Americas First Dynasty

Posted on 16 March 2018 by Richard Brookhiser

They were America s longest lasting dynasty, the closest thing to a royal family our nation has ever known The Adamses played a leading role in America s affairs for nearly two centuries from John, the self taught lawyer who rose to the highest office in the government he helped to create to John Quincy, the child prodigy who followed his father to the White House and fought slavery in Congress to Charles Francis, the Civil War diplomat to Henry, the brilliant scholar and journalist Indeed, the history of the Adams family can be read as the history of America itself For when the Adamses looked at their past, they saw the nation s, writes author Richard Brookhiser When they looked at the nation s past, they saw themselves America s First Dynasty charts the family s travels through American history along with an impressive cast of characters, among them George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt Brookhiser also details the darker side of the Adams experience, from the specters of alcoholism and suicide to the crushing burden of performance passed on from father to son Yet by putting a human face on this legendary family, Brookhiser succeeds in creating an impassioned, heroic family portrait that the American public is not likely to forget. Free Read Americas First Dynasty [ by ] Richard Brookhiser [ Kindle ePUB or eBook ] – kino-fada.fr good overview on the family and a great way to get introduced to Charles and HenryThis work of history should not stand alone as a reader s only contact with the Adamses, but it is an interesting and engrossing analysis of the life and times of this founding family Brookheiser writes powerfully, clearly, and with no small amount of wit There s ...A fascinating documentary of one of America s greatest dynastic families I would recommend it to anyone interested in history or needing a reminder that all families have successful members, never do wells, and those in between In that and many other ways the Adams story can be inspiring.Interesting introduction to John Adams and his descendants The writing is a little spotty in parts, but fine on the whole Some sentences are clunky and could have usedediting to convey the point.Good read, but assumes facts not in evidence in several places John Adams s son drank himself to death because he was a homosexual Enjoyed the book, but Good read on the Adams dynasty Started slow but picked up Found outabout Henry that I didn t know.Only lightly skimmed last few chapters Tired of the Adamses.For a quick introduction to the highlights to four generations of the Adams Family, America s First Dynasty is an excellent choice It chooses one figure from each of t first four generations, John, John Quincy, Charles Francis and Henry It shows how the family morphed from revered politicians of action into respected historians who chronicled their own history for the rest of us Many know about the presidents, John and John Quincy, but few are familiar with Charles Francis critical role in For a quick introduction to the highlights to four generations of the Adams F...Richard Brookhiser has written biographies of Presidents Madison and Washington, revolutionary statesmen Hamilton and Gouvernor Morris, and most recently a book on Lincoln, but my favorite of his biographies that I have read is America s First Dynasty The Adamses, 1735 1918 The dates alone, spanning three centuries, suggest the significance of this family on the history of the United States.The first two of the dynasty, John and his son John Quincy both became President The father was one of Richard Brookhiser has written biographies of Presidents Madison and Washington, revolutionary statesmen Hamilton and Gouvernor Morris, and most recently a book on Lincoln, but my favorite of his biographies that I have read is America s First Dynasty The Adamses, 1735 1918 The dates alone, spanning three centuries, suggest the significance of this family on the history of the United States.The first two of the dynasty, John and his son John Quincy both became President The father was one of the leaders of the American Revolution while the son was both President and, later, member ...A very readable history of a the family that set America on her historic course and once set helped her maintain it.

English
16 March 2018

Richard Brookhiser