John Quincy Adams : Militant Spirit

A penetrating, lyrical biography of John Quincy Adams, the President and politician whose experiences spanned—and shaped—the most critical period in our nation's history From the Introduction... Adams was also a hard man. He did not aim to please, and he largely succeeded. He drove away many of his old friends and offended most of his onetime allies. He frightened his children and exasperated his long-suffering wife, Louisa. He was that rare politician who is happiest alone. He knew this and perpetually rebuked himself for his bearish manner, but he did not really wish to be otherwise. He lived according to principles he considered self-evident. Others of his contemporaries did so as well, of course; what set Adams apart was that his principles were so inviolable that he eagerly sacrificed his self-interest to them. As president he accomplished very little of his ambitious agenda in part because he refused to do anything to reward his friends or punish his enemies. Such inflexibility is a dubious virtue for a politician. It is, however, an estimable virtue for a man who needs to hold fast in the face of adversity. "Penetrating, detailed, and very readable. . . . A splendid biography." -- Wall Street Journal Few figures in American history have held as many roles in public life as John Quincy Adams. The son of John Adams, he was a brilliant ambassador and secretary of state, a frustrated president, and a dedicated congressman who staunchly opposed slavery. In John Quincy Adams, scholar and journalist James Traub draws on Adams's diaries, letters, and writings to evoke his numerous achievements-and failures-in office. A man of unwavering moral convictions, Adams is the father of foreign policy "realism" and one of the first proponents of the "activist government." But John Quincy Adams is first and foremost the story of a brilliant, flinty, and unyielding man whose life exemplified admirable political courage. Drawing on Adams' diary, letters, and writings, chronicles the diplomat and president's numerous achievements and failures, revealing his unwavering moral convictions, brilliance, unyielding spirit, and political courage