingly crisp and each page appears to possess the quality of an original photograph. This is a great book for anyone who appreciates the beauty of nature.
... Read more

Book Description
The administration of John Adams was a period of rapid change, internal discord, and the continual threat of war. Few of the nation's chief executives have been subjected to such immediate and ever-present danger of foreign involvement and national destruction, to such bitter animosities and serious cleavages within their administrations, or to such constant need for decision making as was John Adams. In the face of such adversity Adams successfully pursued a policy of neutrality and consiliation and, in so doing, provided time for the country to grow strong and to prosper. Yet, despite the seriousness of the country's problems and the contributions of his administration, he is seldom designated as one of the great American presidents.

In this volume, Ralph Adams Brown presents a new evaluation of John Adams and of his four years in the presidency. The portrait drawn by Adams's enemies disappears and the second president emerges as a world citizen whose insight, judgment, and perseverance held the young nation together in a critical period. Brown focuses closely on the most significant aspect of Adams's presidency, foreign affairs. He examines the country's increasing concern with matters of defense and Adams's successful efforts to evade foreign entanglements.

Describing the vicious personal attacks to which Adams was subjected, and the devious and disloyal maneuvers of his cabinet members, Brown traces Adams's difficulties with Timothy Pickering, James McHenry, Oliver Wolcott, Jr., Alexander Hamilton, and others. He documents Adams's steadfastness to his ideals and principles, despite the hostility, exaggerated accusations, and perfidy that surrounded him.

This book is part of the American Presidency Series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Displays John Adams as he really was, a great president
All U.S. presidents must confront and solve problems, some more unique than others.There are a few whose difficulties are unprecedented and will never recur again. John Adams was such a president and his effectiveness as a chief executive is often underestimated. When he took the oath of office, the nation was still young and in many ways not yet a nation. Regional differences, which sixty years later would explode into civil war, were powerful and could have led to a similar event during his administration. The governmental structure was idealistic, novel and untested. There were many who felt that it was unworkable, and with minimal communication infrastructure, it was difficult for the central government to project its' power quickly and effectively.
The framers of this government were highly talented, ambitious men, who were now faced with the task of governing. As history has shown us so many times, the talented revolutionary is often mediocre at governing. Political parties began to form and like all births, involved a great deal of fits and starts. George Washington commanded such respect that no one could reasonably hope to challenge his authority, and yet he was wore down by the political battles. Succeeding such a towering figure would have been difficult for anyone. Europe was also currently engaged in a general war as a consequence of the revolution in France, and there were strong forces driving the United States towards involvement.
Into this horrendous mix of conflicting forces, John Adams became president. There is no question that the crises he faced rank in the top five of all presidents. Forced to face and solve these problems, he performed admirably. There is no more telling measures of his success in that he angered many in both parties and one of his strongest enemies, Thomas Jefferson, continued his policies when he succeeded Adams.
Brown does an outstanding job of describing these circumstances, for without this knowledge it is impossible to understand how successful Adams was. He also describes many of the details of John Adams' relationship with his wife Abigail. Although the times dictated that women play secondary roles in society, it is clear that many women wielded substantial power behind the scenes, if only to provide the strength for her husband to do what was right. After reading this book, you cannot help but be impressed with the power and intelligence of Abigail Adams, one of the most talented first spouses that this country has ever had.
This book serves a necessary and overdue purpose. It shows John Adams as more than just an adequate successor to Washington, but as a president who stood firm and always placed the interests of the nation first. He was a great man, showing that many of the men who made the American revolution were also, and perhaps even more skilled, at making and executing a government. I will forever be in awe of their political genius. ... Read more

Book Description
Historians have not been generous in judging the presidency of John Quincy Adams. Those who have most conspicuously upheld Adams's fame have, at the same time, virtually ignored his service in the White House. Critics, on the other hand, have described his administration as a failure, founded upon "bargain and corruption" and marked by exclusion of the United States from the British West Indian trade, the ineffectiveness of its efforts to promote strong Pan-American relationships, and the enactment of the "tariff of abominations." Some analysts have even argued that it generated the sectionalism which terminated the "Era of Good Feelings."

Mary Hargreaves contends, instead, that the basic effort of Adams's presidency was to harmonize divergent sectional interests. To ignore the Adams administration's commitment to nationalism, she argues, is to overlook a fundamental stage in the establishment of the federal government as guardian of the general interest.

The volume contains new information on the development of United States commercial policy, the nation's early relationships with Latin America, and difficulties of local and regional adjustment to the growth of the national economy. It will be of keen interest to all students of the economic and political history of the early national period.

This book is part of the American Presidency Series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too much detail clouds the main issues
There have been two instances of a father and son both achieving the presidency of the United States and there is a common characteristic. In each case one of the two had a distinguished history of public service that would indicate excellent preparation for the rigors of being president. However, both of those men served only one term, voted down amid lackluster support even among those who were their natural political allies.
George Bush senior was a combat aviator in world war two, served in congress, was head of the CIA and was vice president for eight years. And yet, his presidency is generally considered to have been more of a caretaker administration than anything else. He came dangerously close to coming in third in the election where he was defeated by Bill Clinton. John Quincy Adams served his nation well as an ambassador to Europe during some of the most troubling early years of the nation. A distinguished public figure in many other ways, it certainly appeared that he was well prepared for the presidency. However, his administration was also rather lackluster and it too has the appearance of a caretaker government.
Despite the relative lack of major events during the four years of the John Quincy Adams administration, Hargreaves manages to fill 323 pages. This attention to excruciating detail makes the book difficult to read and it is by far the least interesting of the eight books in the American presidency series that I have read. To put this into perspective, the eight years of the Andrew Jackson presidency are summarized in 277 pages and the four years of the Van Buren administration in 211. Detailed explanations of minor legislative debates and the personal relationships between the principles are presented to the point that they just become tedious.
All of this in unfortunate, because John Quincy Adams was a very interesting man who tried to uphold the principles of democracy as he saw them. The problem of course was that the nation was changing. He was the last president with roots to the old statesman/gentleman mold of men that created the nation and the constitution. Adams was constantly fighting the populist movement of Andrew Jackson, with the appeal to the masses that was so different from the presidential politics that had come before. This point is mentioned in the book, but unfortunately all the detail tends to bury it.
The presidency of John Quincy Adams marks a turning point in the history of the United States. After him, presidents were elected by political campaigns with mass appeal rather than the collective will of a relatively small number of people. Furthermore, they were no longer chosen from a group of aristocratic gentleman, as rough hewn self-made men were now viable candidates. This point is made in the book, but not as well as it should and certainly not as precisely as it could have been. ... Read more

Book Description
Introduction by John Szarkowski Essay by James AlinderIn the last years of his life Ansel Adams selected the seventy-five images that he believed represented the finest examples ofthe quality and breadth of his artistic legacy. Those images he designated for exhibition throughout the country as "The Museum Set" and published in this essential volume:Classic Images.Classic Imagesincludes many of Adams' most famous and best-loved photographs and encompasses the full scope of his work: elegant details of nature, architectural studies, portraits, and the breathtaking landscapes for which he is revered. The latter range from his beloved Yosemite to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Northwest.The portfolio is preceded by an eloquent introduction by John Szarkowski, former Director of the Department of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art. An authoritative biographical essay- and a detailed chronology - by James Alinder further establish Classic Imagesas required reading for a full understanding of Adams' development as apre-eminent American artist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Gave it as a gift
I gave it as a gift to a friend of mine who loves nature photography.He loved it.

Nice Reproductions
Ansel Adams: Classic Images

This book provides high quality representations of Ansel Adams' photography inexamples of 75 of his best images. The text, written by James Alinder along with a preface by John Szarkowski, portrays the story of Adams' life and his philosophy regarding art and existence. The text starts the reader off at his birth and takes you through Adams' childhood and the decisions he makes as he searches for an outlet for his creativity and a strong career path. Having also been a professional pianist, Adams' later discovers his passion for photography and nature, and spends the rest of his life a successful artist and activist.
This book takes you through major events in his life and references prints in the book to give visual examples of his ever-evolving photographic style. I would definitely recommend this book, if not as a successful biography, but as a stage for some beautiful, high quality reproductions of Adams' work.

A fantastic Collection
This collection can be seen at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona, through July 7, 2002. This book is the catalogue of the exibition! If you like the book you should see the originals! They will blow you away.

An exquisite collection!
This is a wonderful book filled with breathtaking photographs taken by the late and well-respected Ansel Adams. Each of the photographs contained is a unique masterpiece with a life of its own. Looking at these splendid photographs, one feels drawn right in to the specific location and year. Some of my favorites include, "The Golden Gate Before the Bridge" (1932), "Barn, Cape Cod, Massachusetts" (ca. 1937), "Clearing Storm, Sonoma County Hills, California" (1951) and "Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona" (1942). This book will definitely hold your attention and keep you captivated if not mesmerized. With so many minute and beautiful details in these photographs, it's easy to see why Ansel Adams was one of the most respected and popular photographers of our time. He didn't just take a picture; he ceased moments in time and captured the beauty of the subjects being photographed. This is an excellent book that will make a fine addition to any library. This book would make a great gift for photographers and art connoisseurs alike!

Great Images Reproduced in Tiny Sizes Spoil The Effects
Ansel Adams was very concerned that his work always be reproduced in a high quality way.I fear that he gave too much attention to fidelity of reproduction, and not enough to size of image in the reproduction.This otherwise valuable book is seriously marred by the designer having chosen page and print sizes much too small for Adams' work.I suggest you avoid this book.

I would like to compliment James Alinder on an outstanding biographical essay concerning Adams' life and photographic techniques.This essay will add useful knowledge to anyone who wants to better understand Adams' work and life, and their effects on us all.I would also like to compliment the selection of the images.These are clearly among Adams' best work.

Adams' technique used the very stark light of dawn and dusk to create vivid detail that echoed across the image from figure to figure.The result was to help the eye capture the connectedness of nature, the oneness of creation.So when the details become too small, it is like rubbing out whole chapters in a book.I was very disappointed in the publishing decision for this book's page size.In fact, only one of my favorite images still held most of its power for me in these large postcard sizes, Moon with Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960.

Without Mr. Alinder's essay, I would have graded this book as a two star effort.

Some of the lesser works which have less fine detail still show well.Here were my favorites of this small-sized collection:

Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, Utah, 1958

Monlith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite, 1927

Winnowing Grain, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1928

Rock and Grass, Moraine Lake, Sequoia National Park, 1982

Georgia O'Keefe and Orville Cox, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1937

Mormon Temple, Manti, Utah, 1948

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941

White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Monument Valley, 1958

Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach, California, 1967

Sand Dunes, Oceano, California, 1950

If you are like me and love Ansel Adams' work, I suggest you look into Ansel Adams, The American Wilderness, which does feature large enough reproductions.

Sometimes we learn more from mistakes than from successes.Where are your efforts being undertaken on too small a scale to be fully effective?What can you do to change that?

Enjoy the beauty of nature in its full scale brilliance (outdoors and in larger-sized photographic books)! ... Read more

Book Description
Regnery has produced the most comprehensive one-volume collection of John Adams' political writings ever published. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Adams, Patriot Sage and the "American Burke"
Pretentious, pugnacious in his temperament, possessed of a sense of nobility, John Adams was the quintessential Yankee and the Second President of the United States. This collection of his most famous political treatises and his correspondence is most appealing.With a keen intellect, his statesmanship is penetrating and has earned him recognition as the American Burke. Adams was prescient in his understanding of human nature, recognizing that "[s]elf-interest, private avidity, ambition, and avarice, will exist in every state of society, and under every form of government. A succession of powers and persons, by frequent elections, will not lessen these passions in any case, in a governor, senator, or representative, nor will the apprehension of an approaching election restrain them from indulgence if they have the power." Reconciling a flawed nature with man's yearning for liberty was no small task, but he suggested that ordered liberty could be fortified through a mixed constitution: "The nation which will not adopt equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism. There is no alternative. Rivalries must be controlled, or they will throw all things into confusion; and there is nothing but despotism or a balance of power which can control them." Adams surmised that the great work of those statesmen at the Convention was to fortify the British inheritance which was itself a mixed constitution while giving it a strong measure of steadiness and permanence by edifice in the Constitution. In Adams' summation, the licentious nature of democracy was to be quelled by establishing a proper equilibrium with the natural aristocratic and monarchial elements. This was requisite for a free government and history demonstrated that a lack of balance sputters off into despotism. Adams was keenly aware of the fragility of the American experiment in ordered liberty, and he shunned quixotic ideologues. He was utterly cynical of Enlightenment views which held the perfectibility of mankind as tenable, and he saw innumerable odds posed against ordered liberty. It is not surprising that John Adam's political theory perhaps has been glossed over by the egalitarian-minded historians of our day, because he rejected the major ideological assumptions fueling the French Revolution. He was keenly appreciative of the Anglo-American common law tradition and the vibrant interplay of cultures that shaped the distinctively American political tradition.

"Few men will deny that there is a natural aristocracy of virtues and talents in every nation and in every part, in every city and village. Inequalities are a part of the natural history of man," avowed John Adams. In stark opposition to the heresy of equality, Adams postulated a natural aristocracy of talent that was innate to all men gathered in association. Adams realised that man would be lead by his better man, but this natural aristocracy (i.e. rule by the best) was not something to be imposed upon civil society, but was essentially meritocratic and again natural. While it is clear that Adams was no egalitarian leveler, he also favored a free economy and possessed not an iota of Hamiltonian traits. In fact, he reserved personal scorn for the man when he derided him as a "bastard brat of a Scottish peddler." Adams disdained large scale, materialistic schemes to augment a nation's wealth. And on the contrary Adams thought that fostering the personal economic independence of every citizen was necessary for the betterment of the republic.The political order was to serve the people and civil society at large, not some hodgepodge fiduciary elite of speculators and financiers. Indeed, the long-term stability of a republic weighed heavily on a secured, landed populace-in the eyes of John Adams. And that idea was not only enmeshed in the minds of southerners, but temperate New Englanders like Adams as well.

Adams was the foremost advocate of religious moors as a buttress of public stability and virtue. "Statesmen... may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand." A great measure of public virtue was deemed requisite for a free government and prosperous civil society. Adams rhetorically inquired, "Have you ever found in history one single example of a nation thoroughly corrupted, that was afterwards restored to virtue? And without virtue, there can be no political liberty."

In my estimation, studying the political theory of John Adams is requisite for serious study of the American founding. Too often shoddy partisan scholarship casts the founding era as one big standoff between those of a austere Jeffersonian or Hamiltonian persuasion. Hamilton's allies within his own party were few, and it imploded after 1800 and many in Jeffersonian camp considered its name bearer to be the compromiser. Reductionist scholarship accentuates the aforesaid personal struggle of minds and also deemphasizes the common ground the founding fathers had. Despite John Adams' influential showing during the early years of the Republic, his political thought has been overlooked especially in contrast to the cult following behind Hamilton, Madison and Jefferson. ... Read more

Product Description
Edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1913 edition by the Macmillan Company, New York. ... Read more