Farrar, Straus & Giroux
544 Pages
In the wake of David McCullough’s seminal John Adams, other books about our second president quickly hit the shelves. There were some claims that this book, John Adams: Party of One by James Grant, was a “medium” compared to McCullough’s “large.” I did not see that at all after reading this book. I would put it on par with that other work. In fact, in some places, I would even daresay that it was better.
John Adams was the unlikeliest of diplomats. He simply wasn’t the most diplomatic person to begin with. His Puritanical upbringing was stringent and could often be at odds with both sides of an argument. His strengths lay in his verbosity and his eagerness to do the right thing, even in the face of the popular spirit. Because of this, many have considered Adams to be a party unto himself… a party of one. Even Washington, who had no party affiliation, stood as alone as Adams did on many occasions.
John Adams was a complex man. While he hated debt, he worked diligently to obtain loans to help the United States fight against Britain and to hold their heads above water after their victory. Likewise, he was a devout Congregationalist, but was a driving force in getting Episcopal bishops consecrated in the new republic. He was fiercely devoted to his friends, but was easy to take offense.
James Grant explores these contradicting positions that helped to define the man who would succeed George Washington as the head of the country. Adams’ resume before and during the American Revolution made him more than qualified for the position of president. However, once he got there, he wasn’t given the same latitude as his predecessor, nor even from his peers, including friends. He found himself more and more alone, on a political island all by himself. Adams didn’t always help himself in these situations as he was quick to temper.
Some historians claim that Adams was vain, desperate for glory. I do not see that. I see a man who wanted to be given a chance, and have the same respect shown to him as to some of his peers. And he got upset when it didn’t happen. This made things worse for him, as his opponents knew how to get under his skin. While he made some questionable decisions as president, he was in a situation where he could never live up to his immediate predecessor. No matter what he did, it would always be weighed against Washington. For this, he has been given an unfair shake by his peers, historians, and the public at large. This book helps to peel back some of this to show us John Adams, the man.
I felt in some ways that this book gave a more in-depth history of John Adams than McCullough’s book did. However, McCullough’s book is easier to read compared to this one. I don’t feel it’s too difficult to read, though, and should be a part of your reading project if you choose to move ahead with that. John Adams: Party of One by James Grant helps to explore more of the human side of Adams. While no biography should be fully for or against the subject, it should be a fair balance of weighing the good and bad together to bring forth a fuller picture of the person. There have been some books that border on all-out hero worship. This is not one of them. Grant provides a fair balance between the good, the bad, and the ugly. For this, I give Grant high marks on his biography.
Craig Bacon is moving rapidly through the books now that he’s set his mind to it.
NEXT UP: John Adams Under Fire by Dan Abrams