(Full review here), Best Biography of John Quincy Adams: “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” by James Traub, Honorable Mention: “John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life” by Paul Nagel, and “John Quincy Adams: A Personal History of an Independent Man” by Marie Hecht, Best “Beach Read” on JQA: “John Quincy Adams” by Harlow Unger.

In 1794, he became minister to the Netherlands, the first of several diplomatic posts that occupied him until his return to Boston in 1801. Please Note: Every book I review has been purchased by me.

I just purchased the Nagel biography. Indeed, his post- presidential years were some of the most successful and potent years of his entire public life. I got a great sense of who JQA was as a politician and individual. Looking forward to reading it! Many will be surprised to learn that his single notable public failure – his presidency – was accompanied by a lifelong battle with intense self-doubt, self-criticism and even depression. John Quincy Adams certainly benefited from his father's association with the other U.S. representatives in Europe. It is erudite without being stiff and detailed but not exhausting. There, though nominally a Whig, he pursued as ever an independent course. Great site by the way. He absorbed in his earliest memories the sense of destiny his parents shared about the United States and dedicated his life to the republic's consolidation and expansion. If I read it first, I will let you know how it was. When a mind is raised and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities, which would otherwise lie dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.". But from start to finish, John Quincy’s was a life made for a great (if sometimes tragic) story. ), The writer of Amistad, David Franzoni could have added the African violets part to have a scene where the character played by Djimon Hounsou as Joseph Cinque and Anthony Hopkins as John Q. Adams could stare at an African Violet.

I’ll do that shortly, but rest assured I want to read this one! But I raise peonies and dahlias so almost anything is possible(! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.... Great necessities call out great virtues.

In this book, Hecht marches steadily and comprehensively through John Quincy’s life, seeming to leave few stones unturned. I just finished JQA a few days ago. , JQA raising orchids and African violets? And most of those who do recognize his legacy merely recall the vague impression left by an unsuccessful presidency. I’m thinking about reading Unger’s next, as there is so much information in Traub’s that I’d like a re-read of just the big ideas, but for a definitive biography of JQA, I really can’t recommend Militant Spirit enough. Left aside are numerous details, side-stories and nuances that are crucial in really understanding the sixth president. He spent his early years in Europe with his father, graduated from Harvard, and entered law practice. Adams had a stroke while on the floor of the House, and died two days later on Feb. 23, 1848. Published in 2016, “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” is not perfect, but sets the new standard for biographies of the 6th president.

He has had a good number of biographies written about him and would say he is a household name. Reblogged this on The Presidents Project. It may be the first of the JQA biographies (I’m guessing). Without a doubt, Unger’s biography is the most “efficient” of the four as it covers Adams’s entire life (with some “extra” context-setting American … Born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, he was the son of two fervent revolutionary patriots, John and Abigail Adams, whose ancestors had lived in New England for five generations. Kaplan’s work is included for the first reason; Bemis’s two volumes are included for the second.

However, I do believe he does not get the political credit he deserves, due to his less than impactful presidency. War soon forced young John to mature at even a more accelerated rate. No American who ever entered the presidency was better prepared to fill that office than John Quincy Adams. Infoplease is part of the FEN Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers and students. After all, most of his sentient youth was spent absorbing multiple languages, attending diplomatic functions, going to the theatre and opera, and discussing world affairs with luminaries such as Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Lafayette and countless European kings, queens, counts and diplomats. I have it on my “watch” list and am on the lookout for a copy to plug into my library – and read. In 1781, he accompanied Francis Dana to Russia. Indeed – I started maintaining a follow-up list for biographies published after I finished a particular president, and biographies I later discovered to be particularly important. I definitely have my sights on The Remarkable Education, but I haven’t yet added it to my website follow-up list. Regardless, though, I can’t imagine writing about JQA books without mentioning Samuel Bemis’s 2 volumes! Without a doubt, Unger’s biography is the most “efficient” of the four as it covers Adams’s entire life (with some “extra” context-setting American history thrown in for good measure) in the fewest pages. Thank you for this great post on a neglected figure in American history. — 10 follow-up presidential bios & Would you agree with that? Marianne Peak, Superintendent JQA was a great statesman who happened to become President. It also has some very interesting and pertinent information on the triumvirate of Clay, Calhoun, and Webster and the way these statesman interacted with Adams. While John Quincy Adams, so far, had been a spectator of the events that were shaping America's destiny, his mother in a letter from three thousand miles away, urged her son to actively confront the extraordinary challenges that the times demanded, saying: "These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. * Five years after reading the preceding four biographies of JQA (and a few months after finishing my first round of biographies of each of the former presidents) I read “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” by James Traub – a biography from my “follow-up” list which was only published after I completed my initial journey through the best biographies of JQA. I couldn’t say. But the book’s introduction, its consistently keen dissection of Adams’s personality, its observations concerning early American politics and its carefully nuanced coverage of Adams’s attitude toward slavery overwhelm any shortcomings.

John Quincy’s rise was not over, of course. He left the White House dejected, but was soon elected to the House of Representatives where he served – with great passion and impact – until the day he died. Our editors update and regularly refine this enormous body of information to bring you reliable information.

Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. His experiences in Europe and Russia made him the obvious choice of four presidents to serve as a U.S. diplomat in multiple countries; he also served a term as a U.S. John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767, at Braintree (now Quincy), Mass., the son of John Adams, the second president. One suggestion which might be good for a follow up would be the Library of America which I think 2017 published selections from JQA’s diary. Thanks – I’ve added this to the Recent Releases page. When no presidential candidate received a majority of electoral votes in 1824, Adams, with the support of Henry Clay, was elected by the House in 1825 over Andrew Jackson, who had the original plurality. John Quincy Adams Biography. In every respect, John Quincy Adams’s life was made for a great novel, or movie…or even a good biography. In 1817 Monroe appointed him secretary of state where he served with great distinction, gaining Florida from Spain without hostilities and playing an equal part with Monroe in formulating the Monroe Doctrine. The book suffers little, if any, from this rather sparse treatment. I’ve obviously not yet read Militant Spirit but have heard good things. Change ), Enter your email address to follow this blog & receive new post alerts by email, “He was truly the Man Who Ran Washington back when Washington still ran the world.”, The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, Jan 2013 – Feb 2019: It’s now the best single volume. In other words, it’s going to be at least a couple of years before I get to it since I won’t finish my first pass through each of the presidents until at least Feb 2018…. Adams’s Last Crusade” provides a distinctly different perspective on John Quincy’s life. Check our encyclopedia for a gloss on thousands of topics from biographies to the table of elements. In 1790, John Quincy was admitted to the Bar in Boston and formally became a practicing attorney. John Quincy's parents succeeded in their objective, for not soon after, the young Adams wrote that he was working hard on his studies and hoped "to grow a better boy." (Full review here), “John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life” by Paul Nagel was published in 1997 and appears to have been the first significant biography of JQA in the twenty-five years following the publication of Hecht’s biography. In 1797, he married Louisa Catherine Johnson. To excel, they must be taught to be steady, active and industrious." I find myself agreeing with most of your reviews of the books I have read, especially Meacham’s book on Jackson. I felt each book made up for the other book’s weakness (in terms of content)! I thought it was interesting, a little long, before I watched the show I didn’t know anything about Garfield.

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