John Adams

A Life

John Ferling (, University of West Georgia)

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English

Oxford University Press
08 April 2010

Biography: historical, political & military; History; History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900

John Ferling has nearly forty years of experience as a historian of early America. The author of acclaimed histories such as A Leap into the Dark and Almost a Miracle, he has appeared on many TV and film documentaries on this pivotal period of our history. In John Adams: A Life, Ferling offers a compelling portrait of one of the giants of the Revolutionary era.

Drawing on extensive research, Ferling depicts a reluctant revolutionary, a leader who was deeply troubled by the warfare that he helped to make, and a fiercely independent statesman. The book brings to life an exciting time, an age in which Adams played an important political and intellectual role. Indeed, few were more instrumental in making American independence a reality. He performed yeoman's service in the Continental Congress during the revolution and was a key figure in negotiating the treaty that brought peace following the long War of Independence. He held the highest office in the land and as president he courageously chose to pursue a course that he thought best for the nation, though it was fraught with personal political dangers. Adams emerges here a man full of contradictions. He could be petty and jealous, but also meditative, insightful, and provocative. In private and with friends he could be engagingly witty. He was terribly self-centered, but in his relationship with his wife and children his shortcomings were tempered by a deep, abiding love. John Ferling's masterful John Adams: A Life is a singular biography of the man who succeeded George Washington in the presidency and shepherded the fragile new nation through the most dangerous of times.

By: John Ferling ( University of West Georgia)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 167mm, Spine: 34mm
Weight: 744g
ISBN: 9780195398663
ISBN 10: 0195398661
Pages: 544
Publication Date: 08 April 2010
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface Introduction Part One: Love of Fame 1. Vanity Is My Cardinal Vice 2. Shall I Creep or Fly? 3. To Thine Own Self Be True 4. The Scene of Action Part Two: An Epocha in History 5. Tea that Bainful Weed 6. Until Our Rights Are Fully Restored 7. We Shall Do Something in Time 8. Oh That I Was a Soldier! 9. A Total Absolute Independence 10. To Leave This Station with Honour Part Three: Safe and Glorious in the Harbour of Peace 11. A Man of No Consequence 12. My Business Is Peace 13. Thus Drops the Curtain 14. High against America Part Four: One Man of Inflexible Integrity 15. Much to Be Grateful For 16. An Office of Hard Labor and Severe Duty 17. War Is Inexpedient 18. Thunderstruck 19. The Seeds of Discontent and Division Part Five: I Still Live and Enjoy Life 20. A Retired Hermetical Life 21. A Heavy Burden to Carry Afterword Abbreviations Notes Select Bibliography Index

Reviews for John Adams: A Life

Better than any other full-scale biography to date, Ferling's book places Adams in the context of his swirling times and makes clear why he deserves our admiration for his political courage and stubborn independence. --Joseph J. Ellis, The New England Quarterly A comprehensive and readable exploration of a fascinating and important statesman, whose life continues to remind us that honesty, integrity, and independence can be political virtues. --William and Mary Quarterly