John Quincy Adams

Militant Spirit

By: James Traub

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

John Quincy Adams was the last of his kind - a Puritan from the age of the Founders who despised party and compromise yet dedicated himself to politics and government. The son of John Adams, he was a brilliant ambassador and secretary of state, a frustrated president at a historic turning point in American politics, and a dedicated congressman who literally died in office - at the age of 80, in the House of Representatives, in the midst of an impassioned political debate.

In John Quincy Adams, scholar and journalist James Traub draws on Adams' diary, letters, and writings to evoke a diplomat and president whose ideas remain with us today. Adams was a fierce nationalist who, as secretary of state, championed the idea of American expansion. Yet at the same time, he warned against moralistic and militaristic policies abroad - a chastening wisdom that makes him the father of what we now call "realism" in foreign policy. As president he was a bold proponent of the idea of activist government later brought to fruition by Abraham Lincoln and others.

Adams' numerous achievements - and equally numerous failures - stand as testaments to his unwavering moral convictions. A man who refused to take refuge in the politically prudent course of action, Adams was repudiated by his own Federalist party and, as president, by the nation that voted him out of office. And yet, in the final decade of his life, Adams regained the country's regard, and even reverence, for as a congressman he often stood alone against the forces of slavery, twice beating back motions of censure. John Quincy Adams tells the story of this brilliant, flinty, and unyielding man whose life exemplified political courage - a life against which each of us might measure our own.

©2016 James Traub (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Great biography!

I love reading biographies about the presidents, specifically around the generation of the Founding Fathers. This one really impressed! It gave the perspective of a child growing up in the heart of the revolution all the way through his efforts to shape the country himself. It was a real treat!

Great biography.

Magnificent ! I had no ideal how instrumental he was in forming our early nation. Truly a man of deserving high respect.

A Fantastic Exposition of the Final Founder

While there are those who might argue that John Quincy Adams is undeserving of the label "Founder," James Traub makes a perhaps unintentional yet excellent case for why this label is accurate and well-deserved. John Quincy Adams was a principled and moral man who not only grew up during the founding of the United States of America, but contributed to it's development as a young man while under the wings of his father John Adams.

Diplomat, Secretary of State, President, Congressman... all of these titles and positions are just a fraction of who John Quincy was throughout his life. As a son, husband, father, and grandfather John Quincy left an impact perhaps not as recognizable as earlier founders but thoroughly picturesque as an individual who consumed the blessings of liberty as well as making a large contribution from his skills as an ambassador, his formation of policies such as the Monroe Doctrine, and his opposition to slavery in the waning years of his life.

James Traub should be applauded for this work, and the narration by Grover Gardner did not pose a hindrance to enjoying this man known as one of the last New England Puritans.

superb

How I enjoyed learning about this man. I wish there were more men on earth like him.

Great History of our Republic

JQ Adams insight and involvement in first 70 years of our nation is remarkable and unequalled. Thanks for providing his life story.