Recommended Reads: Adams Family

Great necessities call out great virtues.

To be good, and do good, is the whole duty of man comprised in a few words. — Abigail Adams

The list of books below is all about Abigail Adams and her family. Her husband John Adams was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, dedicated diplomat and the second President of the United States. Her son John Quincy Adams was Secretary of State and then the sixth President of the United States. Her Grandson Charles Francis Adams would become a Congressman and ambassador to Great Britain during the Civil War.

Abigail was a strong woman herself. She ran the farm during her husband's frequent times away from home; and we know from her letters that she always advocated for women's rights.

The Adams family lived in Braintree, Massachusetts (now part of Quincy). Their homestead, John Adams library and the Abigail Adams cairn (a stone mound where Abigail Adams stood to watch the Battle of Bunker Hill) are some historical cites in the city that are worth visiting.

Recorded cassette (RC) and braille (BR) copies of these books are available from the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. The DB (digital) books listed here are only available through the BARD service for download. Please contact the library to order any of these books or to inquire about how to register for downloading digital books.

Prepared by Judi Cannon, Braille Services Specialist
Braille & Talking Book Library

Abigail Adams, an American Woman by Charles W Akers.
BR 4381
Portrait of First Lady Abigail Adams, wife of the second president and mother to the sixth president of the United States. Revealed as a pioneer feminist and an early proponent of women's education, Abigail emerges as an intelligent, resourceful, devout woman who achieved "the fullest equality permitted by society."

The Adams Chronicles: Four Generations of Greatness by Jack Shepherd.
RC 10121
Examination of the achievements of the Adams family told largely in their own words from diaries and letters. Presented in coordination with the Public Broadcasting Service television series of the same title. Bestseller.

America Afire: Jefferson, Adams, and the Revolutionary Election of 1800 by Bernard A Weisberger.
RC 56682  DB 56682 (BARD download only)
Describes the United States's first presidential election crisis, in 1800, between the Federalists under John Adams and Republicans under Thomas Jefferson. The election was eventually sent to the House of Representatives, who balloted thirty-six times before Jefferson won. And President Adam's peaceful departure set a precedent.

The Character of John Adams by Peter Shaw.
RC 27187
A professor of English has written this interdisciplinary study that seeks to reconcile the public and private Adams by "intellectualizing his behavior and personalizing his ideas." The political thinker, writer, president, and sage was envious, wicked in his criticism, infamous for his temper, and embarrassingly awkward in company. This probing analysis of his character places his behavior, politics, and ideas in context.

Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson by Gore Vidal.
BR 15557
Novelist and playwright reflects on the Founding Fathers' attempts to shape a new government. Vidal cites historical documents to provide a human perspective of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, including their personal styles and concerns, opinions of each other, and political feuds. Also examines the influences of Hamilton, Madison, and Franklin.

John Adams by David G McCullough.
BR 13426, RC 52275
Award-winning author chronicles the life and times of America's second president, New Englander John Adams (1735-1826). Examines his pivotal role as revolutionary, diplomat, and politician as well as his friendship--and rivalry--with Thomas Jefferson. Primary sources detail his relationship with his wife, Abigail, four children, and notable contemporaries. Bestseller.

John Adams by Page Smith.
RC 14243
Biography of John Adams (1735-1826), American patriot and second President of the United States. Covers the ninety-year life of this accomplished man from his birth in New England through his marriage to Abigail Adams, his activities during the American Revolution, his election to the Presidency, and his final days when he lived to see his son, John Quincy, elected sixth President of the United States.

John Adams: Second President of the United States by Marlene Targ-Brill.
RC 30384
John Adams was born in 1735 in Massachusetts. John's family were devout Puritans. Although he wanted to be a farmer, John agreed to his father's wishes to attend Harvard and study for the ministry. He became a lawyer instead, and his writings greatly influenced the Constitution. Adams served the nation in many ways, including as president of the United States of America. For grades 3-6.

John Adams: 2nd President of the United States by Rebecca Stefoff.
RC 30102
John Adams was born in 1735 in Massachusetts, the eldest of three sons. His father was a deacon in the local Congregational Church and John had a strict, Puritan upbringing. As a young lawyer, he became involved in the fight for American independence. He would later serve as the first ambassador to Great Britain and as president. For grades 5-8 and older readers.

John Quincy Adams by Robert V Remini.
BR 14399
Personal and political portrait of John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States and son of the second president. Describes his long diplomatic career, his difficulties and accomplishments as commander-in-chief, his return to the House of Representatives after the presidency, and his defense of the participants in the 1839 Amistad slave revolt.

John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life by Paul C Nagel.
BR 11349, RC 45653, DB 45653 (BARD Download Only)
Based on Adams's diary and correspondence, this biography depicts his family life as well as his political career. Covers his negotiation of the Monroe Doctrine, his successful defense of the Amistad antislavery case before the Supreme Court, and his term as the sixth U.S. president.

John Quincy Adams: Sixth President of the United States by Zachary Kent.
RC 30385
John Quincy Adams was born in 1767 in Massachusetts, the first son of John and Abigail Adams. At the age of ten, he accompanied his father to Paris and spent the next seven years in Europe. Upon his graduation from Harvard, he entered the field of law. Like his father, the second president, John Quincy served the nation in many ways, including as ambassador and as president. For grades 3-6.

John Quincy Adams: 6th President of the United States by Miriam Greenblatt.
BR 7997, RC 30106
John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, on July 11, 1767. His family had lived in Massachusetts for more than one hundred years and was quite prominent. John Quincy's career in public service began with his appointment as ambassador to the Netherlands in 1794. He also served as secretary of state before becoming president. For grades 5-8 and older readers.

Presidency of John Adams by Ralph Adams Brown.
RC 31185
John Adams's critics, influential with the press of the day, characterized him as vain, temperamental, unpredictable, and incompetent. To the contrary, argues the author, Adams did not seek personal glory, but strove to keep the United States out of war to give the country time to develop. He believed in a government of law and order, the separation of powers, the authority of the courts, and protection of the individual.

Presidency of John Quincy Adams by Mary W. M. Hargreaves.
RC 31622
The presidency of John Quincy Adams has been criticized for its ineffectiveness in establishing strong relationships with other American nations, its enactment of the "tariff of abominations," and the exclusion of United States trade from the British West Indies. The author contends that Adams and his secretary of state, Henry Clay, rightly focused on national unity and attempted to harmonize sectional interests.

The Revolutionary John Adams by Cheryl Harness.
RC 60902, DB 60902 (BARD download only)
A biography of John Adams, the second president of the United States. Describes his activities in the Second Continental Congress, his role in the American Revolution, and his respect for patriotic duty above all else. For grades 3-6.

Setting the World Ablaze:  Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the American Revolution by John Ferling.
RC 56654, DB 56654 (BARD Download Only)
Drawing on primary sources and focusing on the Revolutionary War years, this work compares the lives of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. These figures are placed among the most important leaders of the struggle for American independence. The book discusses their transformation from colonial elites into democratic reformers.

Those Who Love:  A Biographical Novel of Abigail and John Adams by Irving Stone.
RC 59398, DB 59398 (BARD download only)
Fictionalized account of the marriage between writer Abigail Smith (1744-1818) and Massachusetts lawyer John Adams (1735-1826), second president of the United States. Blending old-fashioned romance and historical detail, the story chronicles the family's careers and wanderings, ending with the close of John's presidency in 1801.