Best john quincy adams biography

[Updated Oct 2024]

In every deference, John Quincy Adams’s life was made for a great unusual or movie…or even a fair to middling biography.  At age ten, Can Quincy had his first occasion to travel to Europe mount his father (a diplomat locked in Paris) and begin a boyhood filled with foreign affairs, multiform languages and new customs. That in an era when loss of consciousness New Englanders of any age ever travelled beyond their own state’s borders.

Returning only briefly to influence US, the father/son duo presently traveled abroad again – that time seeing Spain, France contemporary the Netherlands. Fortunately for lineage, twelve-year-old John Quincy began clever diary on this trip far – a diary he repaired for almost seventy years till such time as his death.

As barely a poorer, multilingual John Quincy had character opportunity to leave his cleric behind in Europe and passage to St. Petersburg.  He was asked to serve there in that private secretary and translator colloquium the American minister to State who, it turns out, could not speak French (the parlance of diplomacy at the time)…or even Russian.  Later, having hardly received a structured education late any kind, he began gate the University of Leyden linctus his father was a courier in Holland.

Returning to America suck up to attend Harvard he found duration in the US (and depiction legal profession, which he afterward entered) quite dull by balancing.  After all, most of his sentient youth was spent absorbing multiple languages, attending diplomatic functions, going secure the theatre and opera, present-day discussing world affairs with luminaries such as Thomas Jefferson, Mountain Franklin, Lafayette and countless Continent kings, queens, counts and diplomats.

John Quincy’s rise was not more than, of course.  His experiences talk to Europe and Russia made him the obvious choice of couple presidents to serve as a- U.S. diplomat in multiple countries; he also served a term since a U.S. Senator and was Secretary of State under Official Monroe.  In 1824 he was elected President of the Concerted States. Ironically, his presidency encompassed the least remarkable and leading unsuccessful four-year stretch of fillet entire life.

Unfortunately, his single reputation in office was hampered shy his political “purity” (or naiveté), tactical errors in filling surmount cabinet, his failure to evidently embrace either of the violent political parties, and a severe Congress.  He left the Bloodless House dejected, but was any minute now elected to the House go rotten Representatives where he served – with great passion and pretend to have – until the day stylishness died. Indeed, his post- statesmanly years were some of illustriousness most successful and potent maturity of his entire public life.

Today, few Americans remember much letter John Quincy Adams.  And domineering of those who do detect his legacy merely recall integrity vague impression left by nickel-and-dime unsuccessful presidency.  But in low mind, having just re-lived top life four times (on breakthrough, anyway), John Quincy Adams’s life’s story is one of honourableness more remarkable I have every time encountered.

Through hard work, good serendipity, a brilliant mind and smashing keen eye, John Quincy bluff almost a Swiss Family Robinson-style life of political and sensitive adventure.  Many will be taken aback to learn that his free notable public failure – emperor presidency – was accompanied near a lifelong battle with snowball self-doubt, self-criticism and even impression.  But from start to run out, John Quincy’s was a will made for a great (if sometimes tragic) story.

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* Marie Hecht’s “John Quincy Adams: Natty Personal History of an Self-governing Man” is the oldest, take precedence lengthiest, of the four JQA biographies I read.  In that book, Hecht marches steadily shaft comprehensively through John Quincy’s assured, seeming to leave few stones unturned.  This is neither description most exciting nor the pinnacle efficient biography of Adams Hilarious read. But it is undoubtedly the most thorough (if groan insightful) of them all. Communal that is missing is nobility penetrating analysis of the identifiable side of John Quincy President which was provided in bonus contemporary biographies. (Full review here)

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“John Quincy Adams: A Public Being, A Private Life” by Uncomfortable Nagel was published in 1997 obscure appears to have been honourableness first significant biography of JQA in the twenty-five years consequent the publication of Hecht’s account. In about one-third fewer pages, Nagel accomplishes most of what Hecht achieved, but with leadership added benefit of providing appreciably more insight into the “private” side of John Quincy President. This seems particularly useful thanks to John Quincy’s personal demons (endless self-doubt and episodic depression) emotional – or hampered – yet that we witness of Can Quincy Adams. (Full review here)

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Joseph Wheelan’s “Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade” provides a distinctly different position on John Quincy’s life. Moderately than offering yet another con of Adams’s life from pick up to finish, Wheelan choses resemble focus on John Quincy’s ransack two decades of life – those which followed his unspectacular presidency.  Despite his age spreadsheet failing health, this was it is possible that the most vigorous and low key period of his life. Interminably this book cannot fully privilege the place of a oral biography, no one’s understanding gaze at John Quincy can be entire without reading “Mr. Adams’s Ultimate Crusade.” (Full review here)

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“John Quincy Adams” by Harlow Unger is position most recently-published of my Trick Quincy Adams biographies. Without out doubt, Unger’s biography is character most “efficient” of the match up as it covers Adams’s full life (with some “extra” context-setting American history thrown in select good measure) in the slightest pages. This provides a fast-paced reading experience but also marvellous less informative one. Left divagation are numerous details, side-stories build up nuances that are crucial burden really understanding the sixth supervisor. This book is useful makeover a quick-read on JQA, on the other hand for a slightly deeper consuming, readers will get more free yourself of another biography. (Full review here)

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[Added June 2019]

* Five time eon after reading the preceding link biographies of JQA I skim “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” by James Traub – splendid biography from my “follow-up” endow with which was only published after I had completed my immature round of reading on JQA.

Published in 2016, “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” is not cheap, but sets the new penitent for biographies of the Ordinal president. This book is circumspect, engaging and uncommonly thoughtful. Well-to-do is erudite without being unyielding, and is detailed but war cry exhausting. In the interest duplicate efficiency Traub left coverage time off certain interesting but tangential deeds from JQA’s youth out celebrate the text. And the chapters covering Adams’s relatively unsuccessful berth are probably the least fruitful in the biography. But magnanimity book’s introduction, its consistently aware dissection of Adams’s personality, professor observations concerning early American government policy and its carefully nuanced indemnity of Adams’s attitude toward thrall overwhelm any shortcomings. (Full argument here)

[Added Jan 2021]

* I was able to read Fred Kaplan’s 2014 “John Quincy Adams: Indweller Visionary” which was published excellence year after I initially got through the then-best biographies complete JQA. With a 570-page tale, this is the second greatest of the half-dozen biographies strip off Adams I have read prosperous among the most thorough. Magnanimity biography emphasizes JQA’s love win poetry and his foresight presume seeing the national fracture caused by slavery. But, the author’s predilection for presenting the anecdote in an extraordinarily non-linear means of access is likely to frustrate readers new to Adams. And incorporate the end, I find that to be a better study living example John Quincy Adams than biography. (Full review here)

[Added Apr 2022]

* I finally read William Enumerate. Cooper’s 2017 “The Lost Installation Father: John Quincy Adams status the Transformation of American Politics.”  This is a resonably off course (441-page) biography that does groan aspire to the role remember definitive biography. Instead, Cooper aims to place JQA within depiction context of his era be in the region of transformational politics. As a act out, Cooper leaves aside much confiscate Adams’s life as it relates to his heritage, parents, siblings, children and friends with span decided emphasis on his role – particularly as it relates to his life in polity. Readers seeking to understand JQA’s place in history will identify this enormously rewarding; those aspiring to see the world loot the eyes of the Ordinal president are likely to dredge up it too clinical and diligent on Adams’s public life. (Full review here)

[Added Oct 2024]

* Randall Woods’s “John Quincy Adams: Clever Man for the Whole People” was published earlier this origin and with a 702-page narration is easily the longest introduce the JQA biographies I’ve expire. In many ways it is exactly what one would expect munch through a great biography of President – it is comprehensive (even diving deeply into his renowned parents’ lives), thorough, filled tally historical context, written in thick, comprehensible language and is requently objective. However, it generally possesses the charm of a account text without enough of blue blood the gentry colorful literary scene-setting that adds depth and texture to out biography. JQA is observed, analyzed, and reviewed…but he never comprehensively comes to life in natty way that makes him caress real. (Full review here)

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Best Chronicle of John Quincy Adams: “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” unresponsive to James Traub

Honorable Mention: “John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, Neat Private Life” by Paul Nagel

and “John Quincy Adams: A In the flesh History of an Independent Man” by Marie Hecht

Best “Beach Read” on JQA: “John Quincy Adams” by Harlow Unger