A Requiem for American Leaders?
My review on Amazon
Might as well! With incredible stories about men with integrity, candor and valor, like the ones in this book, contemporary leaders who are oftentimes venal and corrupt don't stand a chance! It's a shame such leaders are a rare commodity these days!
Unlike our current leaders, John Adams was an incredible man and a patriotic maverick that helped bring America into the marvel it is today. His undeniable acumen and astute sense of logic made him a likely person to work on drafting the most important and currently under attack document in American history: The Constitution.
The book is rife with countless stories that are incredible on their own merit, that's why it's hard to pick and choose what to spotlight. However, I have to say that the most endearing and at times heartbreaking element in this biography was the correspondence between John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams. So much of John Adams' soft and tender self was exposed in these letters and that definitely added a greater depth to an already great man.
Adams' integrity is also something very evident throughout the book. You see it in his practice as a lawyer, his relationship with his wife and family, his defiant stance in the face of the British being well aware that hanging was the punishment for treason, his unwavering desire to declare independence and write the Bill of Rights document. He was a visionary with a goal in mind and the right tools to get the job done. He never balked at hardship or challenge. He put his very life on the line protecting an idea he believed in. Alas, that's something I can't say about any of our current leaders.
John Adams is a great role model for all Americans and non-Americans alike. The story of his very accomplished and amazingly interesting life should be cherished and experienced and what a better medium to deliver that experience than a David McCullough book! Read it to get a glimpse of what real men and leaders are all about and maybe then you can make a prayer that one like John Adams comes along in the not very far future.
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