John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life

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John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 813 ratings · 60 reviews

Nagel probes deeply into the psyche of this cantankerous, misanthropic, erudite, hardworking son of a former president whose remarkable career spanned many offices: minister to Holland, Russia, and England, U.S. senator, secretary of state, president of the United States (1825-1829), and, finally, U.S. representative (the only ex-president to serve in the House). On the ba...more

Paperback, 466 pages

Published April 15th 1999 by Harvard University Press (first published September 30th 1997)

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Apr 16, 2013 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir

A good biography must be more than a summary of dates and events; the best would not only relate an individual's achievements, but also his motivating influences and internal conflicts. Because John Quincy Adams kept a very detailed, and intimate, diary for 70 years of his life, the author had a wealth of information upon which to draw, the result being a dynamic exploration of the sixth president.

Well-traveled from a young age and educated in European schools, Adams found it difficult to later...more A good biography must be more than a summary of dates and events; the best would not only relate an individual's achievements, but also his motivating influences and internal conflicts. Because John Quincy Adams kept a very detailed, and intimate, diary for 70 years of his life, the author had a wealth of information upon which to draw, the result being a dynamic exploration of the sixth president.

Well-traveled from a young age and educated in European schools, Adams found it difficult to later settle into Harvard life and the tedium of a law practice. His relationship with politics could be termed one of reluctant compulsion - consistently disavowing any interest in public service, he nevertheless pursued it relentlessly, and with great skill. His time as a US representative to Russia and England, two terms as Monroe's secretary of state, and a long stint in the House of Representatives during his later years were productive and earned him great respect. His ineffective presidency seems like a brief dip in an otherwise successful career.

Personally, he was plagued with issues of self-esteem, never believing that his efforts were appreciated by the public, or that he even merited respect. Despite going through periods in which he pared down his slumber to four hours a night, he was never satisfied with his level of productivity, and frequently berated himself for wasting time. His greatest desire was to contribute in the areas of literature or science, a dream not realized despite his best efforts. He suffered bouts of crippling depression, but managed to elude the familial curse of alcoholism, which claimed both of his brothers and two of his sons.

His writings are inspiring - though he was never fully satisfied with his achievements, his quest for self-improvement, his driving ambition to have a positive impact on future generations, and the lengths to which he would go in an effort to meet his own expectations were impressive.

This book captures the full essence of the man, his public persona and his private struggles. Excellent, absorbing read.(less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Jay Adams-feuer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in US History from the Revolution and before the Jacksonian era.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. To know the son (JQA), it is helpful to know how the Adams's four generations began. This can be accomplished by reading JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough, or by watching (or reading) THE ADAMS CHRONICLES. The videos are sold by PBS and one can take them out of better libraries as well. Used copies of McCullough's book abound on the net. The Book The Adams Chronicles (which I have in softcover but once had in hardcover .

Nagel, who also wrote DESCENT FROM GLORY" which was on the more social history...more To know the son (JQA), it is helpful to know how the Adams's four generations began. This can be accomplished by reading JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough, or by watching (or reading) THE ADAMS CHRONICLES. The videos are sold by PBS and one can take them out of better libraries as well. Used copies of McCullough's book abound on the net. The Book The Adams Chronicles (which I have in softcover but once had in hardcover .

Nagel, who also wrote DESCENT FROM GLORY" which was on the more social history side of things, does a brilliant job of showing JQA grow up, especially his mother's great expectations that he would turn out like his father and be a great statesman. Abigail takes JQA to see the Battle of Bunker Hill, and had a marriage of equals with JA. Young JQA takes to school in Holland and goes abroad, to schools in France and Holland and spends much time with his father and Thomas Jefferson gleaning much about the art of diplomacy.

It is pure joy to read this book, because, in a conversational yet scholarly style, he succeeds in drawing the reader into the private and public spheres of JQA's milieu. He is a good psychologist,and seems to have made good use of the Adams family's prodigious writings.

JQA learns much in the way of European culture and civilization. JA send him to the University of Leiden, an then serves as Francis Henry Dana's secretary to Russia.One gets the sense of OBLIGATION AND HIGH STANDARDS that JA AND AA put on their children. It seems to have lead indirectly to the suicide of JQA's brothers Charles and the alcoholism of JQA's brother Thomas, who served in the MA state legislature. JQA s himself stern in a more Puritanical way than his parents were. JA was a creature of the Enlightenment, and JQA's feet were firmly planted in the 19th century. His elder sister Abigail (Nabby) was married to one of his father's former secretaries, Captain John Smith, JQA was cos to his sister Nabby,as, when his mother came to join his father briefly in France and then in England, she accompanied them. The younger boys were left with aunts and uncles.

After finishing studies at the University of Leiden, he returned home to graduate with high honors from Harvard College, as his father had done before him. When the United States needs diplomats, he was first in service to the Federalists, in the service of Presidents Madison and Monroe. During his father's time in office, he was absent from public view and practiced law.

He was elected to the US Senate by the Massachusetts legislature for a six year term, beginning in 1800. Thomas Jefferson, his father's Vice President and now arch-rival, was elected by the American people. At first he is a champion of the Federalists, industry, and government intervention on behalf of those who need it. In 1805 came a turning point when a Tariff bill favored by the Federalists and most especially New York and Massachusetts came up. JQA sees the Democratic-Republican anti-Tariff stand as the best when balancing the interest of the nation as a whole and thinking as a statesman rather than a politician, he votes on their side, the only representative of either party in New England to do so. His successor is unceremoniously elected more than 6 months before the end of his tenure, and JQA decides to resign rather than put up with this sort of petty retribution. (This episode is also the first "profile in courage," in Senator (and later President) John F. Kennedy's book of accounts of "heroic" Senators prior to his time in office.

He served as US Ambassador to the Netherlands, Prussia, and the Court of St. James's (England). He was well accomplished and returned to Washington to become Secretary of State. He did not have quite the passion for Louisa Catherine that his father had for his mother. He didn't seem to understand the female sex and was often insensitive and uncharitable in his comments at times, and she perhaps emotionally on the fragile side. Her father's bankruptcy during the course of their engagement (in London) shamed her, though JQA did not see it from the same vantage point. Hal-English and half-American, he was, much like her husband, a creature of two continents. As their marriage wends its way through diplomatic postings, the Senate, th Secretariat of STate, the Presidency and the post-Presidential career of 18 years in the House of Representatives, their love grows stronger and stronger.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Socraticgadfly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, politics-public-policy, biography

A good, solid bio of someone who was perhaps a bit the George H.W. Bush of his day,only better at it. Not a real "partisan," he voted Jeffersonian not Federalist half the time when a U.S. Senator. The author of the "Monroe Doctrine," and the defender of the US issuing the idea alone, not in conjunction with Britain. Dedicated to free speech as a Congressman. A man miserable as president.

And miserable trying to live up to a domineering mother, a weight of family history and a scolding self-consci...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Regina Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although probably the most prepared man in history to become president, JQA's presidency is viewed by most historians as an abysmal failure. However, what does get lost in history is the success JQA found in other roles of government. He was well traveled by the time he reached his teen years. He was highly intelligent. Served admirably as diplomat and Secretary of State. Eventually returned to the House after his presidency.

Using JQA's diaries as his primary source, Nagel reveals the complexi...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Eric Paulsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Quincy Adams, or JQA, could have been a President. Or he could have been a writer, a farmer, a swimmer, or a panhandler. Of course, I know that he was the sixth President of the United States, but his fame is not renown. Unfortunately, he was just as remedially unimportant during his administration as he is today in the eyes of popular society. Paul C. Nagel paints a different portrait of JQA, however, as someone that should be remembered, despite his forgotten presidency. Nagel portrays th...more John Quincy Adams, or JQA, could have been a President. Or he could have been a writer, a farmer, a swimmer, or a panhandler. Of course, I know that he was the sixth President of the United States, but his fame is not renown. Unfortunately, he was just as remedially unimportant during his administration as he is today in the eyes of popular society. Paul C. Nagel paints a different portrait of JQA, however, as someone that should be remembered, despite his forgotten presidency. Nagel portrays the son of our second President, John Adams (see review on John Adams by David McCullough, below) as a statesmen that truly encapsulates American politics, classical integrity and as a contemporary connoisseur of beauty. During the junior Adams time in Europe as miscellaneous ministers and diplomats, he encouraged literature beyond any other form of learning. In fact, JQA's highest passion was to become not a politician, but a poet. His genes and his flair for political discourse, however, fueled his father's admonition that he follow his footsteps. Although JQA was reluctant to enter public service, his unmatchable pride and obsession with receiving public adulation circumvented his recalcitrant ideals of the body politic.

Nagel follows young JQA as the son of a great public servant through his time as assistant to the minister plenipotentiary to Russia, Sigma cum Laude at Harvard, member of the House of Representatives, first professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard, Minister to Russia, Netherlands and Portugal, Secretary of State and President of the United States in such as way that will interest any person looking to further their knowledge of the man, 19th century politics, the declining Federalist Party or passionate about a man who's moral integrity surpasses that of most statesmen throughout the first 50 years of the 1800's. The biography is easy to read despite it's 419 pages of beautiful prose and undeniable intellectual offers. The only negative thing I have to say about the book is its discrepancies between it and McCullough's John Adams' portrayals of JQA's mother, Abigail. McCullough's account asserts Abigail as a genial, loving wife and mother, and one of the greatest first ladies we have ever seen. Nagel's writings depict her not as amicable, but overly strict, disciplinary and harsh as a mother. I cannot contend one way or the other which is the more accurate portrayal, but just as I would encourage any person to read Nagel's biography, read McCullough's as well and get back to me on your ideas. :)

I think the paragraph that best captures JQA's character is found in the epilogue of Nagel's book. I will close with those sentences, but let me plead one thing to my readers. Political bipartisanship destroyed JQA's presidency, and in many ways that is why he is forgotten. But the second I opened this book I knew that I would enjoy reading about the man. I will passionately debate why his career was not a bust, and the policies he enacted and defended had a lasting impact on the future of the United States, particularly a foreshadow to the abolishment of slavery. And now, to conclude, Mr. Paul C. Nagel:

"These bulletins featured the fallen hero's last words, for at the moment of his death, those gathered at his side heard him mutter a sentence. Some claimed he murmured: 'This is the end of earth, but I am content.' To others he seemed to say: 'This is the last of earth- I am composed.'

Both dying assertions were widely repeated, although the second seems more likely correct. In all his life, Adams was never content. It was a word he rarely used, for he was one of the least easily satisfied men in history. On the other hand, he always sought- and often failed- to find self-control. Death should have brought the moment when he would most wish to account himself composed."
(less)

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May 01, 2012 Riley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An enjoyable biography of John Quincy Adams that spends a lot of time on his inner life and not a lot on the political battles of his era. Based largely on his extensive diaries, the book reads somewhat like Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, given Adams' constant emphasis on self-critique, self-improvement and self-experimentation.

For instance, before he was elected the 6th president:

"John Quincy Adams' second four years as secretary of state were given only in part to chasing the presidency....more An enjoyable biography of John Quincy Adams that spends a lot of time on his inner life and not a lot on the political battles of his era. Based largely on his extensive diaries, the book reads somewhat like Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, given Adams' constant emphasis on self-critique, self-improvement and self-experimentation.

For instance, before he was elected the 6th president:

"John Quincy Adams' second four years as secretary of state were given only in part to chasing the presidency. He was, after all, still a highly conscientious public official, so that when electoral agitation increased the annoying interruptions at the State Department, he decided that he must squeeze more time from each twenty-four hours. To do so, he began getting up at 3 a.m., a Draconian remedy that soon backfired.

"'The greatest difficulty [he wrote] that I find in rising early and at a regular hour is that when I steadily pursue that intention, I awake earlier every morning than the preceding one, til I lose the due and necessary sleep of the night, the consequence of which is a most painful drowsiness the ensuing day.'"

You know it is going to be a unique account of a presidency when you read the following:

"It may confound some readers that a biography of any American president should devote only a single chapter to his administration. Nevertheless, such brevity seems appropriate for John Quincy Adams. His four years in the White House were misery for him and for his wife. All that he hoped to accomplish was thwarted by a hostile Congress. His opponents continually assailed him with what he claimed was the foulest slander. Consequently, while Adams sought reelection in 1828, he did so mostly from stubborn pride, and he actually looked impatiently toward his certain defeat by Andrew Jackson. For the remaining twenty years of his life, he reflected on his presidency with distaste, convinced that he had been the victim of evildoers. his administration was a hapless failure and best forgotten, save for the personal anguish it cost him."(less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Christopher Litsinger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: presidents-of-the-united-states-of, non-fiction, read-in-2012

Every bit as good as McCollough's biography of his father.
Nagel relies on John Quincy Adams' personal journals, which leads to a deep understanding of the man, without the interpersonal filtering (or outright lying) that often happens with letters, which most of the previous presidential biographies I've read have been based on.
And Adams' led a fascinating life: living throughout Europe and Russia as a young man, a short and failed presidency, followed by a long and cantankerous career in the ho...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: franklin-library, history

This book might be called a "psychological biography" as much as anything else. That isn't to describe its depth, of which there is little, nor to suggest that it is primarily devoted to a purely psychological portrait of its subject. What this book attempts and largely succeeds at doing is to explain John Quincy Adams' actions in light of his personality.

This is a useful perspective, and a fairly easy one to work from, especially if you accept unquestioningly Nagel's assertion that Adams's domi...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Patricia Mendez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was familiar with the Adams Family having read several books on JQA's famous parents. I was interested in learning what type of man JQA was in his private life as well as his professional career. This book did not disappoint in terms of bringing out JQA's genius, personality, talents and struggles. He unquestionably blessed the United States of America with his diplomatic skills with various important treaties and his life-long service. All the while struggling with bouts crippling depression....more

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Oct 29, 2010 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

"John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life" by Paul C. Nagel is a biography of the sixth president of these United States. JQA, as he referred to himself to be distinguished from his prominent father, was a melancholy politician who would have rather been a man of letters, than the lawyer / diplomat / politician he turned out to be. The book is based mostly on JQA's diary which spanned an amazing seven decades - arguably the "most valuable historical and personal journal kept by any promi...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Stuart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

I was inspired to read this after visiting the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, where the gallery of the presidents shows each and every one, and says something good about each.
The book is written smoothly, and is therefore easy to read. But somehow it is not written inspiringly, and so I found myself turning the pages even faster than might have been called for, to try to get to the interesting bits.
JQA, as the biography calls him to distinguish him from his presidential parent, is...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Jenny Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those rare and wonderful biographies of a public figure that gives you deep insight into the person behind the historical personage. I had always bought into the commonly held idea that JQA was a curmudgeon who didn't live up to his father's heroic example. I came away from this book appreciating both his accomplishments and the emotional difficulties he faced as he lived a life where the best of the 18th and early 19th century cultural values warred within him. The political hist...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: presidential-biography

In my quest to read a biography of every president, this is #6. The writing was good, but there seemed to be too much on JQA as a person and not enough of his politics or the politics of the time. There was more written about his legal apprenticeship than his presidency. However he is a very interesting character - a master of languages at a young age (he taught himself French well enough at age 14 to speak at the French royal court!) and avid swimmer but did not come across as very personable....more

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Apr 06, 2013 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very thorough overview of the lesser known of the two John Adams'. Modern studies of history pare down figures into keywords, and JQA has always been relegated to themes such as testy, snobbish, and temperamental. This book does a good job of rounding out the man and bringing forth the motives and desires that led to his furor in pursuing what he felt was a struggle of good vs evil. He could embody all of the negative attributes mentioned above, but he was also someone who truly fought for wha...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 18th-c, 19th-c, audio-book, library-book, non-fiction, president, united-states

John Quincy Adams is one of the presidents that we learn about in school mostly under the preface of “he was the son of John Adams” and his failure of a presidency and time spent as a Congressman are sometimes highlighted. One aspect that we are almost never treated to is his private life, interactions with his parents, his wife, and his children. Paul C. Nagel sets out to provide us with an insight into Adams private life as well as feature his public life. There is a nice preface to the book w...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, us-history

John Quincy Adams (or JQA) was a brilliant, but troubled man, who never seemed to feel as if he accomplished very much. A Harvard educated Lawyer, scholar, writer, orator, diplomat, and having served in public office for over 60 years, he was his own worst enemy.

Like his father, the 2nd President John Adams, John Quincy Adams was a difficult person, and a person who liked to be surrounded in controversy, and was not afraid of forcing his opinion on others. This led to his developing many enemie...more John Quincy Adams (or JQA) was a brilliant, but troubled man, who never seemed to feel as if he accomplished very much. A Harvard educated Lawyer, scholar, writer, orator, diplomat, and having served in public office for over 60 years, he was his own worst enemy.

Like his father, the 2nd President John Adams, John Quincy Adams was a difficult person, and a person who liked to be surrounded in controversy, and was not afraid of forcing his opinion on others. This led to his developing many enemies in government, among which were his successor as President, Andrew Jackson, and others. Over his life, his dread of slavery and concern about its spread of in the United States, made him despised by many in the South, where human enslavement thrived throughout his lifetime. His denouncement of it, and growing hatred of it throughout his life and career made him the brunt of jokes, ridicule in the press, and a target for bullies while serving in government. His oratory skills, however, drove the sentiment among the public (mostly in the north) to speak out against the horrors of slavery.

An interesting character, his personality was formed by a driving father, and strong mother who rarely showed trust of belief in her son. She constantly berated him as he was young, and even into adulthood, about watching out for temptations of flesh. She never trusted that he would follow "Christian" morals. Eventually, she shut off his communication with her, failing to respond to her letters.

Raised primarily in Europe, where his father was a diplomat, he developed a fondness for all things European and became fluent in several languages. His diplomatic skills honed, he was first appointed to the US Diplomatic Corps by George Washington. Throughout his diplomatic career, he was assigned to France, England, Holland, Belgium and Russia. He returned to the US where he was elected to Congress, and eventually became Secretary of State under President James Monroe. He followed Monroe as President. Although he lost the popular vote to Andrew Jackson, he was given the Presidency by the House of Representatives.

This caused severe tension in government, led by those who felt he stole the Presidency from the one who deserved it and won the popular vote. There was a wedge drawn between him and the southern states, and the spite shown to him caused his Presidency to be largely a failure and uneventful. He lost his second term to Jackson in what has become known as the bitterest election in the history of the United States.

Although he largely felt a failure, he was elected to Congress where he served until the day he died. He was not only a champion of freeing the slaves, he argued and fought in congress for ensuring the US was a peaceful country. When the US went to war with Mexico over ownership of what is now Texas, he was one of a dozen congressmen who voted against the war.

If I were to diagnose JQA, psychologically, I would guess that he was bipolar and paranoid. He had tremendous highs, where he would travel, orate and write journals, and serious lows where he would contemplate his own death. Louisa, his wife of over 50 years, served to help him through these crises, although it took a tremendous toll on her. She was his intellectual equal, and was the first of the First Ladies of the United States who did more than simply entertain guests.

I found the book remarkable. At 400 pages, it is certainly not the longest book written about a US politician. The author, Paul Nagel, drew his research primarily from the volumes of personal documents the former President left behind. Interestingly, with all of his remarkable accomplishments, only one chapter is dedicated to his Presidency. Given everything else the man accomplished in his life, one chapter probably was enough. But, I found the level of detail in the book to be both a help and a hindrance. There were times where the tedium was high, and reading became difficult. All in all, the detail in the book brought life to a man dead for almost 200 years. I applaud this book as a real triumph in showing the character of a man who had a tremendous impact on the development of this new country. (less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Jennie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-autobiography, i-own, non-fiction, presidential-challenge, read-in-2012, read-in-february

I have to get something off my chest before I really get started with this – After reading John Adams by David McCullough and watching the mini-series I held John Quincy Adams to this level of awesomeness just because I “watched” him grow up. Not even 100 pages into this biography I had to admit to myself that he is a total jerk. Like the king of all jerks in the world. He should get a crown for his haughty attitude and general disdain – it seemed to ooze out of his pores and writings.

Aside fro...more I have to get something off my chest before I really get started with this – After reading John Adams by David McCullough and watching the mini-series I held John Quincy Adams to this level of awesomeness just because I “watched” him grow up. Not even 100 pages into this biography I had to admit to myself that he is a total jerk. Like the king of all jerks in the world. He should get a crown for his haughty attitude and general disdain – it seemed to ooze out of his pores and writings.

Aside from that, I thought his battle with depression was well explained and described in this book. It addressed it properly – giving it the weight it deserved, but also separating it from his general jerkiness. Once again in reading a non-fiction book about this time I am in awe of how far our medical environment has advanced – not only in acceptance for conditions like depression, but also just in treatment options. However, I wish that sabbaticals to visit “healing waters” would be reinstated. I’m pretty sure that taking a long vacation to a seaside town would do my attitude wonders.

One of the items I found most surprising about JQA is that his years as President were his least productive and the darkest of his life. I think I have always thought that the Presidential position was one of utmost success – touch and difficult yes, but still a time to feel a level of achieving the highest goal – but not for JQA in the slightest. He fought all through politics against the party attitudes and yet his time in the White House was so full of party lines he wasn’t able to accomplish much. This, of course, left him feeling unproductive and resentful.

He wasn't always useless though - he worked tirelessly to bring the Smithsonian Institutes into reality. I have visited a few of the museum's in Washington DC and they were impressive. To know that he used his love of art, history, and creative passions to establish such a treasure shows that his legacy lives on.

It seems that much of his life JQA spent doing things he didn’t like. He hated the practice of law, preferring rather to spend his time with the literary world. His time abroad included some of his best years – primarily due to his schedule allowing his creative interests to foster, especially with such close proximity to famed artists of all formats. He was a man of the arts, not a man of the law or politics. And yet, he took the political route many times just because it kept him from having to practice law to eat. The lesser of two evils as some might say.

I finished this book with a profound feeling of sadness. JQA spent much of his life chastising himself for frittering away time doing things that he enjoyed. He had such a strict expectation of himself that he couldn’t possibly live up to it. Yes, he was a jerk – but not just outsiders, he was a jerk to himself too. I wonder if he would have been a happier man had his duties as an ambassador for the US had kept him overseas longer than what actually transpired.(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gotta say, I really didn't know what to expect with this biography of the Sixth President. On the one hand, I'd heard he was cold, humourless and unbearably arrogant. On the other, I'd heard it was generally agreed he was the smartest of all the Presidents. And there there's the fact of his life that appear in McCullough's bio of his father, or in bios of Madison and Monroe - in whose administrations he served.

And the verdict? Yes. Cold, humourless, arrogant - all probably because of the fact...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

JQA may have been our most intelligent president, but ironically, his term in office was one of the most unremarkable in our nation's history. The author only devotes one chapter to his ineffectual presidency, so this in not the book to read if your are looking for a history of presidential politics. This book focuses much more on the personal side of JQA, with great success. JQA kept a detailed and revealing journal for 70 years of his life, so historians are blessed with a tremendous primary s...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: grown-up-books

Perhaps I am blinded by my Massachusetts blood, but I have always believed that both John Adams and JQA have been vastly underrated by history. It may also be that portrayals of both of them as stubborn, sometimes cold, and cantankerous men don't trouble me so much since I recognize the typical marks of a New Englander in that profile. And neither of them was as cold or cantankerous as some would say anyway.
In any case, this is an excellent biography, aided, of course, by the existence of JQA's...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Andrew Bolender rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Public Life, A Private Life shows the struggle of one man, John Quincy Adams (JQA) to get out of the shadow of his father. Ever a reluctant person, Adams was thrust into the public spotlight with a father who laid the foundations for the country. It was now, however, going to be easy for him to live up to the expectations of his father or his country.

Nagel shows Quincy just as the title notes, in his private role and his public role. Much like Chernow's text on Alexander Hamilton, Nagel is ob...more

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May 10, 2010 Jennifer Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: presidential-books, 2010-books

This is a very informative and enjoyable biography to read. Paul Nagel knows his stuff – there is definite evidence of his thorough research of the Adams family. His writing style is clear, concise, and never dry. He moves it along at a good speed but doesn’t get bogged in details. He presents John Quincy’s life in such a way that you immediately get engrossed in the story and forget who the author is. I think that is proof of and excellent author, one who puts himself aside and tells the story...more

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Dec 02, 2008 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in American history

Shelves: presidents, biography

John Quincy Adams started keeping journals at age 11 and continued to write prolifically in them until old-age infirmities kept him from being able to hold a pen. Mr. Nagel makes a point of telling us that he has read them all. At first I thought this might make for a dull biography since I'm generally more interested in the politics than the personalities, but it worked well and made me think that I got some understanding of Adams' motivations. Those journals must have been tedious given Adams'...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Tom Rowe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, president

Here's a sci fi connection for you. JQA wanted to build the first observatory in the states. I didn't know anything about JQA before except for the movie Amistad. He was an interesting guy. His presidency was the least interesting part of his life. He was central to getting the Smithsonian Institution off the ground. He was a linguist and poet. He seemed to always be afraid of not living up to his own expectations.

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Jul 09, 2011 Tom Darrow rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very solid biography of JQA. Explores his complicated relationship with his father, his troubled presidency and his fight with what some would now call bi-polar disorder. Paints him as an ideal counterpoint to Jackson as being the most influential person of the early 1800s.

Not for your average reader, though. It's pretty long and you really need to want to learn about JQA to make it all the way through.

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Jan 05, 2009 Pat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My interest in John Quincy Adams was tweaked when I read David McCullough's wonderful book, John Adams. As the title indicates, this book describes his life both privately and publicly. His romance with his wife, his letters to her, and the tensions between his wife and Mother all added interest to the book. For a history buff, the descriptions of happenings in the country lent further interest.

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Dec 25, 2011 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: us-presidents, american-history, biography, adams

Excellent biography based on JQA's diaries (of nearly seventy years), focused more on his private than public life. Such an amazing man-- well traveled by his teen years, brilliant diplomat, Harvard graduate (2nd in his class), struggled with depression, perfectionism and trying to meet the high standards of his parents. Would have preferred to be a man of letters (was a professor of Oratory at Harvard) and had a passion for science and technology. He was a lawyer, U.S. Senator, Secretary of Sta...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Aaron Benedict rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography, own

A really good insight into a president that followed in his father's footsteps of a life in public service. What I found most interesting about the biography was the tense relationship that JQA had with his mother Abigail. It seems as though Abigail was very demanding with her first born and really never allowed him to choose his own path.

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Aug 02, 2011 Ethan Green added it

Overall, Nagel does an excellent job chronicling the life of this outstanding American. My only complaint is the relatively short treatment of JQA's Presidency (and election); as well as the seemingly hurried summary of the last few years of his life. Very readable and, by biographical standards, gripping.

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Dec 13, 2009 Peter Sprunger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: presidential-biography

Paul Nagel accomplishes his goal in writing a book trying to capture who JQA was as a person. The book therefore glosses over his political accomplishments and makes reference to other biographies where these details can be found. Overall it was very readable and is excellent if you are looking for something that explores the man and doesn't get into the nitty-gritty of history.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: 15. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~CHAPTER FIFTEEN & EPILOGUE (382 - 420) (4/16/12 - 4/22/12)~No Spoilers, please	14	20	May 06, 2012 08:08pm
The History Book ...: 14. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~CHAPTER FOURTEEN (354 - 381) (4/9/12 - 4/15/12)~No Spoilers, please	16	16	May 03, 2012 07:21am
The History Book ...: 16. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~BOOK AS A WHOLE AND FINAL THOUGHTS (4/23/12 - 4/29/12)~Spoiler Thread	15	33	May 03, 2012 07:17am
The History Book ...: 13. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~CHAPTER THIRTEEN (327 - 353) (4/2/12 - 4/8/12)~No Spoilers, please	20	20	May 01, 2012 06:51pm
The History Book ...: 12. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS ~ CHAPTER 12 (296-326) (3/26/12 - 4/2/12) No spoilers, please	16	73	Apr 22, 2012 03:41pm
The History Book ...: 11. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~CHAPTER ELEVEN (268 - 295) (3/19/12 - 3/25/12)~No Spoilers, please	11	15	Apr 19, 2012 06:03pm
The History Book ...: 10. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS~~CHAPTER TEN (241 - 267) (3/12/12 - 3/18/12)~No Spoilers, please	15	16	Apr 18, 2012 08:11am

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