Though a little dry, this is by far the most comprehensive book I have read about the political history of the Washington and Adams administrations. Instead of focusing only on the well-known principals, local political trends, social pressures, and international events are brought together to give a thorough understanding of the era. The authors seem to have sought to create a work that can stand beside Adams's history of the Jefferson and Madison administrations (or at least its two-volume abridged version). I haven't seen any other work that comes so close to success. I would even recommend the chapter on American-French relations to those who have no especial interest in the last years of the 18th century.