John Adams

Long book, that took too long to read because there is never enough time in life to absorb it fast enough.

But a great book. I have to admit my feelings on the Revolutionary War period have always been pro George Washington, Benjamin Franklin I was indifferent, and not a big fan of Thomas Jefferson.

Adams, as seems the case in his life, was always an after thought. David McCullough not only does a wonderful job of delivering Adams life, but he does it warts and all. You see Adams personal failures, but you also see his under-the-radar greatness...

With McCullough you can count on one thing, he has always been a first rate historian unlike say; Howard Zinn or your standard classroom textbook.

My esteem for Adams has grown, Washington is shown to be truly great, Franklin I'm still indifferent about, but Jefferson...gross. Less of a Jefferson fan than ever before and not feeling so bad about missing the Jefferson Memorial when I was in D.C. back in 2005.

The mini-series on HBO last year was terrific and sparked an interest. But even seven well done installments is only an appettizer compared to the book. What a great read...unlike other things I have read...what a proper expenditure of time.

To get a sense of this country and how fragile it was at the beginning...this is by far the best accounting.