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Free Press, Edition: 1
Description
"In America's First Dynasty, Brookhiser tells the story of America's longest and still greatest dynasty - the Adamses, the only family in our history to play a leading role in American affairs for nearly two centuries. From John, the self-made, tough-minded lawyer who rose to the highest office in the government he helped create; to John Quincy, the child prodigy who grew up amid foreign royalty, followed his father to the White House, and later reinvented himself as a champion of liberty in Congress; to politician and writer Charles Francis, the only well-balanced Adams; to Henry, brilliant scholar and journalist - the Adamses achieved longer-lasting greatness than any other American family."--Jacket.
User reviews
LibraryThing member carterchristian1
There are a number of books on "dynasty" first familes. Nagel has written more on the Adams family in Adams Women and Descent from Glory. There are an increasing number of books on the Bushes, not all flattering.
LibraryThing member JBD1
An excellent discussion of the Adams generations.
LibraryThing member HistReader
While this is not his first book, nor his first biography of important American politicians, it is decidedly written differently. In a New Englander matter-of-fact tone, with a smattering of don't-take-my-word-for-it and a texture of this-is-the-way-it-was, Mr. Brookhiser writes with an authority
Perhaps, realizing Richard Brookhiser was the editor of a premier conservative magazine, he remained arm's length away from the antithesis of the contemporary Bush Dynasty. Brookhiser pulled countless punches; authoring a book that fellow conservatives might label "benign" and liberals would undoubtedly attach as biased.
Rather than a prosy, pseudo-novel styled biography, Brookhiser remains clinical in his approach and spares the reader from delving into unauthorized biography muckraking. For instance he writes: "John Randolph, his power long lost to opium, alcohol, and irresponsibility, but his tongue still bright and gleaming, attacked [Henry] Clay with sparkling malice.... The secretary of state [Clay] challenged him [Randolph] to a duel. Both men missed twice and shook hands." (pg 94) While literarily elegant, he refrains from unnecessary elaboration.
As the perennial disagreement goes, the party name at the genesis of the Democrat Party can be a plethora of monikers; however Brookhiser insists on calling it the Republican Party [First Generation], opting to forgo a more clear delineation between the modern Republican Party and that of the Anti-Federalists. I merely mention this aspect of the book to illustrate his non-partisanship and sticking to historical facts, rather than retooling four Adamses lives to disparage a party.
Incorporating four men's biographies into one work, not a lot of depth is expected. But delightfully, the quartet of men spanning generations from pre-Revolutionary War to the start of World War I is surprisingly comprehensive. I especially enjoyed the sections on the lesser known Adamses, Charles Francis and Henry.
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from a standpoint of emotional detachment.Perhaps, realizing Richard Brookhiser was the editor of a premier conservative magazine, he remained arm's length away from the antithesis of the contemporary Bush Dynasty. Brookhiser pulled countless punches; authoring a book that fellow conservatives might label "benign" and liberals would undoubtedly attach as biased.
Rather than a prosy, pseudo-novel styled biography, Brookhiser remains clinical in his approach and spares the reader from delving into unauthorized biography muckraking. For instance he writes: "John Randolph, his power long lost to opium, alcohol, and irresponsibility, but his tongue still bright and gleaming, attacked [Henry] Clay with sparkling malice.... The secretary of state [Clay] challenged him [Randolph] to a duel. Both men missed twice and shook hands." (pg 94) While literarily elegant, he refrains from unnecessary elaboration.
As the perennial disagreement goes, the party name at the genesis of the Democrat Party can be a plethora of monikers; however Brookhiser insists on calling it the Republican Party [First Generation], opting to forgo a more clear delineation between the modern Republican Party and that of the Anti-Federalists. I merely mention this aspect of the book to illustrate his non-partisanship and sticking to historical facts, rather than retooling four Adamses lives to disparage a party.
Incorporating four men's biographies into one work, not a lot of depth is expected. But delightfully, the quartet of men spanning generations from pre-Revolutionary War to the start of World War I is surprisingly comprehensive. I especially enjoyed the sections on the lesser known Adamses, Charles Francis and Henry.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
Richard Brookhiser has written biographies of Presidents Madison and Washington, revolutionary statesmen Hamilton and Gouvernor Morris, and most recently a book on Lincoln, but my favorite of his biographies that I have read is America's First Dynasty: The Adamses, 1735-1918. The dates alone,
The first two of the dynasty, John and his son John Quincy both became President. The father was one of the leaders of the American Revolution while the son was both President and, later, member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts. John's grandson Charles Francis also had a brilliant political career that included a term as Minister to England in the Lincoln Administration. The fourth Adams of this dynasty, John's great grandson Henry Adams, found his greatness in literature both as an academic historian and with the publication of his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, a classic that is read to this day.
Their story begins with John Adams, a self-taught lawyer who rode horseback to meet clients, and ends with Henry Adams in France as World War I begins and he returns to Washington, D. C. This is a well told overview of a family dynasty that more than any other helped make the United States the great nation it is today.
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spanning three centuries, suggest the significance of this family on the history of the United States.The first two of the dynasty, John and his son John Quincy both became President. The father was one of the leaders of the American Revolution while the son was both President and, later, member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts. John's grandson Charles Francis also had a brilliant political career that included a term as Minister to England in the Lincoln Administration. The fourth Adams of this dynasty, John's great grandson Henry Adams, found his greatness in literature both as an academic historian and with the publication of his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, a classic that is read to this day.
Their story begins with John Adams, a self-taught lawyer who rode horseback to meet clients, and ends with Henry Adams in France as World War I begins and he returns to Washington, D. C. This is a well told overview of a family dynasty that more than any other helped make the United States the great nation it is today.
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LibraryThing member citizencane
America's First Dynasty takes a different approach to the lives of the Founders than that used by Brookhiser in his biographies of Washington, Hamilton, Madison and Gouveneur Morris. Most obviously it covers the lives of four generations of the Adams family from the birth of John Adams in 1735
In a sense Brookhiser is documenting the birth, development and gradual decline in the political prominence of the Adams dynasty from the founder who led the fight in Congress to declare independence, who served in a diplomatic capacity on behalf of the new republic in France, the Netherlands and England. Adams was Washington's Vice-President for both terms, won the election of 1796 and became the first incumbent to lose the Presidency.
His son, John Quincy Adams, served as a diplomat in Holland, Prussia and Russia, was elected President in 1824 and like his father was defeated as an incumbent when he lost to Andrew Jackson in 1828. He served in the House of Representatives elected as a Federalist from Massachusetts but by 1808 he had defected to the Republicans having been alienated by Federalist leadership's increasing secessionist bent. He became associated wuth what cam to be known as National Republicanism and in the aftermath of the election and reelection of Jackson became a "Conscience" as opposed to "Cotton" Whig.
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through the death of Henry Adams in 1918 while World War I was still being fought. The scope of the book consists of brief biographies of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Charles Francis Adams and lastly Henry Adams.In a sense Brookhiser is documenting the birth, development and gradual decline in the political prominence of the Adams dynasty from the founder who led the fight in Congress to declare independence, who served in a diplomatic capacity on behalf of the new republic in France, the Netherlands and England. Adams was Washington's Vice-President for both terms, won the election of 1796 and became the first incumbent to lose the Presidency.
His son, John Quincy Adams, served as a diplomat in Holland, Prussia and Russia, was elected President in 1824 and like his father was defeated as an incumbent when he lost to Andrew Jackson in 1828. He served in the House of Representatives elected as a Federalist from Massachusetts but by 1808 he had defected to the Republicans having been alienated by Federalist leadership's increasing secessionist bent. He became associated wuth what cam to be known as National Republicanism and in the aftermath of the election and reelection of Jackson became a "Conscience" as opposed to "Cotton" Whig.
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Subjects
Original publication date
2009