Book Description
A rare jewel has been discovered in the oeuvre of Ansel Adams.SIERRA NEVADA: THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL, originally published in an edition of only 500 copies in 1938, is an extraordinary publication in many respects. Adams, at the age of 36, was commissioned to prepare a book of his photographs taken along the world-famous John Muir Trail as a tribute to Pete Starr, a young American mountaineer (and son of a Sierra Club president) killed in a climbing accident. Composed of 50 photographs of the Sierra Nevada--many never published again--the book is an exquisite portrait of the mountain world of the High Sierra in California. When first published, it set a new standard for fine photographic reproduction in book form. Little, Brown takes great pride in announcing a new edition of this magnificent book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lives up to the original
The original version of this book was published in 1938 in a limited edition of only 500 copies.Ansel's other well known work of this early period include his portfolio entitled Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (1927) and his other early books include Taos Pueblo (published in a limited edition of about 100 copies around 1930), and the relatively common instructional book "Making a Photograph" (1935).I have seen all of these works in their originalform and was grateful to see this book reprinted making it accessable to modern Ansel Adams fans of modest means such as myself.

Ansel's printing style changed over the course of his life.For instance, the Monolith (face of Half Dome) print included with the Parmelian Prints looks completely different than the much more familiar and frequently reproduced prints from this negative made in the 1970s.Several other examples can be found of this change in printing style.Most books currently on the market and prints that are frequently shown focus on the dramatic Wagnerian style of printing Ansel adopted in his later years.Modern Ansel Adams publications which seem to include several new books every year focus on already well known images as Ansel printed them in the final decades of his life.This book is refreshing in that focuses on Ansel's early images and printing style.The book is also focused on the John Muir trail rather than being a "greatest hits" collection.

Printing technology has also changed and improved a lot since the original version of the book was published in 1938, and his improved significantly even since 1984 when Ansel died.Of course not every book is printed with the best technology of an era.I have not seen original prints of all of many of the images reproduced in this book, but I believe the printing to in the spirit of this era and to the original edition.

Plate #49 in the book, "Lake and cliffs, Kaweah Gap" has been reproduced in several other books as "Frozen Lake and Cliffs" including as plate XIII in the 1935 "Making a Photograph" and on page 10 of the 1983 printing of "Examples the Making of 40 photographs."I have taken the opportunity to compare these three reproductions side by side.The 1935 reproduction is clearly the worst of the three to my eye - likely because of the printing technology of that era.The 1983 book and the current book are much closer. The blacks are deeper in this book.There is more constrast in the cliff in the current "John Muir Trial" reproduction at the expense of a slight amount of shadow detail which is present in the "Examples" book.In "Examples" Ansel mentions that the negative was processed in nearly exhausted developer and lacks density in the shadows making it difficult to print.He goes on to say in "Examples" (which he wrote in the early 1980s), that it was "Only within the past year or so have I been able to get a nearly satisfactory print..."This implies to me that the loss of shadow detail in the John Muir Trail reproduction of this image is due to the way Ansel printed this image in that era and not due to the quality of printing in the book as another reviewer suggested.

This is one of the few books currently available which focuses on Ansel's early photography career, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a serious interest in his work.Having seen and read the 1938 edition, I believe this new printing does justice to the original as well as makes this body of work accessible to the current generation Ansel Adams enthusiasts.

A book of so-so quality for AA's gem prints
It is always told that AA put enormous energy and care in producing his 1938 edition of "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail", originally published in only 500 copies and a fine art book of highest quality at the time.

I never saw a copy of the origional edition and my comment is purely on what I see in this 2006 standard edition. I don't know how this book is made from the original edition. It says tri-tone but the printing quality is so-so. Some images are a little vague, some losing details in shadow or highlight. The book is pale in compasrison with some great AA books published by Bulfinch in the past, such as "California" or "Yosemite and the High Sierra". You can find some images from this book in other AA books and in better quality. Overall, it would make AA uneasy to stamp his famous AA Authorized Edition to the book. If it were not for its historical value, I'd skip this book.

Now Bulfinch also offers a 2006 deluxe edition at $1,200. Again I haven't seen a copy but perhaps the pricier version can live up to the standard of the original edition.

The trend looks a little worrisome recently in AA books pulished by Bulfinch. The printing quality goes down from "California (1997)" to "Ansel Adams at 100 (hardcover 2001)". "Trees (2004)" rebounds just a little but "Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail (2006)" is a little disappointing. I would hope the next AA book by Bulfinch can rejuvenate the printing quality, even if doing so means a higher price tag.
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Book Description
In addition to being an uncompromising defender of liberty, esteemed diplomat, and successor to George Washington, John Adams was a passionate and prolific writer. Adams biographer John Patrick Diggins gathers an impressive variety of his works in this compact, original volume, including parts of his diary and autobiography, and selections from his rich correspondence with this wife, Abigail, Thomas Jefferson, and others. The Portable John Adams also features his most important political works: “A Dissertation on Canon and Feudal Law,” “Thoughts on Government,” “A Defense of Constitutions,” “Novanglus,” and “Discources in Davila.” There is no finer introduction to the protean genius of this seminal American philosopher. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hard to read, not what I expected.
This was so hard to read I didn't finish it.Was expecting more of a biography than a collection of letters.

The greatness of a founding father
Adams was in my American childhood a neglected founding father. Washington was the father of the nation, and Jefferson the great author of the 'Declaration of Independence'maker of the Louisiana Purchase, Madison the great author of the Federalist, Monroe the enunciator of the doctrine which determined US attitudes to the whole of the Americas. But in recent years there has been a great interest in the work of Adams including the outstanding award-winning biography of David MacCullough.
I have read only bits of Adams, and sense a great intelligence, organization of mind, firm conviction of democratic principle. There is a sense with him as with almost all the founding fathers of their having been somehow on a higher level than our present political leaders.
I do not know how much time non- scholarly readers will wish to an Adams volume but there is outstanding political writing here, and aselection of his remarkable correspondence.
Just to give a taste of his language and democratic principles I quote a snippet of his Inaugural Address in 1797.

"For it is the people only that are represented. It is their power and majesty that is reflected, and only for their good, in every legitimate government, under whatever form it may appear. The existence of such a government as ours for any length of time is a full proof of a general dissemination of knowledge and virtue throughout the whole body of the people. And what object or consideration more pleasing than this can be presented to the human mind? If national pride is ever justifiable or excusable it is when it springs, not from power or riches, grandeur or glory, but from conviction of national innocence, information, and benevolence."

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Book Description
A fresh look at this astute, likably quirky statesman, by the author of the Pulitzer Award-winning Founding Brothers. "The most lovable and most laughable, the warmest and possibly the wisest of the founding fathers, John Adams knew himself as few men do and preserved his knowledge in a voluminous correspondence that still resonates. Ellis has used it with great skill and perception not only to bring us the man, warts and all, but more importantly to reveal his extraordinary insights into the problems confronting the founders that resonate today in the republic they created."151;Edmund S. Morgan, Sterling Professor of History Emeritus, Yale University. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A fine book
Ellis again does an excellent job of making public figures who are seemingly lost to history real again.While not as flowery and readable as McCullough's work, I believe Ellis' effort to be more substantive.Following only Adams' post-presidency years, Ellis explores Adams' core political principles and beliefs through the struggles and battles of his sunset years.

Through Adams' fight with long-time friend Mercy Otis Warren over his legacy, to his arguments with Mary Wollstonecraft in the margins of her own books, Ellis is able to show an aging John Adams at his best (or worst): outspoken, irreverent, fiesty, and more often than not, correct.The reader is led through Adams' opinions on government, law, the French Revolution, and more.The curious reader would do well to compare Adams' and Jefferson's opinions of the French revolutionaries, keeping "track of score."

I only wish that Ellis could have written more.This book, while dry at times, will hold the reader's attention and leave them wanting more chapters.

Recommended to the general reader who has already read through a full-length Adams biography.

Like Adams: Both Fiery and Dry
Joseph Ellis has taken upon himself the task of bringing the relatively unknown 2nd President of the United States out of obscurity and making him relevant to today's industrial America. Surprisingly, Ellis finds a way to make this shadowy figure between Washington and Jefferson every bit as memorable and important as his predecessor and successor; no simple task, given that Adams was forcibly shoved from the pantheon of American heroes over a century ago.

Passionate Sage reveals Adams as he would have liked: Contrarian in every respect, an irritating mixture of sanguine and volcanic, pessimistic and hopeful, witty and reserved. More importantly, though, Ellis reveals Adams for the master of political thought that he was. No longer is Adams a footnote between the Great Leader and the Republican - in this slim tome, Ellis finds a way to enlighten readers to Adams' unparalleled contributions to Constitutional and American history. As history has shown, few men did more for the American cause than the underappreciated John Adams, and even fewer living Americans are aware of the monumental accomplishments the Sage of Quincy achieved in his nearly nine decades in America.

Though Passionate Sage falls victim to the dry definitions of a professional academic, these drudging pages do not occur with great frequency. However, the slim size of this volume does seem cluttered with pedantic and tangential discussions that distract from the subject himself - ironically, the same slight Adams suffered in his own time.

christmas present
Great book that I shared with friends at Christmas.John Adams, an extraordinary intellectual who, thanks to Joseph Ellis, history has not forgotten.Fascinating, one that you want to read word for word, slowly.

John Adams Redeemed
This book by Joseph Ellis covers the post-presidential years of John Adam.It discusses his renewed correspondence with Thomas Jefferson after many years of silence because of partisan politics.It reveals a picture of a brillant but misunderstood founding father who Ellis calls "the voice of the Revolution" and Jefferson "the pen of the Revolution."A well-written and insightful book!A must read especially for those who read McCullouch's book on Adams.

An insightful character sketch of the most unique founder
Of all the Founders, John Adams is simultaneously one of the most enjoyable and the crankiest. He liked virtually nothing that was taking place in the political scene of his day, and he would certainly have disapproved of nearly everything taking place today. For instance, though he is considered a conservative, he would rail and rant against those on the Religious Right who want to claim that God especially favors the United States (he felt the notion of any Divine Favor on the US was an utter delusion). He would be outraged by the increased role that the economic elite play in today's political process, while at the same time rushing forth to point out that he had predicted its inevitability. He would further be outraged that the president, the part of the government he placed what little hope he had for a more democratic form of government, was not only refusing to fight the economic elite, but fighting for an expansion of its privileges. On the other hand, Adams might take some solace in the end of slavery. But on the whole, he would point out all the ways that the selfish passions of human beings had intruded into American political life.

Joseph Ellis, who is the finest popular historian of the Founding Generation currently at work, wrote this exceptional character sketch of John Adams several years before his similar sketch of Jefferson, his group portrait FOUNDING BROTHERS, or his excellent biography of Washington, HIS EXCELLANCY. If one has read FOUNDING BROTHERS, one knows that Adams is possibly Ellis's favorite of the founders. All of the other major Founders remind us more of statues, he points out, than real live flesh and blood human beings. One never makes that mistake with Adams. He is all flesh and blood and more than a little vitriol. Though arguably the most intellectual of the Founders (though Franklin was a practical genius, he wasn't nearly as literate as Adams; in fact, Adams's closest competitor, as in so many things, is Jefferson), he was a man of intense and always expressed passion. He could summon his formidable powers of reason, but only in a cause that inflamed his emotions.

Ellis does a great job for the most part of exploring Adams's fascinating character. He is guilty, in my opinion, of minimizing Adams quirks. For instance, Adams was incredibly grudging in any praise of Benjamin Franklin, veing one of the very few people of his age not impressed by the Sage of Philadelphia. Ellis hints at this, but doesn't dweel on it, but the almost pathological need that Adams possessed to denigrate Franklin and others is a major clue to his personality. Ellis dwells more on Adams need to elevate his contribution to the Revolution, or at least to make sure that his very real contributions were not forgotten or underestimated, as they most assuredly have been for most of the past two hundred years.

Ellis also does a good job of showing Adams's importance as a political thinker (though I would recommend even more highly John Patrick Diggins's short biography of Adams in this regard--Ellis is more of an historian, while Diggins is a political theorist, and is stronger in this regard). Adams is one of the great political critics in American history, though it is not often appeciated that he was, as so many other political thinkers are (one thinks of Marx or Nietzsche in this regard) better on attack than in contructing. Adams offers a host of trenchant and accurate analyses of the underlying dangers to democracy or any form of government, but despite his wealth of insight offers virtually nothing tempting in the place of what he criticizes. He was brilliant at seeing how things shouldn't be, but a bit vague on how things ought to be. Ellis mentioned but doesn't make graphic just how awful Adams is as a writer. I own and have struggled to read the collection THE POLITICAL WRITINGS OF JOHN ADAMS, edited by George W. Carey. Though I have read Hegel and Spinoza and Heidegger, I found much of this much, much harder going. Adams is frequently a terrifically uninteresting writer. He can lace monumentally dull and impenetrable material with passages laced with terrific insight. All this changes, however, when you turn to the Jefferson-Adams correspondence. Here he comes alive. Ellis does a good job of bringing this out.

Ellis makes the mistake, as so many do, of characterizing Adams as a conservative. Given the fact that he would detest virtually every aspect of conservatism today I find this characterization to be incomprehensible. I think he was a conservative by accident. Had the predominant trend of the day been conservative rather than Jeffersonian, I think we would have seen an impassioned Adams rising against what he perceived as the many mistakes of the conservative cause. I honestly don't believe that any government, conservative or liberal, radical or revolutionary, would have contented Adams. I've seen Thoreau characterized as a coyote, too wild for civilized life, destined to howl on the edges of society. I think that fits Adams as well.

I thoroughly recommend this biographical sketch (for it is not a true biography) by Ellis, though I would hasten to add that I perhaps like Diggins even briefer book a bit more. Though Adams was neglected for most of the period since his death, these days he has regained much of his deserved stature. Anyone not familiar with him needs to be. Next to Franklin he is probably the most likable of the Founders, and none of them anticipated the dangers facing our republic better than he. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superb introductory John Quincy Admas juvenile biography
The Profiles of the Presidents series is a superb collection of introductory juvenile biographies for young students, which I think is around the halfway mark in terms of covering everyone from Washington to Bush the Younger.Ironically, it is because of the current resident of the White House that John Quincy Adams has received more attention in recent years.After all, the parallels are extraordinary: both men are the only sons of Presidents to be elected to the office, they both have the same first name but different middle names, and they both lost the popular vote in their first election.Will the parallel continue in 2004?Well, no: because while every other President who was elected with less of the popular vote lost their bid for re-election they both (John Quincy Adams and Benjamin Harrison) lost in rematches with the opponents who won the popular vote (Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland) and that is not going to happen this time because Al Gore did "Saturday Night Live" and disappeared into the sunset.

Michael Burgan begins this book by establishing the idea that the story of John Quincy Adams is that of "A Lifetime of Service."Where Adams is most unique is that there he continued to serve his country after his four difficult years in the White House, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and becoming known as "Old Man Eloquent" for his attacks on slavery (touched on in Steven Spielberg's film "Amistad").Burgan deals with the problems of being the son of a President but also goes into detail on the extraordinary diplomat career both abroad and at home.The end result is the inevitable conclusion that even if he had not been elected President the life and political career of John Quincy Adams should be remembered.

In addition to the concise but detailed biography, this volume is profusely illustrated with historic etchings, paintings, and maps.Even when the illustrations are black & white they often end up with colored frames, showing the premium placed by the editors on having an eye-catching book.In the back of the book you will find a glossary, fast facts about Adams, a parallel timeline of world and presidential events, extensive resources to help young students better understand the life and times of this particular president, and a decent index.The Profiles of the Presidents series is excellent and Michael Burgan's look at "John Quincy Adams" is one of the best to date. ... Read more

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

Product Description
A set of 21 audiotapes contained in two separate cardboard sleeves. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Way over my head!
This book didn't peak my interest in Shade making.....I was hoping to find a simple wood plan and all the ones I liked seemed way over my skill level.

What a wonderful surprise!
I work in both wood and metals and was expecting a basic volume of metalsmithing techniques. To my surprise, this book can be used in metalsmithing (example: dimensional layout drawings awayla), but it focuses on the use of colored paper (instead of mica or stained glass) and cardboard (instead of metals) Although it explores a medium I ordinarily use to design and make mock-ups, the drawings can easily be used in the metal shop using solder or riviting as a fastener instead of glue and tape and mica or glass in the place of paper.

Please note: These are vintage lighting designs put together by Popular Mechanics during the Arts & Crafts era and I would recommend it to anyone interested in this period of design and technique. Although some of the designs are a little 'dumpy', it would take little time or effort to change them to your liking. This book is a steal!

good book if you have a base in wood working
I like this book as reference for lamps in the arts and craft style however if you are looking for lots of step by step instructions you are out of luck.if you are looking for a good reference book and can visualise a project based on a few black and white drawing and some instruction then this book is for you.

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Book Description
The lives of this remarkable couple unfold alongside events of the Revolutionary War era, a time in which John left his family for prolonged periods to serve his colony and country. Their engaging exchanges follow John's career from provincial lawyer and farmer in Braintree, Massachusetts, to delegate to the Continental Congresses in Philadelphia, to diplomatic success in Europe. John reveals himself as an ambitious, determined, and self-doubting statesman with a trusting, deeply affectionate character and an earthy sense of humor.

Abigail's lively and captivating letters show the trials of an intelligent, strong, and resourceful woman who managed the family's farm and business affairs and reared the pair's four children during her husband's long absences. Her missives to John are filled with outspoken remarks on politics, public figures, and world-shaking events. An independent thinker and advocate of equal rights for women, she urged him in one spirited letter to "Remember the Ladies" in framing the new government. Abigail also vividly documents domestic life in eighteenth-century America, providing enlightening details on health problems, childbirth, education, women's activities, the difficulties of travel, and the impact of wartime inflation.

The 226 letters contained in this volume are supplemented with a few to third parties and a sampling of diary entries. Altogether, the words and thoughts of these warm, if occasionally fallible, human beings richly convey the experience of the Revolutionary generation in a most personal and authentic way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The First Harvard Collection of Adams Letters--1975
This collection is the first assemblage of the letters between John and Abigail Adams published by Harvard University Press.Subsequently, in 2007, an expanded collection was published by Harvard, under the editorship of different scholars, with the title of "My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams" (which I also reviewed on Amazon).While the newer version has more letters (289 v. 226), and covers the period of John's Vice Presidency and Presidency, this earlier edition continues to have value.It includes more editorial material, some correspondence with third parties, and a larger number of illustrations--though not the beautiful color plates found in the newer volume. As I mentioned in my other review, the star of the letters clearly is Abigail, who carried on alone under the most challenging of circumstances while John was absent.She manifests both a literate perspective, as well as a sharp eye for political issues.John's letters afford an invaluable insight into a most critical period of American history; especially perceptive are his assessments of some of the leading political figures of the day.Either volume is well worthy of consideration and study--perusing both is doubly helpful.

Good History Book
This was a very interesting book showing the way a women saw the start of a new country.It also shows the sacrifice that both John and Abigail both had to make to still be together while John was helping the colonies.John tells Abigail all of the political happenings that have been going on not including deaths etc...Abigail is very much into politics and reminds John to "remember the ladies" when writing the Declaration of Independence.This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn more about the war at a different perspective than what just the history books say. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Perhaps Analyzing Adams Is too Great a Task.
First and Foremost, Adams is a fascinating subject, and Grant is a highly qualified historian.

However, it is disappointing that several of the reviews of Mr. Grant's book find it necessary to compare it to D.McCullough's effort.Certainly the latter did create a mania of sorts a few years back, which in turn led to a golden period for historians with a Revolutionary preference.

But having read both, the one thing that seems clear is that Adams is difficult to contain.

Grant's work is a nicely crafted, eminently readable depiction of John Adams, and one that features many interesting and unique observations regarding the revolutionary that Americans have only recently, it seems, elevated to an appropriate level amongst the founding deities.

But too often, Grant's book begins to develop around a certain point about Adams' life or achievements, only to suddenly trail off, leaving the thought unfinished, and the reader wondering if perhaps they'd skipped a page.Yet,this is no brief inquiry.Grant covers the great expanse of Adam's adult life, but fails to acutely identify very many of the key productions of that life.

It is as if there is too much about Adams to be treated adequately in this sort of Comprehensive Biography.

McCullough's work in many ways suffered from the same affliction, but I would measure his prose a little more lyrical, if somewhat less inquiring.

Both authors are absolutely convincing in terms of identifying Adams as a major force in the shaping of the nation, a bold and dynamic personality who left his large fingerprints clearly evident on so many chapters of that formation, and definitely deserving of Franklin's famous assessment of the man's virtue and insanity.Each one of the chapters of Adams' life are so worthy of their own in depth analysis that the soup to nuts biography only serves to (as George Clooney's character says in O Brother Where Art THou) arouse the appetite of the reader without taking him or her to bed.

Grant would have done well to get his fingernails a little dirtier on issues like the Alien & Sedition debacle; the Paris years with Franklin; etc., instead of leaving them too soon.Too many unanswered questions.Too many superficial or unfinished portrayals.Adams deserves more.

A Lot I Didn't Know About John Adams
I found a lot here not available in other recent books about John Adams, and I read one chapter in this book then a chapter in a longer book.Two examples on information covered only here are details of the loans he arranged in Europe after teaching himself the financial trade, and his role in the beginning of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

This is not a shorter version of a more detailed book, but a complete biography by an author with expert knowledge of the financial world of John Adams.I recommend this book to anyone interested in John Adams.

Far better than McCullough -- a splendid biography of a fascinating subject
Written with clarity and grace, supported by thorough research, and characterized throughout by scholarly care and respect for both primary and secondary sources, this is the large biography of John Adams to read.It is half the length of David McCullough's tome, but far more scrupulous in its treatment of Adams, especially in its engagement with the rich historical scholarship on the subject.Even an expert can learn from this admirable book, and I did.

An often analytical look at John Adams
John Adams: Party of One by James Grant is a different look at John Adams than the recent bestseller from historian David McCullough. Grant does often quote from primary sources, but not nearly to the extent that McCullough did. This should make the biography less challenging to readers that found the frequent shifts between McCullough's modern style and primary sources difficult. However, Grant makes the text less accessible by some use of vocabulary unfamiliar to the general audience.

The book is worth reading because it gives a look at Adams using primary sources that have not been available previously just as the next Adams biography will do (the Massachusetts Historical Society has spent years compiling Adams' papers and has yet to complete the task). Grant goes out of his way to give a balanced look at John Adams. In some matters, he is highly supportive of Adams' efforts and methods, such as securing loans in The Netherlands. In others, Grant is highly critical of Adams such as his lack of tact as a diplomat. Granted, that particular opinion will not get much argument. One thing that is unusual for most recent biographies, Grant often discusses Adams' faith and religion, keeping its presense throughout the biography unlike, for example, Walter Stahr's biography of John Jay where his noted strong faith disappears for chapters at a time.

As already mentioned, Grant's style does not lend itself to a general audience, at least one that does not wish to have a dictionary handy. Grant brings a highly analytical style, which makes this biography more than a simple narration of Adams' life. The danger with this is that the objectivity can be lost in favor of only citing sources that support a particular point of view. Grant slips into this commentary several times, which could be a distraction if one does not enjoys this style of biography. The stylistic issues raised in the preceding can be considered positives or negatives depending on the reader's own personal preference.

In this reviewer's opinion, this biography of John Adams will not appeal to everyone. It will be heartily enjoyed by some for its analytical and direct style, but may be a disappointment to others who are looking for a milder approach. However, this reviewer endorses an attempt at reading this biography because of the quantity and perhaps quality of what it has to offer.

Good man, great book!
James Grant has written one of the most readable biographies I have ever come across.I was never interested in John Adams before (why I'm not sure) and even tended to make light of him in my own novel (if in no other way than that he only slightly appears), but a friend of mine is a big fan of Adams and when I saw this book, it seemed a good chance to spark conversation with him.

Rather than rehash what has been said by other reviewers, I want to commend Grant for placing his historical comments in context.Rather than trying to explain Adams from a 21st century perspective while pretending not to, when Grant injects a 21st century persective (i.e. Adams' stand on slavery or his "progression of faith") he says so within the text.This, I thought, was a more honest way for him to make such comparisons than is found in so many modern writings.

Grant is also an expert on finances and he made the fiscal problems of the Revolutionary era interesting in a way it never had been for me before.An excellent book! ... Read more

Product Description
For many years, most people didn’t think very highly of John Adams. He was regarded as a small man between the two giants, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Today, this opinion is changing. Adams is increasingly honored for his many contributions to the cause of liberty. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He urged the appointment of George Washington to lead the Continental Army. He did valuable work in Europe to help the colonists in their struggle. And he served as the second president of the United States. This is the story of an amazingly honorable man and the times that helped mold him. ... Read more

Book Description
Drawing on extensive written record of the ideologies of John Adams and Adam Smith, the father of modern capitalism, Dr. John E. Hill argues that these two great men advocated a balanced, values-based, and just political economy. ... Read more

Book Description
It was a contest of titans: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two heroes of the Revolutionary era, once intimate friends, now icy antagonists locked in a fierce battle for the future of the United States. The election of 1800 was a thunderous clash of a campaign that climaxed in a deadlock in the Electoral College and led to a crisis in which the young republic teetered on the edge of collapse.Adams vs. Jefferson is the gripping account of a turning point in American history, a dramatic struggle between two parties with profoundly different visions of how the nation should be governed. The Federalists, led by Adams, were conservatives who favored a strong central government.The Republicans, led by Jefferson, were more egalitarian and believed that the Federalists had betrayed the Revolution of 1776 and were backsliding toward monarchy.The campaign itself was a barroom brawl every bit as ruthless as any modern contest, with mud-slinging, scare tactics, and backstabbing. The low point came when Alexander Hamilton printed a devastating attack on Adams, the head of his own party, in "fifty-four pages of unremitting vilification." The stalemate in the Electoral College dragged on through dozens of ballots. Tensions ran so high that the Republicans threatened civil war if the Federalists denied Jefferson the presidency. Finally a secret deal that changed a single vote gave Jefferson the White House. A devastated Adams left Washington before dawn on Inauguration Day, too embittered even to shake his rival's hand.With magisterial command, Ferling brings to life both the outsize personalities and the hotly contested political questions at stake. He shows not just why this moment was a milestone in U.S. history, but how strongly the issues--and the passions--of 1800 resonate with our own time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Well rounded work
I picked this up at a discount book store to brush up on my early American history.As I read it, I was surprised I had never heard of Ferling before now.He is concise and well written.His insight into the election illustrates the complexities of our electoral process showing it not to be perfect, but better than most in the world.I have a new sense of respect for Adams now, before I was not too fond of him.I am a big fan of Hamilton, who is portrayed in a negative manner at times. In retrospect it was accurate as Hamilton, like all other politicians then and now were/are opportunists. I look forward to more Ferling works and am glad I found this piece.

A great read on the most contentious of all elections, replete with radically differing idealogies
Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 is a wonderful addition to the Pivotal Moments in American History being published by the Oxford University Press.John Ferling does a superb job, in fairly short order, bringing the reader into the time when our nation was in its nascent stages - prior to political parties dominating the electoral landscape. He describes robustly and vividly the radically differing ideas between the Federalists and Anti Federalists (Republicans).The book traces the ideological roots of the struggle between those favoring a strong central government and those favoring a much loser confederation of states.

Both Adams and Jefferson are treated fairly and evenly by Ferling.Their growing differences and eventual break are covered well.This work clearly demonstrates that the American Revolution didn't end at Yorktown but, rather, continued as a political struggle through a clash of ideologies both in the press and on the ballot.Interestingly, it also shows the ugliness of current American politics is far from new.Some of the vitriol written then about the leaders of the time is alone worth the read.

The rather quick decline of the paternal and elitist Federalist Era is a topic that other authors seem to have trouble limiting their pages on.Ferling, while fairly thorough, is quick in his analysis.He traces the political struggle that led to the demise of Federalism in the contentious and pivotal election of 1800 back to and including the Revolution itself.

Ferling's writing is direct and highly engaging. "Unlike Adams, Jefferson had never wavered in his belief that the American Revolution had been a glorious success.The `flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776 have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism,' he remarked in 1821, adding that the `light and liberty are on a steady advance".In his final letter, written in 1826, Jefferson reiterated his belief that the American Revolution had been, and would continue to be, `the signal arousing men to burst the chains' that bound them and to secure the `blessings and security of self-government'".

This is one terrific book on a very interesting period in American history.I can't imagine anyone with any appreciation of our history not greatly enjoying it.

ELECTION BATTLES
I liked this book. It is about friends who are running against each other becoming bitter enemies. It is one of the earliest mud slinging books about election battles and dirty politics about the election of 1800. My sister gave me this book as a Christmas Gift in 2005 and enjoyed reading about election tactics, and tis book is a must for history buffs. I rate this book 4.5 to 4.75 stars.

Great addition to a wonderful series
This is one of the best displays of political history in a long time.The tactics of the Federalists and the Jeffersonian are well presented here in the election that showed American democracy was a reality.The author does a wonderful job of weaving together the complex issues that were involved.For those who feel today's campaigns are filled with personal attacks they have nothing on 1800.The book is very well written and is an excellent addition to a great series.This book serves as a summary for the lives of Adams and Jefferson as well as looking at the development of political parties in the United States.There is some consideration thrown on to Hamilton although a little more would have solidified the arguments. Despite that this is a great book to start with or if you are an expert in this area it is one you will enjoy.

Humanizes legends, an excellent read
Ferling has captured one of the pivotal moments in American history, the first peaceful transfer of power from one "party' to another.The individuals who are key players: Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Burr, etc. have passed into myth and legend in the popular mind.Ferling presents a real picture, which includes both the virtues and faults of the various characters.As a few other reviewers have pointed out, Hamilton gets hammered a bit, but evidence suggests that this was not entirely undeserved.Of course, history buffs will long for more in-depth analysis of other characters in the drama, as well as the actual mechanics of the governmental procedures in place at the time.Such was not the goal of the work.The goal was to describe the behavior of the most key individuals involved and the implications of the outcomes for future events.What I always find interesting in such works is just how easily events could have gone a different way, with predictably dramatic consequences for our current ways of life and thinking.In this, the book achieves the aim admirably.
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Book Description
In this concise biography, Parsons masterfully chronicles the dramatic and prolific career of one of America's most absorbing figures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, the second President, was one of America's greatest diplomats. He made a name for himself as the country was being formed, especially with his defense of "the rules of law" against the will of the majority. He was one of the last of the old Federalists. He was a foreign minister to Holland, Portugal, and Prussia, and was Secretary of State under Monroe (where he was the main force in establishing the Monroe Doctrine). He became the sixth President in a controversial election that was decided in the House of Representatives.

Parson's short (272 pages) but thorough and well-written biography of Adams is a job well done. She details the accomplishments of his life, but focuses primarily on the man himself. Adams was a stern man (his portrait reminds me of some evil Dickens character, Marley perhaps), and not well-liked by the public. He believed that one should not "run" for a political office, but should just accept it if offered (imagine that today!). He hated Andrew Jackson and slavery, and fought hard against both. This is an excellent book on an interesting man.

You cheered his life after reading this book.
After reading this well written biography, I experienced the sorrows, joys, and accomplishments in the life of one of our country's greatest statesmen.

A highly recommended, easy reading bio of the 6th President
Lynn H. Parsons has written a biography that is blessedly free from 'academic speak' or the sense that he is only writing for other historians.This is definitely a biography for even the most casual lover of history. Parsons' familiarity with JQA allows him to introduce us to that prickly character as one would introduce an eccentric friend--always aware of the eccentricities but never apologizing for them. Adams (and his father) are two of the greatest of America's early statesmen and two of it's worst politicians.Parsons presents the genius and the folly and allows us to weigh our opinions--tho' its clear where Parsons' affections lie. It is hard to imagine that anyone will (or could) write a better one volume popular biography of JQA.Parsons clearly could tell us much more, but he chooses not to bog his narrative down in the kind of historical detail that glazes the eye of the casual reader.For serious historians this is a valuable book because it doesn't get lost in its own importance--the writing is direct, succinct and keeps the reader aware of the difference of the attitudes of Adams and his contemporaries to our current sensibilities. Parsons ends with a note that JQA's only monument in Washington is a small plaque in statuary hall in the Capitol.I would argue that Adams' best monument in DC is the one he would be proudest of--the Smithsonian Institution he fought so hard to help establish. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

John Quincy Adams A Personal History
While her book is the best I have found on this former President, I find she is the best on the politcal side and presents him in a much better light than Nagal does in his book. When I compare the two books Nagal tries and fails to present Adams as a malajusted man who blames all his problems on his mother. To get a true idea about him you must read both books.

John Quincy Adams, A Person History of an Independent Man
After seeing the movie Amistad I was curious about this president who was pretty much passed over in our history books. This Hecht book satisfied all my curiosities plus some I didn't think of.She covers the public andpersonal lives of JQA.All the public figures of the time, great and neargreat,American and European, walk through thesepages. And, yes, theAmistad story is there.I have limited vision so I save wear and tear onmy eyes each day in order to be able to read this great book in bed beforeI go to sleep. Minor criticism:I have to keep paging back todeterminethe year of given happenings.The author could have repeated dates alittle more generously.Otherwise it would be a five-star!

John Quincy Adams, A Person History of an Independent Man
After seeing the movie Amistad I was curious about this president who was pretty much passed over in our history books. This Hecht book satisfied all my curiosities plus some I didn't think of.She covers the public andpersonal lives of JQA.All the public figures of the time, great and neargreat,American and European, walk through thesepages. And, yes, theAmistad story is there.I have limited vision so I save wear and tear onmy eyes each day in order to be able to read this great book in bed beforeI go to sleep. Minor criticism:I have to keep paging back todeterminethe year of given happenings.The author could have repeated dates alittle more generously.Otherwise it would be a five-star! ... Read more