I am finally finished reading this book and now am experiencing some sadness that is it over. This is a marvelous account of a very distinguished man that I enjoyed learning about. Many of the things he did/accomplished/was involved with, I already knew; however, learning about his fatherly/grandfatherly side was delightful. He was a true gentleman and I loved reading about his correspondence with his family, friends and grandchildren. I would have loved to receive letters like he wrote - words that could be savored for ever. I'm not sure that many of us have letters from any relatives from when we were younger or appreciated them like John Adams' friends and family.
I disagree to some extent with the comments that some have made about Jefferson and the others. In my humble, unofficial opinion, men like Jefferson did have good qualities and John Adams indicated this fact in his later life and letters. I'm not sure how all of us would have dealt with the politics of the time nor the criticisms, and/or reports of what we did in our private or public lives, etc. What would have been the outcome of their disagreements if the communication they had with each other had been quicker instead of weeks or months?
I would love to read biographies of this caliber concerning Jefferson, Hamilton, and others involved with John Adams before, during, and after his presidency. Had these men kept the collection of correspondence that Adams did, would we learn something new? I would like to think so. My thoughts for the day.
Pat Drussel
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I absolutely agree with your comments. I think that I've alluded to this in previous blogs, but it is important for us to judge history from the context of their time, not just from our time. We can't just take one source and pass judgement on people who have obviously contributed to the country that we love so much!
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