A Great Book!

John Adams, by David McCullough is truly a beautiful book. McCullough painstakingly traces the entire life of Adams, from his early years through his death.

One of the more enjoyable elements of this book is the words of John Adams. McCullough uses them brilliantly in providing needed evidence anytime he is positing a relatively new view on Adams. The more I read the more I got the impression that many times McCullough simply chose to let Adams speak in his own terms, as he deemed them still best for even these moments.

As I was drawn deeper into the book, I was particularly moved by Adams' faith and his view of the world, fellow men and himself. If only we, today, would walk as humbly and think as deeply about things. The way men, of his stature, conducted themselves was, in my opinion, one of the reasons for their brilliance. They wrote letters, read continuously and were always interested in learning anything new. Particularly moving was the way friendships could be maintained through correspondence for multiple years without one personal visit.

McCullough captures the tone of life like none I have ever read. If you read this book be prepared, it is long, but it is so very important that you not miss one word of it. Every word must be digested in order to capture the brilliance of the book. To skip or skim over any word or sentence would be to pour out the last sip of a great old rare wine; it would be wasteful.

In closing I have not read a finer book in quite a long time. McCullough is rare indeed, he blends historical accuracy with the finest elements of grammar and produces well written and historically accurate novels that are a pure joy to read.

If you want to read a great book this holiday season... John Adams is worth the time!