John Adams
by David McCullough · first published 2001
67% recommend33% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A richly detailed, readable biography of John Adams, widely regarded as one of the best historical biographies. It is well suited to anyone interested in American history and the founding era.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history. This is history on a grand scale --
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Anything by Bill Bryson, but especially “At Home” and “One Summer: America, 1927”. Both are brilliant. “John Adams” by David McCullough. Possibly the best historical bio ever. “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” by Richard Rhodes. The best recounting of the founding of Los Alamos. “Hackers” by Steven Levy. The best…
on “Ask HN: Examples of good technical writing?” ↗…I would also throw out there Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford, as something to inspire makers & engineers without being a technical book. If you like history, David McCullough's biography John Adams is a masterpiece (also see 1776 by the same author). I can't think of anything else that hasn't already been mentioned.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗…series by Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn also by Brandon Sanderson - Red Rising by Pierce Brown - The Licanius trilogy by James Islington - Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series by Larry Correia Biography - John Adams by David McCullough
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗As an American, I highly recommend "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen. And since you are reading 1776 then you might also like "John Adams" by David McCullough.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading these days?” ↗John Forbes Nash: "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasir Richard Feynman: "Genius" by James Gleick "The Passion of Ayn Rand" by Barbara Brandon "John Adams" and "Truman" by David McCullough "Lincoln the Unknown" by Dale Carnegie
on “Ask HN: What are some good biographies to read?” ↗…Excellency, by Joseph J. Ellis, is very good. I strongly recommend it. Founding Brothers, by Ellis, is also very good (and short). David McCullough has several tremendous US history books, including John Adams, 1776, The Wright Brothers, The Path Between the Seas.
on “George Washington’s “Yelp Reviews”” ↗…Marx's letter in his role as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom (Charles Francis Adams) was the son of America's 6th president (John Quincy Adams) and grandson of the 2nd president and Founding Father (John Adams). I highly recommend David McCullough's biography "John Adams." Even if you're not really into history (I'm not) it's actually a pretty good read and entertainingly covers most of US History from 1750…
on “Karl Marx's letter to Abraham Lincoln (1864)” ↗…organize your thinking, and also consider how it might be consumed. To bring it back home, I suppose the same could be said of writing code. --- As an aside, McCullough wrote my favorite biography, John Adams.
on “Write for others but mostly for yourself (2022)” ↗…you to know 4 words (at least one of which would be rather obscure). I read quite a bit in grade school (still proud of myself for seemingly being 1 out of only 3 students who read the required 750 page John Adams over a summer), yet suffered miserably during this section.
on “In Math You Have to Remember, In Other Subjects You Can Think About It” ↗…through it, Hamilton seems a little more power-hungry and less moral. Though not sure if that's bias. It seems like modern media and scholarship has thought more highly of Jefferson than Hamilton. In John Adams, Stannis (just kidding, Jefferson) is the equal, Hamilton isn't very sympathetic. The Chernow book has turned Hamilton's perception a bit. What is an objective view on the two?
on “Historians Uncover Slave Quarters of Sally Hemings at Jefferson’s Monticello” ↗"However little television you watch, watch less." -David McCullough Unless it's the HBO miniseries "John Adams", based on his book!
on “Quotes” ↗Accoridng to historian David McCullough, the play Cato was a favorite of George Washington and well known to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Two famous American quotes likely originate in a slightly different form from the play itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato,_a_Tragedy#Influence_on_A...
on “Has Literature Ever Changed the Course of History?” ↗