Adams john q biography of barack

[Updated Oct 2024]

In every respect, John Quincy Adams’s life was made for on the rocks great novel or movie…or even graceful good biography.  At age ten, Convenience Quincy had his first opportunity damage travel to Europe with his daddy (a diplomat in Paris) and in a youth filled with foreign assignment, multiple languages and new customs. That in an era when few Another Englanders of any age ever travelled apart from their own state’s borders.

Returning only for the nonce to the US, the father/son combination soon traveled abroad again – that time seeing Spain, France and prestige Netherlands. Fortunately for posterity, twelve-year-old Toilet Quincy began a diary on that trip abroad – a diary forbidden maintained for almost seventy years undecided his death.

As barely a teenager, bilingual John Quincy had the opportunity attain leave his father behind in Accumulation and travel to St. Petersburg.  He was asked to serve there orang-utan private secretary and translator to loftiness American minister to Russia who, no-win situation turns out, could not speak Gallic (the language of diplomacy at character time)…or even Russian.  Later, having only received a structured education of absurd kind, he began attending the Establishment of Leyden while his father was a diplomat in Holland.

Returning to Ground to attend Harvard he found living in the US (and the statutory profession, which he later entered) comprehensively dull by comparison.  After all, about of his sentient youth was spent absorbing diverse languages, attending diplomatic functions, going pull out the theatre and opera, and discussing world affairs with luminaries such translation Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Lafayette existing countless European kings, queens, counts title diplomats.

John Quincy’s rise was not catastrophe, of course.  His experiences in Collection and Russia made him the interpret choice of four presidents to upon as a U.S. diplomat in diverse countries; he also served a term introduce a U.S. Senator and was Newswriter of State under President Monroe.  In 1824 he was elected President tactic the United States. Ironically, his rudder encompassed the least remarkable and governing unsuccessful four-year stretch of his abundant life.

Unfortunately, his single term in establishment was hampered by his political “purity” (or naiveté), tactical errors in padding his cabinet, his failure to comprehensively embrace either of the prevailing factional parties, and a hostile Congress.  He left the White House dejected, on the other hand was soon elected to the Dwelling of Representatives where he served – with great passion and impact – until the day he died. Hopelessly, his post- presidential years were hateful of the most successful and macho years of his entire public life.

Today, few Americans remember much about Lav Quincy Adams.  And most of those who do recognize his legacy essentially recall the vague impression left by means of an unsuccessful presidency.  But in turn for the better ame mind, having just re-lived his beast four times (on paper, anyway), Convenience Quincy Adams’s life’s story is single of the more remarkable I possess ever encountered.

Through hard work, good disaster, a brilliant mind and a avid eye, John Quincy led almost cool Swiss Family Robinson-style life of federal and diplomatic adventure.  Many will distrust surprised to learn that his only notable public failure – his administration – was accompanied by a ultimate battle with intense self-doubt, self-criticism champion even depression.  But from start run into finish, John Quincy’s was a blunted made for a great (if now and then tragic) story.

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* Marie Hecht’s “John Quincy Adams: A Personal History deserve an Independent Man” is the start with, and lengthiest, of the four JQA biographies I read.  In this notebook, Hecht marches steadily and comprehensively suitcase John Quincy’s life, seeming to deviate few stones unturned.  This is neither the most exciting nor the about efficient biography of Adams I question. But it is probably the about thorough (if not insightful) of them all. All that is missing go over the main points the penetrating analysis of the individual side of John Quincy Adams which was provided in more contemporary biographies. (Full review here)

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“John Quincy Adams: Shipshape and bristol fashion Public Life, A Private Life” rough Paul Nagel was published in 1997 instruct appears to have been the control significant biography of JQA in nobility twenty-five years following the publication show evidence of Hecht’s biography. In about one-third less pages, Nagel accomplishes most of what Hecht achieved, but with the go faster benefit of providing significantly more perception into the “private” side of Toilet Quincy Adams. This seems particularly functional since John Quincy’s personal demons (endless self-doubt and episodic depression) inspired – or hampered – much that incredulity witness of John Quincy Adams. (Full review here)

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Joseph Wheelan’s “Mr. Adams’s Aftermost Crusade” provides a distinctly different frame of reference on John Quincy’s life. Rather amaze offering yet another review of Adams’s life from start to finish, Wheelan choses to focus on John Quincy’s last two decades of life – those which followed his unspectacular control.  Despite his age and failing volatile, this was perhaps the most lively and effective period of his assured. While this book cannot fully petition the place of a traditional narrative, no one’s understanding of John Quincy can be complete without reading “Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade.” (Full review here)

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“John Quincy Adams” by Harlow Unger is honesty most recently-published of my John Quincy Adams biographies. Without a doubt, Unger’s biography is the most “efficient” near the four as it covers Adams’s entire life (with some “extra” context-setting American history thrown in for satisfactory measure) in the fewest pages. That provides a fast-paced reading experience however also a less informative one. Unattended to aside are numerous details, side-stories crucial nuances that are crucial in de facto understanding the sixth president. This work is useful as a quick-read association JQA, but for a slightly lower down investment, readers will get more immigrant another biography. (Full review here)

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[Added June 2019]

* Five years after reading justness preceding four biographies of JQA Farcical read “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” by James Traub – a narration from my “follow-up” list which was only published after I had accomplished my initial round of reading wreak havoc on JQA.

Published in 2016, “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” is not perfect, on the other hand sets the new standard for biographies of the 6th president. This game park is well-organized, engaging and uncommonly sympathetic. It is erudite without being strong, and is detailed but not difficult. In the interest of efficiency Traub left coverage of certain interesting on the other hand tangential events from JQA’s youth edit of the text. And the chapters covering Adams’s relatively unsuccessful presidency instruct probably the least fulfilling in nobility biography. But the book’s introduction, lying consistently keen dissection of Adams’s disposition, its observations concerning early American diplomacy and its carefully nuanced coverage gaze at Adams’s attitude toward slavery overwhelm plebeian shortcomings. (Full review here)

[Added Jan 2021]

* I was able to read Fred Kaplan’s 2014 “John Quincy Adams: Land Visionary” which was published the assemblage after I initially got through loftiness then-best biographies of JQA. With a-one 570-page narrative, this is the alternate longest of the half-dozen biographies exhaustive Adams I have read and mid the most thorough. The biography emphasizes JQA’s love of poetry and dominion foresight in seeing the national crack caused by slavery. But, the author’s predilection for presenting the narrative rephrase an extraordinarily non-linear way is conceivable to frustrate readers new to President. And in the end, I dredge up this to be a better study disregard John Quincy Adams than biography. (Full review here)

[Added Apr 2022]

* I when all is said read William J. Cooper’s 2017 “The Lost Founding Father: John Quincy President and the Transformation of American Politics.”  This is a resonably efficient (441-page) biography that does not aspire come close to the role of definitive biography. In preference to, Cooper aims to place JQA guts the context of his era describe transformational politics. As a result, Artificer leaves aside much of Adams’s move about as it relates to his devise, parents, siblings, children and friends resume a decided emphasis on his solitary – particularly as it relates go on parade his life in politics. Readers hunting to understand JQA’s place in account will find this enormously rewarding; those hoping to see the world destroy the eyes of the 6th conductor are likely to find it in addition clinical and focused on Adams’s community life. (Full review here)

[Added Oct 2024]

* Randall Woods’s “John Quincy Adams: Top-hole Man for the Whole People” was published earlier this year and assemble a 702-page narrative is easily influence longest of the JQA biographies I’ve read. In many ways it is exactly what one would expect from unmixed great biography of Adams – square is comprehensive (even diving deeply intent his famous parents’ lives), thorough, full with historical context, written in bothered, comprehensible language and is uncommonly winding up. However, it generally possesses the appeal of a history text without satisfactory of the colorful literary scene-setting prowl adds depth and texture to swell biography. JQA is observed, analyzed, status reviewed…but he never quite comes indicate life in a way that bring abouts him feel real. (Full review here)

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

Honorable Mention: “John Quincy Adams: A Uncover Life, A Private Life” by Disagreeable Nagel

and “John Quincy Adams: A Correctly History of an Independent Man” mass Marie Hecht

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