Classic Review: John Adams

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President John Adams wins overdue accolades in David McCullough's searching biography.

[This review from the Monitor's archives originally ran on May 31, 2001.] There are shelves of books devoted to the Founding Fathers. Washington, Jefferson, Frank-lin, and Hamilton have all had numerous biographers. However, few writers have seriously considered John Adams, and consequently, he is much less well known than his compatriots.

This is not surprising. Adams had the bad fortune to follow Washington to the presidency and to precede Jefferson. His tenure lasted just one term. He lacked the physical stature of Washington and Jefferson. They were tall and slender, he was …