| As Richard Brookshire put it in his biography of Alexander Hamilton, it's really hard not to like John Adams. Ferling paints a great picture of why it's so hard not to like him. Adams was arrogant, brash, hot headed, aristocratic, etc. These are traits of our second president Ferling doesn't dance around. But on the other hand, Adams was also what we should all be, brutally honest, outgoing in spirit, unwavering in his beliefs,and probably the biggest thing I didn't know about Adams, madly and hopelessly in love with his wife and completely devoted to his family until his very last breath. Ferling doesn't kill us with unnecessary detail as is so common in historical biographies of the founding fathers. As Adams did, Ferling lays it out, and lets us be the judge. He states Adams' position on countless issues, right or wrong, and then allows the reader to pass the judgement. |